Linux

partitions required for multiboot:
/swap
/boot
/ for first version
/ for second version
/ for third version

if you want have a shared directory you would have to set that as a partition, or explicity mount each partiton in each version.
easier to make a partition:
/mnt/shared

to share between versions.
if the kernels for all go into /boot
then the bootloader for last distro installed will boot menu all distros.

Try the following link:
http://www.shell-shocked.org/article.php?id=230

Hi,

Ok, first, I have 3 different Linux's on my hard drive. They all share the same swap partition, and they each have their own / (root) partition. For simplicity sake, all 3 partitions are formatted as ext3.

Anyway, you can use GRUB as the boot loader if you wish, although I use a 3rd party bootloader (Acronis OS Selector).

Just make sure of one thing .... whenever you install another version of Linux, MAKE SURE you install the bootloader to the first sector of the boot parition, as opposed to the MBR. Otherwise, whatever boot loader you were previously using will be overwritten.

I would definitely suggest you use a 3rd party boot loader for this. It's much easier to handle.

As for 32bit vs 64bit. Just make sure you download the AMD64 version of whatever distro you're wanting to use.

Installations of Redhat (Fedora) and Madriva are all graphical and fairly straight forward.

As a guide, here is my disk layout:

hda1 NTFS Windows Primary Partition
hda2 FAT32 Common Drive Primary Partition
hda3 -------------------- Extended Partition
hda5 SWAP --------------- Logical Partition
hda6 ext3 Linux Logical Partition
hda7 ext3 Linux Logical Partition
hda8 ext3 Linux Logical Partition

first, install according to the installation notes for the distro.
whichever you choose to install first.
use the installer to customise the partition table, making sure you have un partitioned space on the disk afterwards.
the partition structure:
hda1 ( windows if you want it )
hda 5 ( extended partition, 1 gig in size, mount point as /boot )
hda6 / root of the distro
hda7 swap partition ( scratch drive / windows swap file is usage )
hda8 /shared ( for sharing between distros.if windows also, make this fat32 so windows can read also )

pick second distro
read installation notes for it
install, custom disk partitioning.
use same /boot partition

hda9 / root of second distro
hda8 /shared

repeat as often as needed to install all distros.

with all distros using the same boot partition, they will read the kernel data and add them to the bootloader as options, so you can just install to mbr and still multiboot all versions of linux as well as windows ( if installed )
every distro is slightly different installing, so detailing exact steps is distro specific.
( and I refuse to install red hat's products, an entire day to be severely disappointed with thier default config which went against specified config during install. )

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