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#1 2010-12-26 22:53:50

Lockheed
Member
Registered: 2010-03-16
Posts: 1,512

No GRUB after installation

So everything went fine except GRUB. To solve the problem, I again booted from Arch CD and followed steps in wiki to install it in MBR but none of the listed method worked:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
grub> setup (hd0)
Error 12: Invalid devide

grub> setup (sda)
Error 23: Error while parsing number

grub-install /dev/sda
Could not find devide for /boot: Not found or not a block device
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

So now I am stuck with only windows bootable.

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#2 2010-12-27 17:48:14

shulamy
Member
From: israel
Registered: 2010-09-11
Posts: 453

Re: No GRUB after installation

how can you tell it's a grub problem?

may we see the wiki page?

your device table?

ezik

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#3 2010-12-27 17:51:57

Mr Green
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From: U.K.
Registered: 2003-12-21
Posts: 5,893
Website

Re: No GRUB after installation

from livecd

fdisk -l

Check that you have anything in /boot

MrG


Mr Green

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#4 2010-12-27 17:52:39

Inxsible
Forum Fellow
From: Chicago
Registered: 2008-06-09
Posts: 9,183

Re: No GRUB after installation

if Windows is still bootable and you installed linux on the same hard drive, then you most likely didn't install grub on the MBR, because installing grub on MBR means that it would over-write the windows bootloader and that means that grub would now have to be used to select between Arch and Windows.


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There's no such thing as a stupid question, but there sure are a lot of inquisitive idiots !

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#5 2010-12-29 19:08:58

Lockheed
Member
Registered: 2010-03-16
Posts: 1,512

Re: No GRUB after installation

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#6 2011-01-02 10:41:39

Lockheed
Member
Registered: 2010-03-16
Posts: 1,512

Re: No GRUB after installation

Anyone?

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#7 2011-01-02 11:26:01

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

Re: No GRUB after installation

Umm, well first of all grub doesn't use sdX for naming disks. I think you would do something like,
root (hd0,5)
setup (hd0)
This is assuming GRUB's files were installed.


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#8 2011-01-02 14:42:22

Lockheed
Member
Registered: 2010-03-16
Posts: 1,512

Re: No GRUB after installation

As I wrote:

grub> setup (hd0)
Error 12: Invalid devide

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#9 2011-01-02 14:46:56

pogeymanz
Member
Registered: 2008-03-11
Posts: 1,020

Re: No GRUB after installation

Well, you have two partitions with the boot flag, which I didn't think was allowed.

Try only giving the Linux /boot partition the boot flag and then trying to boot and/or install Grub.

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#10 2011-01-02 15:23:26

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

Re: No GRUB after installation

Lockheed wrote:

As I wrote:

grub> setup (hd0)
Error 12: Invalid devide

Did you run the root line? Did you get any errors from that?
What is the contents of your /boot/grub/device.map?


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

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#11 2011-01-02 20:36:13

Lockheed
Member
Registered: 2010-03-16
Posts: 1,512

Re: No GRUB after installation

I missed root. In that case:

Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x7

Strange, as it should be ext4, not NTFS.

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#12 2011-01-16 18:24:33

Lockheed
Member
Registered: 2010-03-16
Posts: 1,512

Re: No GRUB after installation

Still waiting for some help. I tried installing Arch 5 more times but every time it is the same story when I get to 'Install Bootloader':

Error installing GRUB. (see /dev/tty7 for output)

regardless of what partition I choose...

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#13 2011-01-16 18:39:54

Mr Green
Forum Fellow
From: U.K.
Registered: 2003-12-21
Posts: 5,893
Website

Re: No GRUB after installation

The Linux partition does not need to be bootable as you can install grub to MBR of sda

Grub errors could be that install is not correct or files are not found in /boot

Most of the answers to your questions are in Arch wiki [Beginners Guide & Grub are there]


Mr Green

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#14 2011-01-16 18:40:29

pyther
Member
Registered: 2008-01-21
Posts: 1,395
Website

Re: No GRUB after installation

Do you have only one partition with the boot flag set?

Did you give two parameters to root(hd0,1) ? Where the first is the disk and the second is the partition? Keeping in mind that both the disk and partition start at 0. So sda1 would be root(hd0,0), sda2 root(hd0,1), sdb1 root(hd1,0), and so forth

Your final commands want to be something like this:
grub> root (hd0, 1)
grub> setup (hd0)
grub> exit

Also when you boot the livecd you should make sure sys, dev, and proc our mounted and you run the grub install from within the chroot

1. mount your system disks (/boot, /, etc...) to /mnt
2. mount -o bind /dev /mnt/dev
3. mount -t proc none /mnt/proc
4. mount -o bind /sys /mnt/sys
5. chroot /mnt /bin/bash

Alternatively use Syslinux


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Arch User since March 2005

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#15 2011-01-16 18:45:48

Lockheed
Member
Registered: 2010-03-16
Posts: 1,512

Re: No GRUB after installation

I am not sure if this is all necessary as I installed Arch in the past on another laptop simply following the installation process.
The only variation from the process I am making is that I do not have a separate /boot partition. Is there a benefit to it and if so, how large should it be?

I do not know if this is connected to the problem, but in grub menu when I select partition/MBR where to install it, I can see /dev/sda listed twice, so:
/dev/sda
/dev/sda
/dev/sda1 (win7)
/dev/sda5 (ntfs)
/dev/sda6 (for arch)
/dev/sda7 (for swap)

pyther, the root commands I got exactly as you listed.

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#16 2011-01-16 18:52:53

pyther
Member
Registered: 2008-01-21
Posts: 1,395
Website

Re: No GRUB after installation

Having a separate /boot partition is better practice and I highly recommend it. However, that shouldn't affect anything.

If you typed in root (hd0,1) then that is clearly is wrong. That mean /dev/sda2, which you don't have. You'd want root (hd0,5) for /dev/sda6 which you indicate has your arch install on.


Website - Blog - arch-home
Arch User since March 2005

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#17 2011-01-17 01:52:18

Revo2000
Member
Registered: 2010-11-08
Posts: 6

Re: No GRUB after installation

First of all sorry for my poor english but i'll try to help u as much as i can.

I've been seeing your SS and i think there is something wrong with the Windows Instalation ... did u have Windows 7 / Vista / XP ???

If u have 7 or Vista then the 2 partitions with the "boot" flags are OK ... but u install the C Drive in a Extenden Partition.

As i recall u can't install Windows in a Extended Partition ... i think maybe thats the problem.

Try to reinstall EVERYTHING again ... starting from Windows and then Arch but remember to put all ur Window Partitions in Primary, an example would be:

/dev/sda1 > Primary - NTFS - Windows Boot
/dev/sda2 > Primary - NTFS - Windows
/dev/sda3 > Primary - Ext4 - ROOT Arch
/dev/sda4 > EXTENDED
/dev/sda5 > Logical - Ext4 - SWAP Arch
/dev/sda6 > Logical - Ext4 - HOME Arch

I think ur problem is that ... it doesn't hurt to try it.

Cheers and again sorry for my poor english.

PS: where did your /dev/sda3 and /dev/sda4 partition goes ???

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#18 2011-01-29 18:57:04

Lockheed
Member
Registered: 2010-03-16
Posts: 1,512

Re: No GRUB after installation

Yes, I do have Win7 but I won’t be reinstalling windows only because MAYBE it would get Arch to work. There must be some other way.
I never had sda3 or 4. At least not since I partitioned it last time.

Pyther, yes, I was typing hd(0,5) and all other combinations  - all with the same effect.
How big /boot should be?

Only first partition is made Primary. The rest is Extended. Does that make a difference?

Last edited by Lockheed (2011-01-29 19:56:44)

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#19 2011-01-30 06:10:04

skodabenz
Banned
From: Tamilnadu, India
Registered: 2010-04-11
Posts: 382

Re: No GRUB after installation

Revo2000 wrote:

First of all sorry for my poor english but i'll try to help u as much as i can.

I've been seeing your SS and i think there is something wrong with the Windows Instalation ... did u have Windows 7 / Vista / XP ???

If u have 7 or Vista then the 2 partitions with the "boot" flags are OK ... but u install the C Drive in a Extenden Partition.

AFAIK 2 partitions with boot flags are invalid and a logical  partition or an extended partition cannot have a boot flag set.

As i recall u can't install Windows in a Extended Partition ... i think maybe thats the problem.

Try to reinstall EVERYTHING again ... starting from Windows and then Arch but remember to put all ur Window Partitions in Primary, an example would be:

/dev/sda1 > Primary - NTFS - Windows Boot
/dev/sda2 > Primary - NTFS - Windows
/dev/sda3 > Primary - Ext4 - ROOT Arch
/dev/sda4 > EXTENDED
/dev/sda5 > Logical - Ext4 - SWAP Arch
/dev/sda6 > Logical - Ext4 - HOME Arch

I think ur problem is that ... it doesn't hurt to try it.

It is entirely possible to install Windows in an extended-logical partition provided the bootmgr files are in a separate primary partition (akin to separate /boot). The analogy here is that in Windows case /boot (correct terminology SYSTEM PARTITION) should be a primary partition while the root filesystem itself (BOOT PARTITION) can be in a logical partition. I know the naming is confusing but see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_par … _partition for more info.


My new forum user/nick name is "the.ridikulus.rat" .

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#20 2011-01-30 06:21:23

skodabenz
Banned
From: Tamilnadu, India
Registered: 2010-04-11
Posts: 382

Re: No GRUB after installation

Lockheed wrote:

Yes, I do have Win7 but I won’t be reinstalling windows only because MAYBE it would get Arch to work. There must be some other way.
I never had sda3 or 4. At least not since I partitioned it last time.

Pyther, yes, I was typing hd(0,5) and all other combinations  - all with the same effect.
How big /boot should be?

Only first partition is made Primary. The rest is Extended. Does that make a difference?

There is no need to reinstall Windows and it is not going to solve your problem (unless you repartition the whole disk of course). First of all you should remove boot flag from /dev/sda6 . Boot flags in logical partitions are invalid and in any case grub does not bother about it.

When you setup grub in /boot/grub, did you have any other disk connect to you pc, because that can lead to a /boot/grub/device.map with multiple entries which can lead to problems. Delete the /boot/grub dir completely and try the installation again. Before you type 'root (hd0,5)', just type 'find /boot/grub/stage2' to find whether (hd0,5) is the actual partition and then 'setup (hd0)'.

If it still gives you a problem consider using grub2 (from testing repo) or syslinux. Grub legacy is not maintained anymore by upstream.


My new forum user/nick name is "the.ridikulus.rat" .

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#21 2011-01-30 09:48:04

Lockheed
Member
Registered: 2010-03-16
Posts: 1,512

Re: No GRUB after installation

I recreated partitions, this time installing Arch on Primary and it worked!

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