what are the restrictions on bootable partitions?

[neil]

rpjday at mindspring.com wrote:

>  what are the restrictions on where i can install another linux distro
>onto my fedora core (actually, FC2-t3) system so that grub can find it?
>(even though this is a test version of fedora, this question actually
>refers to FC distros in general.)
>  
>
There are no restrictions other than the boot loader (grub) must be able 
to read the boot partition.

>  typically, for historical reasons, even when i use LVM, i create a small
>primary, ext3 filesystem for /boot, and use LVM for the rest of the drive.
>is there any compelling reason for doing this anymore?  what's the 
>recommended strategy for LVM?  and need for a non-LVM filesystem on newer
>machines?
>
It really depends on what the system will be used for. Check out the 
howto here: http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/LVM-HOWTO/index.html

>
>  and, on top of all this, i want to add at least one other distro to the
>system; in this case, xandros 2.0, for evaluation for a client.  can i add
>this additional distro entirely within LVM and have grub still find it
>properly?  i suspect yes, but i wanted to make sure before i spent all 
>that installing.  thanks.
>  
>
Grub will still need to run outside of an LVM area. Keeping your /boot 
partition in an acceptable format (such as ext3, as you have done in the 
past) is the ideal way to do this. Other than that - if your distro 
kernel supports LVM you should have no problems having the / partition 
on an LVM. However, I would avoid putting a new distro within an LVM 
portion of another distro - but that's just because I value my sanity. 
But if you got your grub configuration correct, I don't see why this 
can't be done - any one care to prove me wrong?

>rday
>
>
>  
>
neil