Dual boot, but with two Linuxes

[Duncan Lithgow]

Hi Constantine,

> I afraid I haven't the slightest idea where you came across that
> information. GRUB is, after all, the Grand Unified Bootloader. Why is it
> that you claim that it is not a bootloader?

Thanks for asking.

For several reasons - I'm aware that GRUB claims to be a Grand Unified
Bootloader - I wonder what life was like before that - maybe people
used a Minor Disorganised Bootcleaner?

I have _not_ said it can't be used - I just don't think it's well
suited to the common problems of multi-boot environments.

1. Because several distros (I only know of Ubuntu and Fedora) like to
make automatic edits of the menu.lst file when they get new kernels.
But if the menu.lst file is expected to keep track of several distros
and which kernel is newest then I'm not sure I would trust the
automatic editing mechanism. With GAG I have one thing for managing
the boot (GAG) and another (GRUB) for managing the kernels _for each
distro_. So here's the question:
Q: Can GRUB be have 'automagick' edits for new kernels to menu.lst for
several distros without getting messed up?
A: (responses please)

2. I think a multi-boot environment should be easy, and mostly it is.
But if I use GRUB as my boot manager and then delete the distro which
installed it - I always end up with a mess that requires ages of
playing around to get grub to work again. With GAG managing the
booting it is independant of any one distro, it just won't be able to
find the distro I've just removed - and it's easy to remove that
entry.
Q: How do I make GRUB be my friend once I've deleted the distro which
originally installed it?
A: (responses please)

3. Having to reinstall windows is not uncommon for many people. But if
you reinstall windows after Linux, it wipes GRUB off the MBR.
Reinstalling and setting up GRUB again is not a simple intuitive
process. With GRUB installed anywhere but the MBR it's still there
after a windows install - and with GAG managing the bootloading, and
being easy to install off a floppy or CD, I can get up and running
again, with all the original configs, in about 15 seconds.
Q: What's the most effective way for your grandmother to fix her dual
boot system after reinstalling windows?
A: (responses please)

Those are the issues that drove me to madness until I found GAG, which
can do a few other things as well for anyone whose looking.

Duncan