Arch Linux

smokn

Member

Registered: 2010-06-13

Posts: 17

Cannot install Grub

Hi all ,
I'm a pretty beginner here and It's my first time trying to install Archlinux...

that was my manually partitioned table ..

sda1 >  Bootable  > Windows7            >  Primary > NTFS
sda3 >                    > Ordinary partition > Primary > NTFS
sda4 >                    > Ordinary partition > Primary > NTFS
sda5 >                    > Arch Partition        > Pri/Log  > Ext4
sda6 >                    > Arch Swap             > Logical > Swap

the problem is in the bootloader installation (the final step)... when i select Grub and select "sda" not  "sda1 or sda3 ... etc"
it comes up with some sort of an ambiguous error : "Error installing grub .. check /dev/tty7 for outpot " !

Okay what should i do here ?
is there a way to just skip installing the bootloader and install it later using a live cd or something ?

masterkoppa

Member

Registered: 2009-04-14

Posts: 92

Re: Cannot install Grub

I have been on and off linux many times and recently I was in the same situation, a dual-boot. The live CD provides for manualy booting into arch from the live CD. Its in the more options menu. You should read the help inside the cd for more info on this. This should allow you to boot into arch then install following [wiki]grub[/wiki].

Hope this helps.

smokn

Member

Registered: 2010-06-13

Posts: 17

Re: Cannot install Grub

Thanks for the reply..
I just tried something i've read and it's partially succeeded...
1 - inserted the live cd and logged in as root .
2 - typed  mkdir /myDir
3 - mount -t ext4 /dev/sda5 /myDir
4 - cp -a /usr/lib/grub/i386-pc/* /myDir/boot/grub/
that have copied the grub files in the cd to the grub folder in my Arch partition...

i tried typing
grub-install /dev/sda
instead of
cp -a /usr/lib/grub/i386-pc/* /myDir/boot/grub/

and it said there is a missing file format ... what is that ?

and when i restart i get MBR .. what should i do now
thanks

Last edited by smokn (2010-06-13 17:51:42)

masterkoppa

Member

Registered: 2009-04-14

Posts: 92

Re: Cannot install Grub

Can you specify the exact error that grub gave out?