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Installing multiple OSes on a 250GB internal HD.

By jpeterson1237 ·
I have a laptop I am using for college and I want to install 3 (or more) OSes for my different computing classes. I want to put Windows7 32bit ffor using apps and games that wine doesn't like. I would like to have Backtrack5 for my NetSecurity and Digital Forensics classes, I need Fedora for my Linux Enterprise class (we learn RedHat), and Ubuntu for my primary that I will use for web browsing and word processing. So seeing I would like 4 OSes I was thinking of dedicating the following space to the OSes

Win7 (32-bit): 75GB
BT5R3 (32-bit): 25GB
Fedora17 (32-bit): 50GB
Ubuntu 12.10 (32-bit): 50GB

Or if there is anyway that I can run all 3 Linux OSes off of one Home Partition I would do that but I don't know how to do that. I have heard I need to use LVM partitions when installing multiple OSes but I know nothing about them. I have all of the 32-bit live disks (except win7 but I have the intsall disk). Here is basically my goal.

Win7: I want this for tools and games I can install on Linux very well.
BT5R3: I will be using this for PenTesting and I won't need much extra room for anything other than whats already on there so maybe just some room for text files.
Fedora17: I will be switching back and forth between this and Ubuntu 12.10 as my main partitions and I need room to install files and modify things for my class.
Ubuntu 12.10: Same as above except I don't need it but it's the linux OS I have the most experience with.

So any reccomendations, guides, or links would be very helpful.

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If you just want links on how to do this try these

by OH Smeg Moderator In reply to Installing multiple OSes ...

http://reviews.cnet .com/4520-3671_7-5021373-1.html

http://windows.microsoft .com/en-AU/windows-vista/Install-more-than-one-operating-system-multiboot

http://www.howtogeek .com/howto/8790/dual-boot-your-pre-installed-windows-7-computer-with-xp/

http://apcmag .com/the_definitive_dualbooting_guide_linux_vista_and_xp_stepbystep.htm

https://help.ubuntu .com/community/WindowsDualBoot

remember remove the space from between the domain name and the .whatever for a working link.

If you want to know how to resize your HDD without using the Windows Partition Tool you can use GParted available free here

http://gparted.sourceforge .net/download.php

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Installing multiple OSs

by walter_robbins In reply to Installing multiple OSes ...

Use VMWare Player for added OSs.

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by dldorrance In reply to Installing multiple OSs

I agree. With a virtual machine you do not need to split up your HDD with multiple partitions. Here we run Mint Linux as the main OS with XP and Turnkey Wordpress as virtual machines. VMware Player may be installed in Windows or Linux; it is possible to cut and paste between the native OS and the virtual machine, but only one virtual machine can be loaded at a time. VM data is kept in a single file, so there is no need to assign unused HDD space to the VMs. VM's run a bit slower than the native OS, so no good for games.

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by dldorrance In reply to Installing multiple OSs

I agree. With a virtual machine you do not need to split up your HDD with multiple partitions. Here we run Mint Linux as the main OS with XP and Turnkey Wordpress as virtual machines. VMware Player may be installed in Windows or Linux; it is possible to cut and paste between the native OS and the virtual machine, but only one virtual machine can be loaded at a time. VM data is kept in a single file, so there is no need to assign unused HDD space to the VMs. VM's run a bit slower than the native OS, so no good for games.

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by OH Smeg Moderator In reply to Installing multiple OSs

There is a potential issue with running a Virtual Machine.

Some OS's run in a Virtual Mode can be buggy and unstable. Happens more when you have Windows as the Base OS and are running Linux Virtually under it though that is not always the case.

If you need Rock Solid Reliability I would Multi Boot but if you can run the risk of instability running Virtual Machines is fine. Of course if you install everything Virtually and it works that's fine and is easier initially but there is a possibility that it may be unstable and the only way to find out is to Suck It and See.

Col

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