Sharing /boot partition between multiple distros...

[allan]

Hi all,

I have read that if one installs multiple distros on the same computer that a single /boot partition can be shared between the distros.

However, when I tried to install Bianca-main as a 2nd distro, with Bianca-KDE as the 1st install, the installer would not let me use the existing /boot partition as /boot for the new install, with the message saying that system partitions such as / and /boot need to be re-formatted. Of course, I wouldn't want to reformat because then I would lose the existing data on the /boot partition.

Is there anyone who has done this that could help identify what I am doing wrong here? Or help with a workaround? Thanks...

[scorp123]

I have read that if one installs multiple distros on the same computer that a single /boot partition can be shared between the distros.

Such weirdness is reserved to gurus And in that post I wrote that you can do it yes, if you are a guru and know what you do .... not that you should do it. Notice the difference?

However, when I tried to install Bianca-main as a 2nd distro, with Bianca-KDE as the 1st install, the installer would not let me use the existing /boot partition as /boot for the new install, with the message saying that system partitions such as / and /boot need to be re-formatted. Of course, I wouldn't want to reformat because then I would lose the existing data on the /boot partition.

Of course

Is there anyone who has done this

Yes And as I wrote in that thread: This is totally not suggested and not recommended!! You won't get support from anyone if you do this, you are on your own if you hose your system.

that could help identify what I am doing wrong here? Or help with a workaround?

No The fact alone that you need help with this means that this topic is waaaay too advanced for you. I'd have to explain too many things

Let's make it simple: If you want to have multiple distros on the same machine you can have them on separate root " / " partitions and share /home between them without risking too much.

[NiksaVel]

Let's make it simple: If you want to have multiple distros on the same machine you can have them on separate root " / " partitions and share /home between them without risking too much.

agreed... I've organised my system this way and it works GREAT! let the geeks have their weird partition setups hehehe



btw... scorp123 that's 7 s in a 9-line post... a record?

[kenetics]

Let's make it simple: If you want to have multiple distros on the same machine you can have them on separate root " / " partitions and share /home between them without risking too much.

agreed... I've organised my system this way and it works GREAT! let the geeks have their weird partition setups hehehe

Do you use a different user name for each distro that shares the same /home? If you are close to 60, it becomes hard to keep it sorted.

I think we need to eliminate the altogether!

[NiksaVel]

no... niksavel all the way so I get the identical settings and all in every distro

[scorp123]

no... niksavel all the way so I get the identical settings and all in every distro

Bingo! That's the cool thing about this

Oh ... and for the sake of a complete "scorp123" experience here: " "

[allan]

wow Scorp...

- 7 evil smilies
- a statement that if I try something that might be considered a little advanced, I won't get support from anyone here
- a comment that my asking for help means the the topic is waaay to advanced for me
- all this from one of the forum moderators

Makes a new guy here feel all warm and fuzzy

[scorp123]

Makes a new guy here feel all warm and fuzzy

You are misunderstanding this ... Sharing /boot is so totally a weird thing that you really really shouldn't do it. If I did that on a production machine here where I work ... not only would I not get "no support" but the other admins here would make sure that I get my a** kicked very hard and lose my job for obviously being incompetent (nobody sane in their head would try such a stunt on a production machine .... )

Just because you can do it under certain circumstances doesn't mean that you should do it ...

Doing such stuff has nothing to do with any kind of "normal" operation of a Linux system. It's more like a very very dirty backyard hack that maybe will work but most likely won't work .. and if it works it won't work for long ... All in all it's a very tricky thing and there is too much stuff to pay attention to.

So as for feeling welcome here or not .... Sorry if you misunderstood it this way, but again: this stuff is really very advanced and not really something you should do. It's one of those "don't try this at home!" things that better remain unexplained, OK?

Sharing /home or /opt is an entirely different thing and absolutely "normal". So I suggest we forget about sharing /boot, /usr and other tricky sensitive locations which are not supposed to be shared between installations ... OK?

[allan]

You are misunderstanding this ... Sharing /boot is so totally a weird thing that you really really shouldn't do it.

Ok, got it. My original question was in response to thinking that I had read somewhere (not your post... somewhere else) that /boot was one of the partitions that could be easily shared in a straighforward manner between different installs. Guess not... thanks for setting it straight!

My apologies for my previous reply being on the cynical side. Thanks for all your help here.