Trouble triple booting? Try this.

Well I found a method that seems to work well for me. This is with Triple booting Windows XP home, OS X 10.5.4 and openSUSE linux 11.0. This method uses the GRUB loader since I find it to be the most stable/reliable (and it looks nice to).

Once all three operating systems are installed, start up SUSE and enter the terminal (open the folder with your user name, File -> terminal).

Type the following:
su
(enter your password)
gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

At the bottom of this file you will want to add the following:
Title OSX86
root (hd?,?)
chainloader +1

Replace the above questions marks with the relevant numbers corresponding with your layout. The first number indicates the drive number, if you only have one drive than this number should be 0. The second number indicates the partition number, 0= partition 1, 1= partition 2 etc. You can check which partition osx is using by going to the partition manager in the YaST control panel.

Mine looks like this:
Title OSX86
root (hd0,1)
chainloader +1

Save the file and exit.

OSX should now boot fine from the GRUB loader. As for windows there should already be an option in GRUB for it that works fine, but if you want to change some settings (like making windows the default boot OS) use the boot manager in YaST.

 

I'm very interested,
I have the linpus version, and i want the triple boot, what i have to install first, osx or windows?
After install booth in wich can boot and wich not?

Please explain how i can install triple boot without reformat a lot.

 

Unless you can somehow get GRUB loader to work in Linpus, this will not work for you.

 

@enca
You can resize your partition and move Linpus to the second partition. Install Windows to the first partition and then use WinGrub to boot both Windows and Linpus.

@imcrazy
It's easy to fix Linpus grub problem. We can reuse Fedora 8 grub root directory but don't forget to update grub.conf file before back installing grub. See 'Installinng Linpus on USB' topic.

 

And then install mac? I have windows and linux working with grub, but I think that could be better install mac before.
It's possible to install now mac?

 

Sorry, I have no experience installing OSX on x86 machine but PowerPC and not understand how OSX bootloader work.

 

Oh just a heads up guys, I have done this twice and both times I have gotten a hal.dll error from windows once GRUB was installed. No worries though it's really easy to fix.

Launch Windows XP disc (any will do we are simply using the recovery console) and start the recovery console. When it asks for an admin password hit enter (unless you actually setup an admin password which is unlikely).

Type:
Attrib -H-R-S C:\Boot.ini
DEL C:\Boot.ini
BootCfg /Rebuild

You will get a prompt for the identified versions of Windows installed. When you receive this prompt press Y if the bootcfg command properly identified each of the Windows operating systems installed on the computer. It is important to realize this command will only detect Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Windows NT installations.

A second prompt will ask you to enter the load identifier. This is the name of the operating system for the boot.ini. For example, Microsoft Windows XP Home users would enter "Microsoft Windows XP Home edition".

A third prompt will ask you to enter OS load options. When this prompt is received type /fastdetect to automatically detect the available options.

After that simply type "exit" and the system will reboot. Now windows should work just fine from GRUB.

Got the above info from these 2 sources:
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_haldll_missing.htm
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000648.htm


Side note: This will create an additional line in the windows boot loader, to delete the old one do the following:

1. Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
2. On the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery.
3. Under System Startup, click Edit.
4. Find the old Windows XP boot and delete the line. Save the file. Once you reboot it will not ask which windows you'd like to run.

 

ill be releasing a howto on my blog for triple booting vista/xp and linpus using linpus's grub loader very soon,

EDIT: howto is up now, i could use some people to test the procedure for me

links in my sig

 

I am sorry to sound noobish but i have an AAO and i have installed the 1.8 inch drive and formatted it fat32 and now i have partitioned it with an additional 8Gb partition to which i want to install the original linpus linux OS.. .. it is currently running XP pro .. so according to you all i would have to do is copy the image of your os to the new partition and all should be ok.. or is there a grub loader issue?? thanks for all your info

 

I bought my AAO with XP installed.
Managed to get Linpus next to it (thanks to Mercado79 - see his tutorial here http://www.aspireoneuser.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=3043here).
Got it bootable using WinGrub.
Now I would like to install a third OS (Linux-based) next to the other two. There is a non-used partition on the end of my HD.
Which steps should I take?
Can I just install this OS and then manually edit the menu.lst file? Or what should I do?
Thanks for your help!

 

i have been dual booting xp and ubuntu for some time now on other laptops but i'm please to say i finally got the AAO to triple boot. it was kind of tricky at first getting to recognize OSX after installing xp and ubuntu but i followed all the tips on here and was able to get it going.

 

DOCp can you give us a brief run-through of how you did this?

Currently I've got XP and Ubuntu installed using GRUB as boot loader. I've acquired OSX and am wondering if I can lastly install it alongside the current installed OSes without affecting them. Will I need to create a new partition beforehand and what file system will it need to be?

 

helo did u get osx work with xp , linux triple boot pls ? as i am doing the same

currently got
160gb
20gb xp pro
5gb open suse
20gb reserved for osx kalyway
rest data partition
using grub as boot loader

how do i install kalyway without it over writing my grub boot loader ?!?!?!
i am confused , unless after installing kalyway i got to boot into win98 start up disk and use fdisk to set xp as my acgtive parition again ? then use chain file loader to add option for osx . but then how would i get linux back ?!?!

or if it does , i just boot into opensuse live cd and trype them commands as per first post ?!?!

 

ive got osx and linpus dual boot working so xp shouldn be hard either#

 

I have an Acer One with 1GB & 160GB HD.

Currently dual booting Linpus & Ubuntu using Grub installed via ubuntu.

I would like to add XP to this.. What is the best way, without loosing the 2 OS’s installed. ??

Thanks

 

resizing partitions etc as said in howto and then install xp - once installed restore grub and add entry for xp

 

Cheers I will look at this at the weekend
Is XP OK installed on to what will be /dev/sda3 ??
Thanks

 

as long as xp is on a primary partition (not lopgical) it'll be fine

 

Cheers I may do this at the weekend ..
as well as upgrading the Linpus I have on there !!

Thanks

 

Not had a chance to do this yet.. But how would I restore grub ???
Thanks