Arch Linux

phazer11

Member

Registered: 2010-01-19

Posts: 20

Grub Install Issues On XFX Motherboard

Hello everybody here is my problem I have a 64-bit processor so I'm using Arch 64 Bit
But I'm having problems installing Arch to my SATA HDD, and when I do successfully install to the HDD I can't get GRUB to install as well.

Here are my specs.
Motherboard; XFX nForce 750a SLi motherboard http://www.xfxforce.com/en-us/products/ … /750a.aspx
HDDs;Western Digital 1.5 TB Caviar Green HD
         Seagate 1 TB HD

I'm trying to install Arch to the 1.5 TB drive which has Windows 7 64-Bit on it which is setup to do a dual HDD boot with the 1 TB drive which has Windows XP on it. In case it wasn't clear I'm using Windows Bootloader to give me a selection on which HDD and therefore Which OS I want to boot from.

Now that that's out of the way.
I'm trying to install Arch 64 Bit on the 1.5 TB drive which I cleared out 80GB to make a 80GB partition with Linux on it.
I split the 80 GB partition into a 20 GB / (root) partition and  a /home partition and whenever I get Arch installed I try to install GRUB and get  a GRUB install error and it says to go to tty7 for output so I try going to tty7 by pressing ctrl-alt f7 and any other combination to get to any other tty... no luck nothing shows up not even a flicker.

So can anyone help me here because I'm stumped. I had to add pci=nomsi to the kernel boot just to get the Live CD to recognize my HDD's and let me partition the one I wanted which was the 1.5 TB.

Windows XP and Windows 7 were installed first.

Also Grub version is v.2
Live CD Version:
Current Release: 2009.08
Included Kernel: 2.6.30-ARCH

Last edited by phazer11 (2010-02-04 23:49:41)

phazer11

Member

Registered: 2010-01-19

Posts: 20

Re: Grub Install Issues On XFX Motherboard

Update I just got the Grub error details and here they are.

ERROR: dialog could not show --msgbox GRUB was NOT successfully installed.. often this means a file does not exist.
Not matter which partition of MBR I try to install it to.
I'll update those of you on IRC tomorrow.

scio

Member

From: Buffalo, NY

Registered: 2008-08-05

Posts: 366

Re: Grub Install Issues On XFX Motherboard

I seem to remember problems with the Caviar Green HDs.  However, have you tried using another installer (like Ubuntu) to see if it's an install or software problem?

phazer11

Member

Registered: 2010-01-19

Posts: 20

Re: Grub Install Issues On XFX Motherboard

No but then again I don't remember how to partition using ubuntu.
Oh never mind I forgot about the Windows Installer

I get an message saying cannot open /dev/sr1 or /dev/sr0 No medium found
Could not find the ISO /ubuntu/install/ubuntu ******.iso

I checked the folder on the drive and the .iso is in there so idk wha the issue is besides maybe.... Linux not liking my drives.

I fixed that issue by burning the image to a cd
Now I've installed Ubuntu.
I get to the Grub screen and see all my OS's (including the Arch Partitions) I accidentally select ubuntu and get the error message. Gave up waiting for root device. common probems:
- Boot args cat /proc/cmdline)
   - check rootdelay= (did the system wait long enough?)
   - check root= (did the system wait for the right device?)
-Missing modules (cat /proc/modules; ls /dev)
ALERT! /dev/sdb1 does not exist. Dropping to a shell

When I try to boot into my linux partition using Ubuntu's grub I get an error:
You need to install the kernel first.

idk if or how I need to add the pci=nomsi to ubuntu's grub.
It also has Arch marked on the wrong partitions both are it think son (hd1,4) when they are on (hd1,2,3,4) /boot(2) /root (3) /home (4)  and fs type ext2 not ext4.

Last edited by phazer11 (2010-02-05 22:22:40)

phazer11

Member

Registered: 2010-01-19

Posts: 20

Re: Grub Install Issues On XFX Motherboard

Update 1:38PM EST
I'm using Ubuntu now.
I was able to boot into Ubuntu by editing the Ubuntu Recovery mode's grub settings by adding pci=nomsi
then I logged in and started the window manager.
I'm going to try to repeat this process using the normal boot method.

Idk how this will fix Arch's issues though > v >

Last edited by phazer11 (2010-02-06 19:17:02)

phazer11

Member

Registered: 2010-01-19

Posts: 20

Re: Grub Install Issues On XFX Motherboard

I have Ubuntu mounted to a partition now I got it to install with grub side by side Windows 7 loader. But still no luck using Ubunt's grub to load Arch.

Last edited by phazer11 (2010-02-10 23:56:21)