LAPTOP - DELL INSPIRION 4000 / LINUX * BSD * SOLARIS
Here is a short Description how to set up Solaris 7-10, OpenBSD
2.7-3.9, FreeBSD 4.1-5.x or Linux 2.2.x-2.4.x/2.6.x on
Dell
Inspiron 4000
Laptops. I have a requirement for a multi boot setup so i often have 2
or
more UNIX'es installed.
These are the required steps to get it working with my good old Dell
Inspiron 4000.
Disk 0 (30 GB IDE Drive)
| OS | Size (GB) | DISK P-Type | Part Type | Boot Flag | Usage |
| Linux | 512MB | - Linux | Primary | N | / |
| OpenBSD | 3.25GB | - OpenBSD | P | N | / /var /usr .. |
| Solaris | 3.25GB | - Solaris | P | Y | / /usr /var .. |
| Logical | Rest | - Extendet | E | - | ext Partition |
| Linux Swap | 150MB | - Linux Swap | Logical | N | else Solaris won't work |
| Linux /var | 224 MB | - Linux | L | N | - |
| Linux /usr | 4 GB | - Linux | L | N | - |
| Linux /opt | Rest | - Linux | L | N | - |
- Created a primary Partition for Linux (/). Many BIOS'es and
Boot managers have a restriction that makes booting only possible if
the
whole stuff resides in the first 1023 Cylinders. One of the many reason
that make the PC's look like strange home user crap. To be able to boot
the kernel has to be in this range. Some recent BIOS /
Boot manager Combo's can overcome this problem. Another nice one is
that
booting is only possible from primary partitions.
- Created a primary for Solaris & OpenBSD. Solaris
Partitions are inside a FDISK Partition like the *BSD ones. One
Solaris Part. per Disk is allowed and only as primary Partition
(else it won't boot). OpenBSD also requires a primary Partition. Linux
boots from anything and even don't care about the boot flag. The
Solaris / Linux-SWAP (same ID) Problem is resolved in newer Linux
Distros (swap signature) and recent Solaris Releases (S10 and above)
use a different Partitions ID.
- The Rest goes into a extended Partition. This trick makes it
possible to have a Linux Swap as logical Drive. Solaris and Linux-swap
have the same FDISK ID - up to Solaris 9. This is only
necessary if installing older Solaris releases.
- Created some other Linux Partition as logical drives (swap ; /usr; /var ; /opt).
- Installed Linux.
- Installed Solaris and OpenBSD - but without overwriting the MBR
(Boot Opts).
Links
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