[Novalug] dual install (was Re: Ubuntu upgrade)

Opus opus@slowlanecafe.com
Sat Nov 1 21:37:49 EDT 2008


Bonnie Dalzell wrote:
> Is there a way to have a dual install of Ubuntu Hardy and Ubuntu Ibex on 
> your machine using two different partitions for root (or two different 
> subdirectories in /) and having only one home directory or would programs 
> be messed up by that setup?
>   
Hi Bonnie, et. Al.,

I've actually been doing this exact thing for a while. When I initially 
set up a PC, I create the following partition structure (note that this 
assumes a 160 Gb or larger drive):

/dev/sda1 /boot 2 Gb
/dev/sda4 extended partition - remainder of drive
/dev/sda5 / 20 Gb
/dev/sda6 /var 12 Gb
/dev/sda7 /next_root 20 Gb
/dev/sda8 /next_var 12 Gb
/dev/sda9 swap 2 Gb (or whatever you feel is right)
/dev/sda10 /data remainder of drive

The /boot partition is bootable, and I install Grub into the MBR. I 
don't use a separate /home (I let it be part of the / file system) so 
that anything (like Gnome) that stores its files in a "dot" subdir of 
the user's home dir don't get confused between versions. I do locate my 
Thunderbird email directories on the /data partition, which does *not* 
get formatted when the new version of Linux gets installed. I make /var 
a separate partition so that if a log file fills it up (unlikely with 
12+ Gb) it doesn't keep the system from booting.

The /next_root and /next_var get used when the next version is released. 
I install it and can boot either using the /boot/grub/menu.lst
file. NOTE: CAUTION: the one real fly in the ointment is that you need 
to make a copy of the entire /boot partition (I just tar it to /data) 
before installing the new version because many distros want to format 
the /boot partition when they get installed, and even the ones that 
don't won't handle another version very well on the same /boot. Once the 
new version is installed, I create a subdir in /boot for the old 
version's files (something like /boot/u7.10 for Ubuntu 7.10) and then 
manually edit the /boot/grub/menu.lst file to have stanzas that point to 
them. You need a subdir for each additional version you want on the 
drive, to keep all of the initrd and kernel image files sorted out. All 
of this would be easier, of course, with some basic changes to Grub, but 
I've never had the time to investigate what it would take to make those 
changes.

Finally, I create a symbolic link in my /home/opus directory to 
/data/opus and move my Documents, Pictures, etc., subdirs there.

This is a bit of tedious work to set up, but it has been working well 
for me for several years now.

Hope this helps.

-- 
Andy Anderson 
Salisbury, MD, USA
http://www.slowlanecafe.com

"A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour."  
                                                     - Anonymous




More information about the Novalug mailing list