Dual booting: Ubuntu LTS and openSUSE 12.1

[Nils Kassube]

LinuxIsOne wrote:
> I am going to dual boot the following two:
> 
> Ubuntu LTS 10.04 Lucid Lynx i386 (32 bit)
> openSUSE 12.1 x86_64
> 
> Can one please elaborate in details about the above? The querries:
> 
> 1. Ubuntu LTS has GRUB 2 while openSUSE 12.1 has GRUB LEGACY (GRUB
> 1), so which to install first so that the main boot loader works
> according to that...?

The GRUB version which you install last in the MBR will be the relevant 
one.

> 2. Suppose I install Ubuntu first, should I make 3 partitions as
> follows:
> 
> /root
> /boot
> /swap

I don't know the requirements of Opensuse, but it can probably live in a 
single partition. Then I would suggest to use one common swap partition 
and root partitions for the two individual operating systems. I don't 
think a separate boot partition would make sense, unless you want to use 
LVM or RAID. And if you need a boot partition, I think it would be a 
good idea to not use a common boot partition for both operationg 
systems.

> 3. Editing /boot/grub/menu.lst file through Ubuntu LTS would make
> changes in the file of menu.lst of openSUSE too? Or how would it
> work....

It would only make changes to the Opensuse file menu.lst because Ubuntu 
doesn't use it. However I would suggest to install Opensuse first and 
then install Ubuntu afterwards with GRUB2 in the MBR. Ubuntu should find 
the Opensuse installation and put it in the config file of the boot 
loader. Then you can select the wanted OS from the boot menu and you 
don't have to manually edit anything. Only if you get a new opensuse 
kernel, you would run the command

sudo update-grub

in a terminal to boot with the right Opensuse kernel.


Nils