Multiple boot

[J9Darkwing]

Ok, in the past what I've done to boot multiple os's was have two partitions on my hd, load xp first, then install vista. If I go the reverse and load vista first, then xp, when I reboot after the xp install I've lost the ability to access vista.

Here's what I've got and what I want to do. . .
I have two 74gig raptor hard drives in raid 0. I have only one partition on this raid setup with vista 64 bit on it. For some reason the boot info is on one of my data hard drives. I know this because when I tried to set my raid hd as the boot I get a boot error until I set my data hd as the boot disk. (my screwup on install) I'd like to make four partitions on the Raid HD, then install XP pro, Ubuntu, and possibly Mac OS 10. I already have vista premium 64bit installed and don't want to lose it.
Can I move my boot info to the raid hd then partition it like I used to be able to do with partition magic 8 (doesn't like vista), then install ubuntu and xp without losing vista?

I saw a clip of vista vs ubuntu WINDOWS VISTA AERO VS LINUX UBUNTU BERYL and was impressed but I've loaded ubuntu into my vm and I'm getting the feeling that it's just like all linux. ie you spend 95% of your time making it work and 5% actually doing other stuff. Is ubuntu going to be worth going through the aformentioned trouble?

Thoughts, suggestions?
(as a side note, I don't know the diff between the ubuntu I downloaded and BERYL)

 

[CalcProgrammer1]

Ubuntu is VERY easy to set up, especially the new 7.10 version. It automatically sets up a bootloader so you can boot into Ubuntu or Windows and the 7.10 version automatically installs Compiz Fusion (which is similar to Beryl, it's a 3d window effects system) and has the Restricted Driver Manager to make video card drivers, network drivers, etc easy to install.

It's really easy. You first get a CD by ordering it from the ShipIt (they'll send you free CD's) program, or download an ISO and burn it. Both at Ubuntu Home Page | Ubuntu. Then, reboot your PC and boot into that CD. It will have a menu, just run Ubuntu normally (first option). It will load into a desktop all ready and running. You can try out the system using the Live CD and then go to System -> Administration -> Partition Editor to set up partitions. GParted (the partition editor) can resize, move, delete, or create Windows and Linux partitions. Free up some space on the desired drive (but leave it empty, the installer will format the space) and select Apply. Now run the Installer, follow the instructions, and when it asks to migrate your data, I'd recommend saying No. I had problems with the migration assistant, but that was when it was in beta. It will automatically format the partition (select use largest free space on whatever drive when it asks where to install to) and copy the files, then set up the GRUB bootloader. Then you can restart your PC and you'll have a screen that asks what OS to run, select Linux, and have fun.

When you first enter Ubuntu, it will probably say there are restricted drivers for your card (assuming you have Radeon X1k or higher or nVidia GeForce graphics). Select the check box and it will download and install drivers (you need Ethernet for this, as most WiFi cards also need to download drivers from the Internet). Repeat for wireless cards if you have them. Then, to enable Compiz, right click, go to Change Desktop Background, click Effects, and select one of the options. If you want fancier effects, you can install them using Synaptic (go to System -> Admin. -> Synaptic Package Manager). Then do a search for "compiz" and install the compiz fusion plugins, compiz gtk frontend gui, and emerald packages. After applying, downloading, and installing the packages, you can now tweak Compiz to your likings and have really cool looking effects (which work great on graphics cards as old as a GeForce4 MX420/64MB RAM).


And the difference between Ubuntu and Beryl is this. Ubuntu is a distro (distribution). It is a whole Linux-based operating system comprised of the Linux kernel, the GNOME window manager, the XOrg X server, and a whole bunch of open-source programs. Beryl is a window manager/window decorator package. It provides 3d-accelerated decoration of windows and other GUI elements. It can be compared to Windows Vista's Aero. Beryl has since merged with Compiz, and the result is Compiz Fusion, a very nice window manager/decorator included in the latest Ubuntu release.

 

[J9Darkwing]

My first try with Linux, and subsequently my last, was with an early version of Fedora and it was an absolute headache compared to windows.
I'm burning the ubuntu disk now. Hopefully it will be worth messing with.
Thanks for your advice, Calc. Once I get it setup I'll post and let you know how it's going.

 

[J9Darkwing]

It's looking like gparted doesn't support Raid.
I'm going to try to part the hd in windows and hope that ubuntu does support raid so I'll be able to install on the desired hd.

 

[J9Darkwing]

Well, bye bye raid 0 setup. Bye bye vista 64. Hello new and strange OS that asks me for a password for everything from the start up page to looking at files on my hard drives.
From my past experience with Linux I should have known better.
Gonna play with it for a while though before I scrap it and restore my vista from my acronis backup.