Install Linux Mint 14 as third OS after Windows 7 and Ubuntu Grub2

Question

I would like to install Linux Mint 14 in a spare logical partition, but am afraid it would overwrite the existing Grub2 which boots to Ubuntu 10.04 and Windows 7.

How best to proceed?

Current setup: Primary partitions:

• /dev/sda1 ext4 ubuntu10.04 /
• /dev/sda2 ntfs Windows 7
• /dev/sda3 reiserfs /home for ubuntu10.04 but will not be using it for Mint

Logical:

• /dev/sda5 ext4 this is where I want to put all of Mint14
• /dev/sda6 swap will use for both Ubuntu and Mint
• /dev/sda7 ntfs spare storage

I USB booted Linux Mint 14 and am at Install(as Superuser) screen and it shows /dev/sda (the whole disk) as the device for boot loader installation.

Is this the correct place for the bootloader? Will it find Ubuntu10.04 and Windows7?

Answer 1

You have two main choices (assuming you want to use grub and not the windows one as your bootloader).

1. Tell Mint not to install a bootloader. That way, your Ubuntu grub will remain untouched. The first time you reboot after installing Mint, you won't see an entry for it, you will have to boot into Ubuntu, run update-grub2 to detect it and then reboot again.

2. Alternatively, you can choose to install grub from Mint, in which case it will overwrite your original boot loader. If you haven't made any particular changes that you don't want to loose to your Ubuntu grub, this should be fine. The Mint grub should recognize both Windows and Ubuntu and configure them all correctly.

Answer 2

yes, LinuxMint also use grub2 as bootloader, so basically it is install to MBR