..:: One For The Geeks – My 5 OS Laptop ::..

So, I managed to turn my laptop test rig dubbed Riceburner (because it took a water spill and I dried it out with some minute rice), into a five OS booting powerhouse. This is one mad multi boot and was done as a demonstration, as there’s no funding for me to have an actual training budget here. Here’s what I did:

I used the Kalyway 10.5.2 install disc to partition my HD.
Windows (0,0) – 60GB
Ubuntu (0,1) – 30GB
Leopard (0,2) – 30GB
Vista (0,3) – 15GB
Win7 (0,4) – 15GB
Total HD space: 150GB

Installed Windows Media Center Edition in the first partition – Windows. Then upgraded to Vista in the fourth, and added in Windows 7 (I’ll do a few more rearms to keep it up for bragging rights, but turn it over to transfer and Linux swap space afterwards.)

I installed Ubuntu in the second partition, tested it out with Super GRUB, then moved onto Leopard by way of Kalyway.

Everything was smooth until Leopard fucked my shit up, but I followed the how to fix display errors step in the user agreement and after swallowing my pride, it worked like a charm. I don’t have a fully supported chipset, as Riceburner is a Tecra A9, so I’m not able to connect it to a network, but everything else is solid under Leopard.

And the best part of it is, my conscience is clean in terms of licensing and EULA. Every install is covered by not being installed on other equipment in my possession. (Even have an Apple sticker on the top of Riceburner if Apple gets persnickety about Apple labeled items.)

A great resource from a dude in Indonesia worked for me: http://linux-guider.blogspot.com/2008/09/dual-boot-linux-and-mac-osx-leopard.html. It’s pidgin English, but the Linux is clean and worked like a charm.

I do have a bit of a two-step boot process though – GRUB starts, and for the Windows partitions it references the MBR loader.

Next, I’m off to tackle the loaves and fishes and water into wine thing.

..:: Logic Spasm ::..

You don’t see bush league shit like this in Linux, I’ll tell you that much.  It took long enough, but I experienced the ‘Do you want to move or copy files from this zone?” box.  I thought it was an urban legend, cuz I’ve never experienced it, and I figured an SP would’ve taken care of something so confoundingly dumb.

I was looking to move some files froma network share to my PC, and this comes up.  Usually going volume to volume it copies by default, and you know you have to go back and delete the original if you want it moved.  For a split second I was heartened when it came up.  “I have the option of moving OR copying these?  Oh happy day!”  Then the reality set in.  “Wait… it’s making me think I have a choice, but there really is no choice.  what tha…?”  So I girded my loins and clicked OK, and the files copied.  “But I wanted to move them…” I pleaded.  Then I sobbed.

This dialog box is like someone asking “do you want chocolate or vanilla ice cream”, and just giving you vanilla.  “But I wanted chocolate.”  “Tough shit.  You’ll get vanilla and like it.”