All the Linux flavors I have tried have no problem dual-booting with Win=
dows,=20
but how do you boot multiple Linux flavors, like Fedora and Ubuntu? This is=
a=20
great way to have your favorite distribution on the first drive (hda) and=
experiment with the hundreds of others on a second drive (hdb). I found ma=
ny=20
procedures by Googling, but most of them concentrated on booting two distro=
s on=20
the same hard drive. However, this is a very simple procedure.

I have found that if you try to dual-boot Linux with Linux, the second f=
lavor=20
that you install overwrites the existing boot loader and the first distro s=
eems=20
to vanish. To solve this problem, don't install the boot loader of the seco=
nd=20
distro. You should be able to find an option for this as you go through the=
install process.

I know what you're thinking -- if I don't install the boot loader, how w=
ill I=20
boot the system?

Let's assume that the bootloader is on the first hard drive (hda) from y=
our=20
original distro. You need to copy certain files from the /boot directory of=
the=20
hdb drive to the /boot directory of the hda drive. To do this, you must fir=
st=20
mount the hdb drive while logged in as the root user. Since this is only a=
temporary mount point, I just use the floppy directory:

mount/dev/hdb1 /mnt/floppy

Some of the newer distros now use the /media directory for mount points,=
so=20
if the above command doesn't work, try:

mount /dev/hdb1 /media/floppy

You should see an icon appear on the desktop that looks like a diskette.=
Enter that drive, and cd /mnt/floppy/boot or cd=20
/media/floppy/boot.

There are three files you need to copy to the /boot directory of the fir=
st=20
hard drive (hda). The first is System.map, which will look something like=
System.map-2.6.9-1.6_FC2 (which is the System.map for the 2.6.9.-1.6 kerne=
l from=20
Fedora Core 2). The other two files will have identical numeric suffixes, a=
fter=20
prefixes of vmlinuz and initrd. Once you locate these three files, copy the=
m to=20
the /boot directory of the first hard drive (hda). When copying the initrd =
file,=20
make sure to copy it exactly as you see it, including the .img extension th=
at=20
will be someplace in the name of the file.

Now cd /boot to change to the /boot directory of your first=
hard=20
drive (hda). You should see the three new files added to the directory.

Now there's only one step left -- add a stanza to GRUB, the boot loader =
file.=20
Change to the /boot/grub directory and open the file menu.lst in your favor=
ite=20
text editor. Scroll down a few lines and add the new stanza under the one f=
or=20
your existing distro, skipping a line between them. It should look somethin=
g=20
like this:

title "whatever you want to call your new distro"
     =
;=20
  root (hd1,0)
        kernel=20
/boot/vmlinuz"Your Kernel Number" ro root=3DLABEL=3D/
 =
 =20
    initrd /boot/initrd"Your Kernel Number".img=

Note that this is a case-sensitive and space-sensitive document. That me=
ans=20
that root=3Dlabel is different from root=3DLABEL, and there is no space aft=
er the=20
"=3D".

If you've done things right, you can now reboot your machine and you wil=
l see=20
your new entry in the boot menu. Select it and you will boot into your new=
distro.