Re: partitioning and use thereof

On 10/6/2021 10:19 PM, Robert Baer wrote:
>    OK, the way HDs have been set up is extremely wasteful, one giant track and sector. All else there off to the sunset forever.
>    Seems to me, in the old daze where space was supposedly at a premium, that non-use would have been accounted for.
> 
>    Well, as a result we have (at least i do not have to take off my shoes to count) 4 (four) partitions.
>    Then these new(er) OSes go and WASTE one by eating a partition for the very space-wasting boot sector...more space non-use.
>    And they go-ahead and byte all over attempts to (independently) make 4 partitions.
> 
>    So, for arguments sake, i would like to put on the hard drive DOS, Linux, Win7 and Win10.
>    And since i am starting with 4 drives i would naively partition an empty drive into 4 partitions, and just copy each drive onto a partition and use a partition manager to select and boot where i want.
> 
>     Comments?
> 

Multiboot is a "learn by doing" topic.

It takes time and effort. There are no free lunches served.

Spoon feeding instructions just isn't the same.

GPT partitioning allows a *lot* of partitions.
It's a linear scheme, that requires no Extended/Logical.
But we don't know a thing about your computer, so that
puts the topic off limits for the moment.

Legacy MSDOS partitioning, the partition table in sector zero
has room for four entries. For max partitions, you place three
primary partitions, and the last partition is an Extended. In
the Extended go the Logical partitions. The logical partitions
are "chained" in some way, so again, a large number is possible.

    https://i.postimg.cc/0jMDV94v/Multiboot-Legacy-Partition.gif

In that example, I used spacer partitions to keep Windows "hemmed in".
This prevented the extra partitions from being used. But, this is
also a naughty practice, and prevents the automatic recovery on
Windows 10. What I did in that picture, was to please you, and
is not Best Practice.

Both schemes (GPT,MSDOS) can keep a multibooter happy.

When Windows does a "Clean Install", by booting the DVD, that
tends to mess up the boot materials. If Windows does "Upgrade Installs",
today, it doesn't have to mess up the Linux materials. For piece of mind,
I'd do Win7, then Win10, then Linux. But when 21H2 or whatever for Windows 10
comes along, there should not be an issue with Linux getting trashed.
At least on a GPT setup :-)

Macrium Reflect emergency boot CD, can do Windows boot repair. What it
cannot do, is "add files", if you did something dumb and deleted the
boot files. But what it does do, is it modifies GUIDs on partitions,
composes a new BCD menu file, and tips things upright.

Linux has a third-party boot repair, but for me, it's only worked maybe
once or twice out of all the attempts. For Linux boot repair, you'll
need your own wits to make it happen. By chrooting in and doing it
(grub-install for example, or update-grub if you modified /etc/defaults/grub).

Good luck, Mr.Noob [I've only lost a couple disks full of data, doing this!!!]
                    [Mr.Backup is your friend when multibooting]

And there's always a Level 39 wizard out there, to put you in your place :-)

    Paul