HowTo fix grub?

busbarn · 2004-03-06 19:09:47

I have been using Gentoo for the past year or so and just stumbled upon Arch. I'm really excited about checking it out and getting involved. I've hit a snag though--I can't boot. I prepared a partition to try and install arch on. I walked through the installation, and I thought everything installed just fine. It didn't ask me where I wanted to install grub which I thought was awkward. Reading the forums here, I found that you are supposed to have a seperate /boot partition for arch. So I know I screwed that up.

Anyways, I tried to reboot and now I jsut get a screen full of "GRUB GRUB GRUB GRUB GRUB" and the processor light on my box goes bonkers. Using the gentoo live cd, I got into my system, mounted everything, uninstalled grub, wiped out my arch installation and its partition, re installed grub, set it up on my mbr, and it still won't boot.

Can somebody help me figure out what installing arch did to my grub?

sarah31 · 2004-03-07 05:47:50

so other than getting a bunch of grubs printed on the screen there are no other errors? in that case it sounds like it is not finding your kernel image.

did you properly configure grub (or configure the menu.lst at all during install)?

(BTW you do NOT have to make a separate /boot partition that is completely preference i never have and never will)

busbarn · 2004-03-07 20:01:38

I ran
root (hd0,0)
setup (hd0)
under the grub program.

This means that the kernel image is found in /dev/hda1 and it's installed on the mbr right?

skparkes · 2004-03-08 20:26:15

I'm not a grub expert, but I believe that root tells grub where it's config files are, not where the kernel is. You then need to edit the config files to point to the right kernel.

Truthfully, I'm much better with lilo.

Thanks,

Isamoor

yak8998 · 2004-03-08 22:57:08

I'm going to agree with skparkes. The grub 'setup' program confuses me tho, theres too many naming conventions.

Why don't you use the install app to do it, than go edit the config file manually?

scottro · 2004-03-08 23:02:25

The first root (hd0,blah) is where the config is. Let's say you installed Arch on hdb1

It would be root (hd1,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 ro /dev/hdb1

I have a page on grub which although a bit dated is still useful for some folks.

http://home.nyc.rr.com/computertaijutsu/grub.html

busbarn · 2004-03-09 05:44:00

I could finally booy my system using a boot disk. I still can't figure out how to fix it. I don't understand lilo at all. At least with grub, you don't have to rerun lilo everytime you edit your conf files.

Suggestion to ARCH devs: Can there be an option passed during install to keep grub from installing on the mbr? I had no control over where grub was installed (outside of the partition).

scottro · 2004-03-09 05:52:50

If you have another system, (eg another Linux distribution) doing the booting, then you would simply choose to not install grub.

busbarn · 2004-03-09 06:27:31

It would be nice if the documentation noted that. Granted, I am not a "newbie" with linux, but I scoured the docs to make sure my system wouldn't get borked. There's nothing in there that says "WARNING: If you are running another flavor on another partition that boots, then don't install grub" or have a link to chainloading or something. That would have made my life much easier.

scottro · 2004-03-09 15:43:06

That's a valid point. I can answer, "Well, Arch isn't for the newcomer," but as it gains in popularity, that's not really an appropriate answer.

There are warnings somewhere along the line (I think) about backing up things before installing, but I see your point. It might be worthwhile adding such a message--not being a programmer I have absolutely no idea if this is an easy or difficult thing to do. A simple line might be added to the install documentation however.

busbarn · 2004-03-09 21:47:46

I understand that Arch isn't for newbies. BUt then again, if you look at the install compared to gentoo, it's extremely easy and sensible. I can move around in linux and am gaining more and more knowledge. I understand backing everything up--that's a no brainer. Fortunately, I haven't lost any data in all of this (except for the well being of my MBR). All this to say, there should be an option when installing the bootloader to put it on the mbr or chain load. ALso, the docs should say: at this point, the installer will put grub on your mbr. If you don't want this, don't install a bootloader.

busbarn · 2004-03-28 19:38:28

Just an update...
I figured out why my grub got jacked. I choose to have it install on my boot partition, not the mbr. I thought that the first entry on "choose where to install grub" was just a header, not the MBR.

galen · 2004-03-28 21:29:34

glad you got a lead on the trouble

I prefer grub over lilo hands down

example of my /boot/grub/menu.1st

#
# Sample boot menu configuration file
#

# Boot automatically after x seconds
timeout 7

# Change color.
color green/black light-green/black

default 2
fallback 0

# entry 0 
title  Peanut
kernel (hd0,2)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda3 vga=1 append hdc=ide-scsi

# entry 1 
title Win98
root (hd0,1)
makeactive
chainloader +1

# entry 2
title  Arch
kernel (hd0,0)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda1 vga=1 append hdc=ide-scsi

# Save changes /hda1
title Save changes /boot/grub/menu.lst, /dev/hda1
root    (hd0,0)
setup   (hd0)

[/code]

karacus · 2004-04-02 11:17:29

busbarn wrote:

Just an update...
I figured out why my grub got jacked. I choose to have it install on my boot partition, not the mbr. I thought that the first entry on "choose where to install grub" was just a header, not the MBR.

The /boot partition is for when you have other os that will take care of booting a new distro's. Before I decided to make a full change to AL I was running debian and "xp for work "sucks". Debian was my main os and I use grub to manage the different boot. Also had a partition to try new distro's. All the new distro's that I loaded I always made a 32mgs /boot section. Than I would edit grub in debian an add the new os. Never run into trouble that way. Your main os belongs in the mbr and every other os controlled by your main os should have there boot sequense in /boot partition. I learned this the hard way trials and error
Every os in main mbr is asking for trouble.

PipoDeClown · 2004-04-16 07:18:19

busbarn wrote:

Just an update...
I figured out why my grub got jacked. I choose to have it install on my boot partition, not the mbr. I thought that the first entry on "choose where to install grub" was just a header, not the MBR.

just installed Arch 0.6 on an Asus k7v-t (slot A) with 10Gb hd.
partition scheme is 40Mb-boot, 512Mb-swap, rest as root

firsttime i installed grub in the mbr it gives me GRUB GRUB GRUB GRUB...
then i tried grub at /boot (disc0/part1) it gives Error 18, something about cylinder not compatible with bios blahblah.

two solutions:
1) decreased swapsize to 256Mb => no problems with grub
2) turn of bios auto ide detection (hint from gentoo?), it works but iam puzzled

skoal · 2004-04-21 00:04:48

busbarn wrote:

Just an update...
I figured out why my grub got jacked. I choose to have it install on my boot partition, not the mbr. I thought that the first entry on "choose where to install grub" was just a header, not the MBR.

Funny you mention that. I posted that same concern a while back in these forums,

http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php? … ght=#20433

and a suggestion. And, I am by no means unfamiliar with Grub. Glad it works for you now.

Arch Linux

#1 2004-03-06 19:09:47

HowTo fix grub?

#2 2004-03-07 05:47:50

Re: HowTo fix grub?

#3 2004-03-07 20:01:38

Re: HowTo fix grub?

#4 2004-03-08 20:26:15

Re: HowTo fix grub?

#5 2004-03-08 22:57:08

Re: HowTo fix grub?

#6 2004-03-08 23:02:25

Re: HowTo fix grub?

#7 2004-03-09 05:44:00

Re: HowTo fix grub?

#8 2004-03-09 05:52:50

Re: HowTo fix grub?

#9 2004-03-09 06:27:31

Re: HowTo fix grub?

#10 2004-03-09 15:43:06

Re: HowTo fix grub?

#11 2004-03-09 21:47:46

Re: HowTo fix grub?

#12 2004-03-28 19:38:28

Re: HowTo fix grub?

#13 2004-03-28 21:29:34

Re: HowTo fix grub?

#14 2004-04-02 11:17:29

Re: HowTo fix grub?

#15 2004-04-16 07:18:19

Re: HowTo fix grub?

#16 2004-04-21 00:04:48

Re: HowTo fix grub?

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