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Dual-boot eCS and Ubuntu how-to?

Started by warpcafe, 2011.03.30, 11:29:45

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warpcafe

Gents,

I'm trying to get eCS 2.0GA and Ubuntu 10.01 installed on a Thinkpad T32 in a dual-boot fashion.
While I am experienced in dual-boot setups for the last decades when it comes to Microsoft, I am new to the same regarding Linux.

My expectation was that it could not be harder than getting a Redmond-OS to run in dual-boot.
Man, have I got news for you... ;)

Symptom:
If I install Ubuntu first, eCS seems unable to find/create a startable partition as long as I don't "kill" the Ubuntu partitions.
If I install eCS first, installing Ubuntu will turn the eCS partition unusable and not accessible to get reactivated by LVM.

It looks like the Linuxcrap kills vital information on other partitions... seems to be parted/gparted/grub whatever they call it.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/669459

Question:
Has someone got Ubuntu (10.01) and eCS 2.0 (GA/RC, whatever) running in dual-boot, both natively? (VBox doesn't count)
if so - what is the recipe to follow? I won't mind using DFSee if that helps fixing the problem.

BTW:
My Ubuntu install is running from a bootable USB thumb drive (live install) so I could be able to use tools contained in a running Ubuntu if that helps... also, the target is to use AirBoot, not the IBM Bootmanager.

TIA, Cheers,
Thomas
"It is not worth an intelligent man's time to be in the majority.
By definition, there are already enough people to do that"
- G.H. Hardy

warpcafe

Hi all,

okay. Sigh.
http://bugs.ecomstation.nl/view.php?id=2914

Known defect of LVM. No fix available it seems.

Thanks anyway for reading my above lament, ;)
Thomas
"It is not worth an intelligent man's time to be in the majority.
By definition, there are already enough people to do that"
- G.H. Hardy

ivan

Hi Thomas,

I think it is a Ubuntu thing to not play along with anything else - I can't get it to dual boot with anything.

On the other hand I have Suse 11.4 coexisting with OS/2 without any problems on two machines here.  In one case Suse is on its own hard disk, in the other it is in three partitioned on a 1 TB hard disk.  The secret seems to be to not let linux touch the MBR but make it put its boot files in a partition - I found that out the hard way.  Then bootmanager will be able to boot either install.

I know everyone seems to look on Ubuntu as the 'best thing since sliced bread' in the linus world - I find Suse much better.

ivan

warpcafe

Hi Ivan,

thanks for the note. I'll give it a try with Suse. Any special requirements as to which version is suited "best"?
Otherwise I'll just take the lastest one... I don't mind the flavor of Linux to use. It only must install simple and flawlessly along eCS.

Cheers,
Thomas
"It is not worth an intelligent man's time to be in the majority.
By definition, there are already enough people to do that"
- G.H. Hardy

ivan

Hi Thomas,

I have the latest version of Open Suse 11.4 Gnome.

As I said you must not let the installer put anything in the MBR.  I always have it put the boot files in /boot - that is something I learnt quite some time ago, it also allows finding which partition to use in BM much easier.

ivan

warpcafe

Ivan,

what is the exact steps to prevent it from putting something in the MBR?
Is that something I have to do manually when fiddeling with partitions?

And - is it best to first install eCS or rather Linux?

Cheers,
Thomas
"It is not worth an intelligent man's time to be in the majority.
By definition, there are already enough people to do that"
- G.H. Hardy

abwillis

I have a triple boot Windows, Ubuntu, eCS system (had had two but removed windows from one of them).
What I did to get around the MBR issue was to create a 7Mb partition that I installed grub into and had it update that partition instead of the MBR.  I ended up having to have the 7MB partition because when I tried to add it to the main Ubuntu partition it would not work.

ivan

Hi Thomas,

Yes it is something you do when fiddling with partitions.

You get a screen that shows where everything will be put.  It should tell you where it is going to put the boot loader and will show it as being the MBR.  This is the item you want to change.  Depending on how you have setup the partitions you can chose one of them - usuallu boot - to put the boot loader in.

Every time I've installed linux in a multi boot situation I have had the other operating systems installed first, which may, or may not, have been a help.

The reason I chose Suse is because it does give you more control in the install phase - Ubuntu tends to do its own thing.

ivan 

Radek

AFAIK, the problem is with GRUB 2, which is incompatible with BM and eCS. Ubuntu 9 and later versions use GRUB 2. A "normal" GRUB (version 0.9, used by Debian, for example) is okay.

If there is a method of installing Ubuntu 10, then the main step will be bypassing GRUB 2. I have heard that it is possible to install Ubuntu 8 (which contains GRUB 0.9) and then upgrade. Install GRUB on the Ubuntu partition and do not make the partition startable. Then install eCS and enable Ubuntu from the LVM. Your boot manager is BM, you will "boot" GRUB from it, which will boot Ubuntu in turn. I am running Debian and eCS on my comp this way. Earlier, I had Ubuntu 8 and eCS.

My own experience: Ubuntu (and Debian) should be installed on a primary partition. Logical partitions are incompatible in Linux and eCS somehow. If you install on a logical partition, you can get errors in LVM and no possibility to make the partition bootable or added to BM menu but you can still enable the partition using DFSee and it will work. Well, it's not good to have bad partition structure on a disk.

Beause more and more Linux systems can be expected to use GRUB 2 in the future, the eCS gurus should do something with it. Linux cannot be expected to take any action.

abwillis

I installed grub from Ubuntu 9.04 onto a machine with WIndows and OS/2 (including BM) by doing as my previous post said of not allowing it to install grub to the MBR.  I was not able to get it to work by installing grub to the Ubuntu boot partition but had to instead create a 7MB grub partition.  I added the grub partition to BM and now it boots first to BM and if I select for the Ubuntu it goes to Grub.  I have since upgraded the distribution a few times and am now at Ubuntu 10.10.

Radek

http://www.os2world.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,63/topic,2042.0/

Ubuntu 9.04 was able to use the "good" GRUB 0.97 (on ext3) or the "cursed" GRUB 2 (on ext4). Perhaps, you are using the "good" one :) Real problems seem to start with 9.10

abwillis

Not sure which one it installed... I have my Ubuntu on JFS.