GRUB screen doesnt load : Arch Linux 64-bit + Windows 7 dual boot

jayesh.bhoot · 2010-09-22 01:50:34

Yesterday I installed Arch Linux on my laptop. I had Windows 7 already installed on /dev/sda1 (hd0,0).
The root partition or Arch is on /dev/sda3 (hd0,2).
Also, I installed grub on root partition and not on MBR.
I configured grub accordingly.

The grub entries look like below :

title  Arch Linux (Main)
root   (hd0,2) 
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/disk/by-label/rootp ro
initrd /boot/kernel26.img

title  Arch Linux Fallback
root   (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/disk/by-label/rootp ro
initrd /boot/kernel26-fallback.img

# Windows7
title Windows7
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
#makeactive
chainloader +1

Here "rootp" is the label that i gave to the root partition. I would also like to mention that I did give a try of using /dev/sdx format for fstab entries as well as grub entries.
I found everything right in the menu.lst file. But when I boot, the grub command line hits the screen instead of the desired menu.

From the command line, I made the grub identify its root partition by :

 root (hd0,2)

Also, from here I was not only able to boot the linux kernel (by using the appropriate kernel and initrd commands), but I was also able to generate the menu by running the following the command :

 configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst

The menu appeared and worked correctly, i.e., both windows and arch loaded from that menu correctly.

So why doesnt the grub menu load at the first place?

jayesh.bhoot · 2010-10-20 12:36:23

can anyone help me out here?
I dont want to put it in the MBR. Let Windows bootloader stay there.
Does anyone have some suggestion?

shulamy · 2010-10-20 19:44:52

i think that insted of : root=/dev/disk/by-label/

you have to write : root=LABEL=

ezik

jayesh.bhoot · 2010-10-20 21:14:52

shulamy wrote:

i think that insted of : root=/dev/disk/by-label/
you have to write : root=LABEL=
ezik

ok..i will try and post the result

jayesh.bhoot · 2010-10-21 08:32:26

shulamy wrote:

i think that insted of : root=/dev/disk/by-label/
you have to write : root=LABEL=
ezik

That didn't work. And anyways, the previous lines did work when I loaded the menu after identifying the root..So I dont think that should be the problem.

Mektub · 2010-10-21 10:22:37

The line root=/dev/disk/by-label/rootp is correct.

But if you have the W$ndows bootloader in the MBR your boot should start with it, not GRUB.
What am I not understanding ?

Mektub

roelove · 2010-10-21 10:30:09

As I'm reading it here, your pc boots with the windows MBR and you like to keep it that way.

You'll need to have an arch entry in your windows boot loader, or a grub entry. If I'm correct you can set a "default" boot option in the windows boot loader, I'd say set up grub in the windows boot loader and make it default. That way you'll get grub with windows and arch boot options as a end result without overwriting the windows boot loader.

Don't know exactly how this works though, not that familliar with it. And the dual boot I work with is grub only. (I don't see the benefits of having 2 boot loaders either). I think you'll need a bcd editor for that.

your windows entry in grub should be working though.

shulamy · 2010-10-21 15:28:24

as far as i know windows bootloader can't load other systems than ms.

why don't you install grub at MBR as reolove said?

you can later reinstall windows bootloader if it does't work.

ezik

Last edited by shulamy (2010-10-21 15:30:06)

jayesh.bhoot · 2010-10-21 19:06:26

Well I was under some misconception (or dont know what!) that I could load grub from the boot partition even after keeping Windows bootloader at MBR (without making an entry in the Windows bootloader).
Umm..whatever! After what all of you suggested, I just overwrote Windows bootloader by installing grub at MBR. And its working fine.
I have a Windows DVD available in case I want to restore my Windows bootloader. So no issues!

Thanks anyways..

mrinehart93 · 2010-10-22 01:03:19

Yeah, using multiple bootloaders gets extremely confusing. At one point, I had Chameleon bootloader booting either GRUB or the Windows bootloader... so I had three bootloaders in one hard drive Just curious... what made you want to keep the Windows bootloader? Was there a specific advantage that it provided?

jayesh.bhoot · 2010-10-22 15:36:43

mrinehart93 wrote:

Yeah, using multiple bootloaders gets extremely confusing. At one point, I had Chameleon bootloader booting either GRUB or the Windows bootloader... so I had three bootloaders in one hard drive Just curious... what made you want to keep the Windows bootloader? Was there a specific advantage that it provided?

well..It was just something personal. Its like I always have to have a Windows OS in my system - academic necessity. And yeah! games
So I just wanted to keep things for Windows intact. I hadnt realized, though, that if in case linux/grub crashes, I still will have to restore Windows bootloader.
Anyways, the bottomline was my laziness to restore Windows bootloader if anything happened to it
No specifice advantage.

edward.taylor89 · 2010-11-10 23:18:17

Download EasyBCD 2. It allows you to configure the Windows 7 bootloader and its entries with a nice GUI. It can also be used to regenerate the bootloader should you be required to do so.

Last edited by edward.taylor89 (2010-11-10 23:20:33)

Arch Linux

#1 2010-09-22 01:50:34

GRUB screen doesnt load : Arch Linux 64-bit + Windows 7 dual boot

#2 2010-10-20 12:36:23

Re: GRUB screen doesnt load : Arch Linux 64-bit + Windows 7 dual boot

#3 2010-10-20 19:44:52

Re: GRUB screen doesnt load : Arch Linux 64-bit + Windows 7 dual boot

#4 2010-10-20 21:14:52

Re: GRUB screen doesnt load : Arch Linux 64-bit + Windows 7 dual boot

#5 2010-10-21 08:32:26

Re: GRUB screen doesnt load : Arch Linux 64-bit + Windows 7 dual boot

#6 2010-10-21 10:22:37

Re: GRUB screen doesnt load : Arch Linux 64-bit + Windows 7 dual boot

#7 2010-10-21 10:30:09

Re: GRUB screen doesnt load : Arch Linux 64-bit + Windows 7 dual boot

#8 2010-10-21 15:28:24

Re: GRUB screen doesnt load : Arch Linux 64-bit + Windows 7 dual boot

#9 2010-10-21 19:06:26

Re: GRUB screen doesnt load : Arch Linux 64-bit + Windows 7 dual boot

#10 2010-10-22 01:03:19

Re: GRUB screen doesnt load : Arch Linux 64-bit + Windows 7 dual boot

#11 2010-10-22 15:36:43

Re: GRUB screen doesnt load : Arch Linux 64-bit + Windows 7 dual boot

#12 2010-11-10 23:18:17

Re: GRUB screen doesnt load : Arch Linux 64-bit + Windows 7 dual boot

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