[SOLVED] Grub and Grub2

Ben9250 · 2010-07-17 17:35:31

Hey I'm thinking of installing grub2 on my machine instead of Grub because Ubuntu keeps bugging me trying to install it itself anyway. I was wondering if anyone else had it or had anything to say about it. I've just read the wiki and apparently you can alter grub.cfg like I'd edit menu.lst, (despite being told at Ubuntu that I couldn't and had to use the command "update-grub" which would result in quite a messy menu). So yeah what do people thing about it - is there some VERY good reason that Grub is on the install image that I'm unaware of. I've been told elsewhere that Grub 2 is easier, and then I've been told by other people that it's harder too. So I'm asking here as it's my most used distro and will matter most.

Last edited by Ben9250 (2010-08-08 13:37:17)

falconindy · 2010-07-17 17:44:53

Pros for Grub: blindingly simple. Does what a bootloader is supposed to do.
Cons for Grub: lacks support for more exotic root setups such as LVM.

Pros for Grub2: Offers support for more exotic root setups. Framebuffer support.
Cons for Grub2: It's an excellent operating system lacking only in a decent bootloader. Inconsistent numbering scheme for disks and partitions. Black box maintenance scripts. Needlessly complex configuration.

Seriously though, the reason Grub is still used by Arch is because its by far the more KISS solution. Yes, you can maintain grub.cfg by hand (and it's probably the smart thing to do). All that said, there's plenty of Archers who use Grub2 for whatever reason.

I might get some tomatoes thrown at me for suggesting this, but why not just configure Ubuntu to find Arch's installation and use that bootloader instead? Grub isn't really required by anything in Arch, so its safe to not have it installed (whereas Ubuntu's likely going to pinch a loaf if you try to remove it).

ozar · 2010-07-17 18:21:38

GRUB2 might seem a bit harder at first but it's easy to work with after you become familiar with it. I've been using it for a couple of years now without any issues, but I'm not opposed to using GRUB Legacy, either. In fact, that's what is on the machine that I'm typing from now.

shetland_breeder · 2010-07-17 19:52:56

I agree with falconindy - GRUB2 is an OS looking for a bootloader.

It seems too far removed from the Unix 'a bunch of text files with few lines of code' metaphor (is that the right word).

Pete

Mektub · 2010-07-17 20:22:16

On a laptop I have Arch and on another partition Debian with GRUB2, so I had a fight to chainload both.

The old chainloading from Grub in menu.lst:

title Debian
rootnoverify (hd0,12)
chainloader +1

no longer works.

There are probably better solutions, but to chainload Debian from GRUB (being that Debian has GRUB2 on its own partition), I
found two solutions:

1. In Grub menu.lst have something like:

    root (hd0,12)
    kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32 ... (and so on)
    initrd  /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-21-generic

These lines must be edited each time there is a kernel update.

2. In Grub menu.lst:

   root (hd0,12)
   kernel /boot/grub/core.img
   boot

No updates needed with this solution.

Now, I didn't find this by myself, I went into many sites and forums to put it together.

In my opinion GRUB2 is not ready. The possibilities are there but some frontend must be made or one will turn into a GRUB2
specialist instead of using the system.

The other way around, GRUB2 to GRUB was not an option for me since the Debian partition is a testing one where the OS brand
keeps changing.

Mektub

fsckd · 2010-07-17 20:31:24

Grub2 needs better documentation. Figuring out solutions such as the one in Mektub's post is not straightforward.

gazj · 2010-07-17 20:36:48

Grub2 is way over complecated. I am try to boot a desktop pc, not launch the first manned space craft to Mars. Although no doubt we thought the same about grub when lilo was the standard.

Ben9250 · 2010-07-17 23:09:24

I've just read about it now and I agree - I'm gonna keep grub2 though incase Ubuntu throws a hissy at me. Although in future I'll probably look into gaining more control by disabling all the executable automatic rubbish and putting my own entries in the custom file.

Wintervenom · 2010-07-17 23:45:57

I am using GRUB2 because I wanted to use the GUID table on my drive, and GRUB1 does not support it.
I have seen a lot of things crash before, except for a boot loader. Then, I met GRUB2...
And, yes. The configuration is a PITA compared to GRUB1.

martin77 · 2010-08-08 04:18:12

Hi guys,

I'm thinking about installing Grub2 because its support to boot from ISO files - in this case I want it to boot SysRescCD ISO, which is a cleaner way than extracting certain files from the ISO to boot but replacing them every time there's an upgrade.

However after reading the Wiki I'm not sure this is a good idea since Grub will co-exist with Grub2 and I'll need to chainload them, etc.
My question is: have you had any major problems installing Grub2 than already mentioned? If this's gonna mess my system I'll stick with the manual method of extracting files from the ISO from time to time rather than to make some dirty hacks that can (potentially) take stability out of my system.

Thank you

Mektub · 2010-08-08 05:49:05

martin77,

you can chainload as I describe above.

Only thing you must take care is to install Grub2 in its own partition and not on the MBR.

And even if anything goes wrong, a Live CD will correct it. Since you are using SysRescCD, you must be comfortable with repairing the system.

Mektub

quigybo · 2010-08-08 08:39:34

Meh, I just use grub2 and edit the grub.cfg file by hand just as I did with grub. Just issue the grub-install command instead of grub-update.

That said since you have ubuntu on there too, and it reinstalls grub on every kernel update, just let it autodetect your arch install.

/me hides in flame suit next to falconindy

Arch Linux

#1 2010-07-17 17:35:31

[SOLVED] Grub and Grub2

#2 2010-07-17 17:44:53

Re: [SOLVED] Grub and Grub2

#3 2010-07-17 18:21:38

Re: [SOLVED] Grub and Grub2

#4 2010-07-17 19:52:56

Re: [SOLVED] Grub and Grub2

#5 2010-07-17 20:22:16

Re: [SOLVED] Grub and Grub2

#6 2010-07-17 20:31:24

Re: [SOLVED] Grub and Grub2

#7 2010-07-17 20:36:48

Re: [SOLVED] Grub and Grub2

#8 2010-07-17 23:09:24

Re: [SOLVED] Grub and Grub2

#9 2010-07-17 23:45:57

Re: [SOLVED] Grub and Grub2

#10 2010-08-08 04:18:12

Re: [SOLVED] Grub and Grub2

#11 2010-08-08 05:49:05

Re: [SOLVED] Grub and Grub2

#12 2010-08-08 08:39:34

Re: [SOLVED] Grub and Grub2

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