You are not logged in.

#1 2010-07-03 17:46:52

Galumph
Member
Registered: 2010-07-03
Posts: 8

Manually configuring GRUB

Greetings.
I've recently decided to move over to using Linux for many things (Programming, music and video playing, writing documents and everything else you would do with a computer), and Arch sounds exactly like the distro I need. I'm also an avid gamer, who isn't these days big_smile, so I still want to keep my current Windows installation. I've got two hard disks, one with Windows, and the other will eventually have Linux installed. I'm not very confident in my ability to not screw up, I mean, there's a chance I will, and really like my precious Windows intact. I thought of removing my Windows drive just for the installation, installing Linux, and inserting it drive back, but obviously, GRUB won't  'notice' I have two operating systems, and won't configure itself properly. I've asked some friends if I could configure GRUB on my own, and they said you can, but its a long tedious process. A few quick searches later and I find a place  that says all I have to do is add something like this:

title Windows XP
rootnoverify (hd0,0)  #Maybe root (hd0,0), I don't remember
chainloader +1
makeactive

to GRUB's configuration file. Is it really that simple? The guys I spoke to made it sound so much more complex.
If it isn't as simple as that, how would I configure GRUB to boot Windows?

Thanks.

If this isn't the place for posts like this, please move this to the proper place.

Last edited by Galumph (2010-07-03 17:58:05)


gə-lŭmf
-   To move along heavily and clumsily.

Offline

#2 2010-07-03 18:26:14

tomk
Forum Fellow
From: Ireland
Registered: 2004-07-21
Posts: 9,839

Re: Manually configuring GRUB

Arch's grub install won't notice Windows anyway - like most things in Arch, you have to configure it manually, which is definitely NOT a long tedious process. I take it your friends aren't Arch users? smile

The wiki's GRUB page has everything you need.

Offline

#3 2010-07-03 18:32:13

Galumph
Member
Registered: 2010-07-03
Posts: 8

Re: Manually configuring GRUB

Nope, but some of them are definitely more experienced than me in all things OSs.
So those four lines are all I really need, right?


gə-lŭmf
-   To move along heavily and clumsily.

Offline

#4 2010-07-03 18:36:50

loafer
Member
From: the pub
Registered: 2009-04-14
Posts: 1,772

Re: Manually configuring GRUB

You may need to pay attention to this:

 If Windows is located on another hard disk, the map command must be used. This will make your Windows install think it is actually on the first drive. Assuming that your Windows partition is on the first partition of the second drive

All men have stood for freedom...
For freedom is the man that will turn the world upside down.
Gerrard Winstanley.

Offline

#5 2010-07-03 19:11:32

Galumph
Member
Registered: 2010-07-03
Posts: 8

Re: Manually configuring GRUB

Thanks,
I can't seem to get the wiki to work though, it keeps redirecting me to the Softpedia website.

Last edited by Galumph (2010-07-03 19:12:26)


gə-lŭmf
-   To move along heavily and clumsily.

Offline

#6 2010-07-03 19:18:41

fsckd
Forum Fellow
Registered: 2009-06-15
Posts: 4,173

Re: Manually configuring GRUB

Galumph wrote:

Thanks,
I can't seem to get the wiki to work though, it keeps redirecting me to the Softpedia website.

Just to confirm, when you click this link you are redirected to Softpedia?


aur S & M :: forum rules :: Community Ethos
Resources for Women, POC, LGBT*, and allies

Offline

#7 2010-07-03 19:23:37

munkyeetr
Member
From: Merritt, BC
Registered: 2008-08-07
Posts: 83

Re: Manually configuring GRUB

One thing you could do if you are using 2 separate physical hard disks, is unplug the drive that has windows installed, and install Arch on the other drive. Then re-plug the Windows drive in, and when you boot your computer, press the BIOS key that brings up the Boot Menu (mine is F12), and choose which drive to boot from.

Each drive keeps their own bootloader. and OS.


If the advice you're given in this forum solves your issue, please mark the post as [SOLVED] in consideration to others.

"More than any time in history mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness, the other to total extinction.
Let us pray that we have the wisdom to choose correctly." -- Woody Allen

Offline

#8 2010-07-03 20:31:49

pablokal
Member
From: Nijmegen, Holland
Registered: 2010-03-07
Posts: 96
Website

Re: Manually configuring GRUB

You have to know that the new grub 2 isn't so easy to edit as grub legacy.
So take care you use grub legacy. Some installations already use grub2 as default.


GNu/Linux: Nu nog schoner: http://linuxnogschoner.blogspot.com/

Offline

#9 2010-07-03 21:16:58

Galumph
Member
Registered: 2010-07-03
Posts: 8

Re: Manually configuring GRUB

fsckd wrote:

Just to confirm, when you click this link you are redirected to Softpedia?

That, and any other link to the wiki, including the link at the top of this page, and the link on the main website.

munkyeetr, I thought about that option too, but I like when everything is set up nicely, it gives a more intact feeling, as opposed to a 'quickly hacked together' look you see on some machines.

Last edited by Galumph (2010-07-03 21:21:07)


gə-lŭmf
-   To move along heavily and clumsily.

Offline

#10 2010-07-03 21:45:13

fsckd
Forum Fellow
Registered: 2009-06-15
Posts: 4,173

Re: Manually configuring GRUB

Galumph wrote:
fsckd wrote:

Just to confirm, when you click this link you are redirected to Softpedia?

That, and any other link to the wiki, including the link at the top of this page, and the link on the main website.

That is quite strange considering this site has nothing to do with Softpedia. I do not wish to derail this topic but not being able to access the wiki is crippling. Can you try to access the wiki from a different machine?


aur S & M :: forum rules :: Community Ethos
Resources for Women, POC, LGBT*, and allies

Offline

#11 2010-07-04 14:53:33

Galumph
Member
Registered: 2010-07-03
Posts: 8

Re: Manually configuring GRUB

I guess the problem had to do with our network. My father was messing with some configurations yesterday, and I guess that's what messed it up. I tried connecting on a different machine using a secondary network and I got no redirects. The problem seems to have fixed itself though, as I can view the wiki now. I'll take a look at the GRUB page, thanks for the help.

Last edited by Galumph (2010-07-04 14:54:04)


gə-lŭmf
-   To move along heavily and clumsily.

Offline

#12 2010-07-04 16:56:44

ancient_archer
Member
From: Slovakia
Registered: 2010-03-13
Posts: 107

Re: Manually configuring GRUB

Hey Galumph!

Although it is generally adviced to look up the things yourself smile (Arch philosophy) in order to learn much more about the system, I will help you because if nobody gave me an advice for the problem you have (I had almost the exact one), I wouldn't boot properly...

But I need to know on which disk exactly you have Windows and on which Arch... Can you boot any live CD and post here fdisk -l output? Then I would be able to help you better...

Offline

Board footer

Powered by FluxBB