Re: Installing grub2

[Franklin PIAT]

Matt,


On Mon, 2008-03-10 at 15:52 -0400, Matt x wrote:
> If someone is willing to help me with my issue with grub legacy 
> (0.97) instead of me having to test it with grub2 first, I'd rather 
> that.  Please skip this junk to where it says <line break> "Issue with 
> grub legacy:".
>     I've been told, both while installing grub (legacy), and on #grub, 
> that I should check whether problems I'm having with grub (legacy) are 
> also in grub2.  Therefore, I'm trying to install grub2.  I'm using 
> Gentoo, with the grub-1.96 package from portage, if it matters.
>     After I install and run grub-install --no-floppy /dev/sda1 (which 
> DOES probe the floppy, no matter what --help says) and reboot, I just 
> get a grub rescue prompt.  I understand that grub2 uses grub.cfg instead 
> of grub.conf, but I haven't been able to find any documentation about 
> any part of grub2,

There's no documentation yet. I've started gathering some information at
http://wiki.debian.org/Grub/Grub2#manpages
I'll work on updating grub-legacy's manual... soon ;).
(but please understand I'm not a grub expert).

>  including how to write grub.cfg and where it is 
> expected to be.  I don't see enough commands in 'help' at the grub 
> rescue shell to boot a system.  Commands I try from grub legacy don't 
> all work ("kernel <path>/<kernel>" replies that there's no command 
> "kernel" and "boot" replies that there's no kernel loaded.)
The two very basic commands are :
 linux   (hd0,5)/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-1-686 root=/dev/sda5 ro vga=791
 initrd  (hd0,5)/boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-1-686
then "boot"

>     I asked on #grub for assistance installing grub2, and was told to 
> post here, along with the output of lsmod, set, and ls at the grub 
> rescue prompt.  Here they are:
> <code>
>  > lsmod
> Name  Ref     Count   Dependencies
> _chain        1
> biosdisk      1
> pc      1
> ext2    1
> fshelp  2             fshelp
>  > set
> prefix = (hd0,1)/grub
> root = hd0,1
>  > ls
> 
>  >
> </code>
You need more modules. typically, mine are :
_chain.mod
normal.mod
blocklist.mod
ls.mod
pc.mod
biosdisk.mod
fshelp.mod
ext2.mod
gzio.mod
cat.mod
help.mod
terminal.mod
boot.mod

The pre-loaded modules should have been selected automatically at
installation time. You can re invoke install-grub and specify the
missing modules, with "--modules".

I guess you especially need blocklist.

>     I would be happy just getting my issue with grub legacy (0.97) 
> fixed, but apparently I'm supposed to try it with grub2 first.
> 
> Issue with grub legacy:
>     I recently installed Windows VA (if the version matters) on (hd1,0), 
> then reinstalled grub on (hd0).  The problem started now, and continued 
> when I installed WinXP over WinVA.
>     If the Windows partition is marked bootable, grub will not run at 
> boot but Windows will boot.
That's strange, since the (hd0) is always invoke prior to (hd0,X)

May be you should check the (hd0) mapping, which should match you BIOS
point of view. If you BIOS think /dev/sdb is the bootable disk,
then /boot/grub/devices.map should read something like
  (hd0) /dev/sdb


>   This happens whether the partition grub's 
> files are on (hd0,0) is marked bootable or not, and happens whichever 
> drive is first in the BIOS.
>     Setting the Windows partition not bootable allows grub to run on 
> boot, but Windows will not start from grub when I wish; after choosing 
> the menu item, it will spit out the text from that item for me, then 
> just sit there, looking stupid.  The Windows portion of my grub.conf at 
> this point says:
> <code>
> title=Windows XP
> lock
> rootnoverify (hd1)
> chainloader +1
> </code>
>     Changing rootnoverify to (hd1,0) causes another problem (I can write 
> down and post the error if need be.)  Adding makeactive after 
> rootnoverify will not allow Windows to boot when I select Windows from 
> grub... until I reboot, at which point only Windows boots - grub doesn't 
> run.
>     How do I get my machine / grub to act like it did until recently: 
> grub runs at boot, and I can boot either Linux or Windows from it?
> 
> -Matt

Franklin