You are not logged in.

#1 2004-03-13 22:03:22

Tannjew
Member
From: Cologne, Germany
Registered: 2004-02-14
Posts: 68
Website

Grub as bootloader

Hello, here I'm back again, didn't have much time the last two weeks  :?

I downloaded the 0.6 iso and tried a CD install (or do you still recommend the ftp installation?), but made a really big mistake, namely I installed the bootloader Grub to the wrong partition (I think) - after that nothing else worked than to format my harddisk   sad

So I wanted to make sure if I have to install Grub to the partition where my Win2000 is installed to?  :?:


PURE-Digital-World - My Homepage

German Arch Linux HowTo - Installation and first steps
(Deutschsprachiges Howto für Anfänger)

Offline

#2 2004-03-13 23:03:34

zeppelin
Member
From: Athens, Greece
Registered: 2004-03-05
Posts: 807
Website

Re: Grub as bootloader

Tannjew wrote:

So I wanted to make sure if I have to install Grub to the partition where my Win2000 is installed to?  :?:

hello,  I would recommend that you replace your windows boot loader with GRUB (that means you will have to write the MBR which always live in /dev/hda or for devfs /dev/discs/disc0/disc

this is what I would recommend you to do.

and for generic [BETTER] info:
http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual … figuration

and you can also try this:
http://www.tux.org/pub/people/kent-robo … .21.tar.gz
grubconfig is a script that helps you install the GRUB bootloader on your system. It requires bash and dialog. It supports GNU/Linux IDE and SCSI devices; it does not support RAID devices.

Offline

#3 2004-03-13 23:12:15

Tannjew
Member
From: Cologne, Germany
Registered: 2004-02-14
Posts: 68
Website

Re: Grub as bootloader

Hm, I think I think my explanation was not good enough - in a few minutes I will boot with the AL CD and write down exactly what I mean.


PURE-Digital-World - My Homepage

German Arch Linux HowTo - Installation and first steps
(Deutschsprachiges Howto für Anfänger)

Offline

#4 2004-03-13 23:14:38

zeppelin
Member
From: Athens, Greece
Registered: 2004-03-05
Posts: 807
Website

Re: Grub as bootloader

well ok. You do that, and then I 'll see if I can help you 8)

Offline

#5 2004-03-13 23:25:46

jlowell
Member
Registered: 2003-08-10
Posts: 270

Re: Grub as bootloader

Tannjew,

So what's going on? You made a mistake with grub and can only get out of it by taking things down to the bare metal? Oy!

If I've understood your dilema properly, Tannjew, I'd make the most of the opportunity it presents. If you have your hard disk manufacturer's utility floppy - with some it's called Disk Manager, Seagate calls it Disk Wizard - as a first step I'd "mid-level" format or zero fill your hard drive. That will give you a pristine environment with which to begin. You can then format the disk for your Windows installation (leave enough free space for / and swap for Arch), do your Windows install and then install Arch with partitions as indicated. You should now be fine with the 0.6 CD install. When you reach the tail end of the process and you're ready to install grub, make sure that you install it to the drive's MBR, (hd0,0) in grub terms. To configure /boot/grub/menu.lst to boot Windows properly you'll need to consult the grub manual:

http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/grub.html

If I've misunderstood your problem, please disregard these instructions.  smile

In any event stay in touch; we'll get you where you need to go.

jlowell

Offline

#6 2004-03-13 23:26:31

Tannjew
Member
From: Cologne, Germany
Registered: 2004-02-14
Posts: 68
Website

Re: Grub as bootloader

Well, at first I took a look onto my partitions with cfdisk.
I have only one harddisk /dev/discs/disc0/disc

The first partition is the one with my win2k:

disk1  Boot  Primary  Fat 32 (LBA)
...


Last time I tried to install AL with the kernel 2.6.x and added following lines to /boot/grub/menu.lst:

# (1) Windows
title windows 2000
root (hda0,1)
chainloader +1

Then I did something I belief to have been a big mistake: I added the bootloader grub to the partition
/dev/discs/disc0/disc

After that I couldn't boot anything, grub didn't work, even the bulldozer windows wasn't able to be installed.

Until now I think I had to install the bootloader grub to the partition
/dev/discs/disc0/disc1
but I'm not sure - and now I'm afraid to simply test it because I have important data on my hard disc.


PURE-Digital-World - My Homepage

German Arch Linux HowTo - Installation and first steps
(Deutschsprachiges Howto für Anfänger)

Offline

#7 2004-03-13 23:47:41

jlowell
Member
Registered: 2003-08-10
Posts: 270

Re: Grub as bootloader

Tannjew & zeppelin,

Lots of simultaneous posting it would seem. smile 

From what you relate, you installed grub to the right place. But since I've never configured /boot/grub/menu.lst to boot Windows and Linux when grub is installed to the MBR - I use a DOS boot manager and always boot grub from root superblock - I can't say whether you configured that file properly. If you haven't that will likely explain your problem. Zeppelin may know more about that than I do. But I think you've installed grub to the right place anyway.

jlowell

Offline

#8 2004-03-13 23:47:56

zeppelin
Member
From: Athens, Greece
Registered: 2004-03-05
Posts: 807
Website

Re: Grub as bootloader

well you're missing
makeactive
and root should become rootnoverify (hd0,0)
and not the hda thing you have:

look at this :

default 0
timeout 10

title Linux
kernel (hd0,5)/boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/discs/disc0/part6

title WINDOWS 2000
rootnoverify (hd0,0)         # this means HDA1
makeactive                       # important for Gate's OS
chainloader +1                 # fool the OS :P


read:
http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual … figuration
and try grub-install

if you're more familiar with Lilo you can always try lilo

Offline

#9 2004-03-13 23:59:17

Tannjew
Member
From: Cologne, Germany
Registered: 2004-02-14
Posts: 68
Website

Re: Grub as bootloader

Hm, my version did also work with AL 0.5 (and that's what SuSE puts into grub) - I'm more anxious about installing grub to the wrong partition than about how to put windows into grub. That's something I can figure out when Grub works.


PURE-Digital-World - My Homepage

German Arch Linux HowTo - Installation and first steps
(Deutschsprachiges Howto für Anfänger)

Offline

#10 2004-03-14 00:00:03

zeppelin
Member
From: Athens, Greece
Registered: 2004-03-05
Posts: 807
Website

Re: Grub as bootloader

TRY LILO !!
read this post carefully and slowly

if you have only ONE HARD DISK [hda]
you should have windows installed on the first parition [hda1]
and if you  didn't make an extented logical and you went for installing via linux then you should have done 2 more primary partitions
hda2 (maybe swap) and hda3 (root)

[in case you have done logical partitions then your swap (if made first) should be hda5 and your root hda6]

if you have sth like this then you can try lilo [and make your life easier]
in that case do su; pacman -S lilo and then edit your lilo.conf
the /etc/lilo.conf should be like this:

#
# /etc/lilo.conf
#

boot=/dev/discs/disc0/disc
# This line often fixes L40 errors on bootup
# disk=/dev/discs/disc0/disc bios=0x80

vga=792 # well I have a framebuffer in 1024x768 
default=windows
timeout=300
lba32
prompt

image=/boot/vmlinuz26
        label=arch
        root=/dev/discs/disc0/part3       # hda3
        read-only

other=/dev/discs/disc0/part1              # hda1
        label=windows

# End of file

save the file
and do lilo -v
it should say that it add arch and windows and wrote the MBR

don't hesitate to contact if you have any questions

(if in any case your MBR gets ruined and you are not able to boot windows, don't panic) boot from Windows CD go to RECOVERY CONSOLE and try fixmbr.. if that doesn't work [it is M$ remember?] then boot with a bootdisk or an old windows in DOS mode (www.bootdisk.com) and try fdisk /mbr
if that doesn't work too
well don't panic, try booting with Arch CD and fix the the config files for the bootloards [lilo or grub]

if you still can't get it to work, DONT PANIC, YOUR IMPORTANT FILES ARE UNHARMED ON THE DISK. you just have to go to a friend of yours and put the disk and copy them in a CD or in his HD temporarily, and format.. [this is the worst that can happen]

Offline

#11 2004-03-14 11:51:24

andy
Member
From: Germany
Registered: 2002-10-11
Posts: 374

Re: Grub as bootloader

Something not to forget :

(hd0,0) = /dev/hda1 = /dev/discs/dics0/part1
(hd0,1) = /dev/hda2 = /dev/discs/disc0/part2
(hd0,4) = /dev/hda5 = /dev/discs/dics0/part5
(hd0,5) = /dev/hda6 = /dev/discs/dics0/part6

When I read the various posts, there seems to be some mismatch.

Offline

#12 2004-03-16 01:39:15

Tannjew
Member
From: Cologne, Germany
Registered: 2004-02-14
Posts: 68
Website

Re: Grub as bootloader

Hi, I've installed AL with Lilo now and it works big_smile
Now I still have a problem: I added the following lines to lilo.conf:

other=/dev/discs/disc0/part1
label=windows

Now if I choose "windows" after starting I always get this error message:

GRUB GRUB Hard Disk Error

I think I did install Grub to the wrong partition (that with windows) and that's why I get this error message. Is there any possibilty to "deinstall" Grub so that I can start windows?


PURE-Digital-World - My Homepage

German Arch Linux HowTo - Installation and first steps
(Deutschsprachiges Howto für Anfänger)

Offline

#13 2004-03-16 01:45:03

alcattle
Member
Registered: 2004-03-08
Posts: 32

Re: Grub as bootloader

I am confused, are you trying to load windows with lilo or Grub? Did you run lilo after you updated the menu?(lilo.conf) Looks like it did not write to the MBR and Grub is still there.


Big Al in Seattle

http://www.easylinuxguide.com

Very N00b Friendly Group of people

Offline

#14 2004-03-16 01:54:22

Tannjew
Member
From: Cologne, Germany
Registered: 2004-02-14
Posts: 68
Website

Re: Grub as bootloader

A few day ago I tried to install AL with Grub as bootloader, but something went wrong, neither AL nor windows would start.

Now I've installed AL again but instead of Grub I have chosen Lilo, now AL starts without problems. But somehow Grub still must be there, due to the error message mentioned before your posting.


PURE-Digital-World - My Homepage

German Arch Linux HowTo - Installation and first steps
(Deutschsprachiges Howto für Anfänger)

Offline

#15 2004-03-16 02:16:45

alcattle
Member
Registered: 2004-03-08
Posts: 32

Re: Grub as bootloader

ok, did you:?

save the file 
and do lilo -v 
it should say that it add arch and windows and wrote the MBR 

Not sure what else to try, if that doesn't work post your lilo.conf here


Big Al in Seattle

http://www.easylinuxguide.com

Very N00b Friendly Group of people

Offline

#16 2004-03-16 10:31:11

zeppelin
Member
From: Athens, Greece
Registered: 2004-03-05
Posts: 807
Website

Re: Grub as bootloader

a) after that error do windows boot?

Hard Disk Error
    The stage2 or stage1.5 is being read from a hard disk, and the attempt to determine the size and geometry of the hard disk failed.

I think there is a way to have both Lilo and Grub (your situation)
You must have installed Lilo in the MBR and Grub in the beginning of windows partition.. btw next time be more careful, JUST INSTALL LILO IN THE MBR and that's all

if windows don't boot, then you have to choose:
either get the grub.conf [or menu.lst] to be correct and install GRUB so he can work, or  try with Windows [as I described above] to setup Windows Bootloader (Grub and lilo will live) and then boot to ArchLinux with the CD and try to set lilo

next time plz just install LILO ON THE MBR


try to read the GRUB manual:
http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/grub.html

there is also a way to MAKE WINDOWS handle the dual boot
[i would not recommend it]
http://www.enterprisedt.com/publications/dual_boot.html

Offline

#17 2004-03-16 10:53:46

Tannjew
Member
From: Cologne, Germany
Registered: 2004-02-14
Posts: 68
Website

Re: Grub as bootloader

Don't be afraid, it was the last time I tried to use Grub as bootmanager (but how should I know that SuSE will mess it up).

Well, I have a /etc/lilo.conf AND /boot/grub/menu.lst

I tried different settings in my menu.lst, but they don't work :-/
I also searched in the Grub manual for a solution but could not find any.

Here my lilo.conf:

boot=/dev/discs/disc0/disc

default=arch
timeout=50
lba32
prompt

image=/boot/vmlinuz26
label=arch
root=/dev/discs/disc0/part7
read-only

other=/dev/discs/disc0/part1
label=Windows_2000

And here my menu.lst:

# (0) Arch Linux
title Arch Linux
root (hd0,6)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/discs/disc0/part7 ro


PURE-Digital-World - My Homepage

German Arch Linux HowTo - Installation and first steps
(Deutschsprachiges Howto für Anfänger)

Offline

#18 2004-03-16 12:10:22

zeppelin
Member
From: Athens, Greece
Registered: 2004-03-05
Posts: 807
Website

Re: Grub as bootloader

you lilo.conf is fine. if you do lilo -v lilo should write to the MBR.

when you choose to boot windows, GRUB is there<?> and doesn't allow to boot. Either GRUB is still in the MBR (not possible) or you have it installed in the first blocks of your windows partition.
do you have any geometry problems?

anyways, boot with Windows CD and go to RECOVER and choose the console,
there type fixmbr {now hopefully you only have Windows} then the plan says that you must boot ArchLinux [with the CD] and try lilo -v to write to the MBR. So in the end you will only have Lilo on the MBR and a valid Windows partition. I do not guarantee everywith will as expected.

Please consider making a valid bootdisk.
For general information on how to make a bootdisk check
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Bootdisk-HOWTO/
There is nothing special about booting Arch. You don't even need an initrd.

you have some ready-food ftp://ftp.archlinux.org/images/

OR
when you boot with ArchLinux and if you have problems with lilo -v you might want to take a look at this thread [and how I was able to work it out with LILO]
http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?p=18096

Good Luck
and next time remember
Windows Install FIRST
ArchLinux LILO ON THE MBR
with your wonderful lilo.conf

Offline

Board footer

Powered by FluxBB