[wellylug] General request for infomation on building a sandpit.

[Pizbit]

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Not literally a sandpit, but a place to play in all the same.
Basically I have a general "aim" on setting up my computer so I can have lots of
random fun install and messing up installs of linux. Eg, I want to be able to
install linux on my main HD and play around, if I mess up I want to be able to
easily just reinstall over it while keeping my current linux install
untouched(and working!).

I want to do this because I want to be able to experiment and learn more.

An end goal I'm thinking of is winding up with a linux install that is better
partitioned than my current mess and when I have that I'd merge the current maze
of linux partitions into one. To make better use of my space. And then perhaps
use the now free space to play with. But I'll be happy for now with just getting
my general "aim" working.


Currently my computer is dual boot windows/linux with the following partition setup.

/dev/hda5       /               ext2
/dev/hda10      none            swap
/dev/hda8       /usr    ext3
/dev/hda6       /home   ext3
/dev/hda7       /var    ext3
/dev/hda9       /tmp    ext2
/dev/hda1       /home/intatia/mnt/win_c ntfs
/dev/hda2       /home/intatia/mnt/win_d vfat
/dev/hdb1       /home/intatia/bighd_1 ext3
/dev/hdc1       /home/intatia/bighd_2 ext3

hdb and hdc are 120GB HD's and as far as I'm concerned they are to be considered
'not there' but can be used for backup purposes.

hda is a 40GB drive (Primary Master) and currently has 22GB free on the
/dev/hda1 win_c partition.

/dev/hda1 is a 877MB or so partition that is no longer needed, I created it back
when I actually used windows more than once every month or two.

So, anyone willing to offer up some advice as to how I could setup my machine to
tripple boot a second linux install? I wont be making any change until I'm very
sure what I'm about to do and how to do it.
The two areas which I'm needing infomation on are partitioning and setting up
the tripple boot.

1)
- - Since (correct me if I'm wrong) my current linux install would like to keep
the same /dev/hdaX numbers I'd have to create the new partitions after that,
however there is no space there so would PM8 be able to move that all along and
put some of the free space of hda1 after all my current linux partitions?
- - I believe all the linux partitions are inside a logical partition or whatever
it's called (Partition magic has all them inside a box) with the fat32 partition
not included in that but deletable. Would this mean I wouldn't have to worry
about the number of partitions? I believe I was once told that you could only
have 4 unless managed with logical partitions or <insert proper name here>.
- - Would I be able to use the same swap partition with the two linux installs
since obviously I wouldn't be running both at once.

2)
- - The actual setting up of the tripple boot loader and setting it up for each
change of linux install on the new partitions. Someone floated the idea of a
seperate /boot partition however I have no idea how to implement that with
regards to the current linux install or new ones.

Any help/infomation/advice/links would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

(I'm not too good at making things clear in text so if you want clarification of
something just ask.)

- --
(Leo/Pizbit)
I don't kill flies, but I like to mess with their minds.  I hold them above
globes.  They freak out and yell "Whooa, I'm *way* too high."
~                -- Bruce Baum
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