My grub did not install. I am using Debian kernel 2.4.18-bf2.4 and here is the errors and the files I think you need to see:

paul:/home/mingdao# grub-install /dev/hda6


GNU GRUB version 0.93 (640K lower / 3072K upper memory)

[ Minimal BASH-like line editing is supported. For the first word, TAB
lists possible command completions. Anywhere else TAB lists the possible
completions of a device/filename. ]
grub> root (hd0,6)
Filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 0x83
grub> setup --stage2=/boot/grub/stage2 --prefix=/grub (hd0,5)
Checking if "/grub/stage1" exists... yes
Checking if "/grub/stage2" exists... yes
Checking if "/grub/e2fs_stage1_5" exists... yes
Running "embed /grub/e2fs_stage1_5 (hd0,5)"... 15 sectors are embedded.
succeeded
Running "install --stage2=/boot/grub/stage2 /grub/stage1 (hd0,5) (hd0,5)1+15 p (hd0,6)/grub/stage2 /grub/menu.lst"... failed

Error 6: Mismatched or corrupt version of stage1/stage2
grub> quit
paul:/home/mingdao#

paul:/home/mingdao# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 61.4 GB, 61492838400 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 7476 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 383 3076416 b W95 FAT32
/dev/hda2 384 7476 56974522+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda5 384 3571 25607578+ b W95 FAT32
/dev/hda6 3572 3693 979933+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda7 3694 3705 96358+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda8 3706 4191 3903763+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda9 4192 7109 23438803+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda10 7110 7476 2947896 83 Linux

Disk /dev/hdb: 61.4 GB, 61492838400 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 7476 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdb1 1 765 6144831 b W95 FAT32
/dev/hdb2 766 2528 14161297+ 5 Extended
/dev/hdb5 766 1008 1951866 83 Linux
/dev/hdb6 1009 1312 2441848+ 83 Linux
/dev/hdb7 1313 1798 3903763+ 83 Linux
/dev/hdb8 1799 1920 979933+ 83 Linux
/dev/hdb9 1921 2285 2931831 83 Linux
/dev/hdb10 2286 2528 1951866 82 Linux swap
paul:/home/mingdao#

#*****************************************************************************#
#
# file : /boot/grub/menu.lst
#
#*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*#
#
default=0 foreground=f0e0d0 splashimage=(hd0,5)/grub/Debian.xpm.gz
timeout=8
#
#*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*#
#
title GNU/Debian Linux root (hd0,6) kernel /vmlinuz ro root=/dev/hda6
hdc=ide-scsi hdd=ide-scsi vga=789 video=vesa:mtrr,ypan
#
#.............................................................................#
#
title GNU/Debian Linux (vga=normal) root (hd0,6) kernel /vmlinuz ro
root=/dev/hda6 hdc=ide-scsi hdd=ide-scsi vga=normal
#
#.............................................................................#
#
title GNU/Debian Linux (single user mode) root (hd0,6) kernel /vmlinuz
ro root=/dev/hda6 hdc=ide-scsi hdd=ide-scsi single
#
#.............................................................................#
#
title Windows 2000
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1
#
#.............................................................................#
#
title Floppy Disk Drive A:
root (fd0)
chainloader +1
#
#*****************************************************************************#


I do not understand this line:
Running "install --stage2=/boot/grub/stage2 /grub/stage1 (hd0,5) (hd0,5)1+15 p (hd0,6)/grub/stage2 /grub/menu.lst"... failed

enter the su command to become root. but before you install grub, are you sure you want to install grub in hda6? think about what you're trying to accomplish.

Thanks megaspaz,

Notice the # sign - this is root with bash shell, is it?

I want to dual boot with grub, and my / dir is hda6. Can you help me some more? I have read all the grub how-to and post I can find and can't understand any better. I have the headache now

anyway. if you want to use grub to handle the os choices, you don't install it on your root partition. install it to the mbr, which if you're using one hard drive for both windows and linux, is /dev/hda....

so....

grub-install /dev/hda

post the exact errors your getting if this doesn't work.

I still don't understand about the root prompt. Is it $ in RedHat and # in Debian? Maybe I have something else wrong that needs fixing, also.
mingdao@paul:~$ su
Password:
paul:/home/mingdao# exit
exit
mingdao@paul:~$


I have run grub-install /dev/hda and it returned no errors. Will reboot and try.

you're right, i just looked at my root prompt. never looked too closely to it. but it looks like you got the quote before i finished editing.

i hope you made a boot floppy before trying to reboot.

Megaspaz,

I was replying to your thread and the power went off. I learned that I had the comp plugged into the incorrect side of my new APC UPS. Can't read the Chinese characters. It's 1:30 p.m. now and power will be off until 6:00 p.m., so I'll boot with the floppy or CD then and check back.

I have grub, but this error:

Booting 'GNU/Debian Linux (vga=normal) root (hd0,6) kernel /vmlinuz ro'
root=/dev/hda6 hdc=ide-scsi hdd=ide-scsi vga=normal

Error 11: Unrecognized device string

Press any key to continue...




The only boot choices were Windows 2000 (I'm there now), Linux and floppy.

Thanks,

He Ming Dao

post your grub.conf file.

i have a guess from looking at your first post regarding root (hd0,6). on mine linux is on /dev/hda11 and root has the string "root (hd0,10)". try changing every instance of "root (hd0,6)" to "root (hd0,5)" in your grub.conf if you can boot into linux.

I had some help getting to post once while my power was off. Now it's back, but I can't get the system from any type of rescue. The / filesystem is reiserfs. I will reinstall because I can't seem to get to the menu.lst to change it. Once it's back up and running, I'll post what I have as grub.conf before I hose it again.

Where in this world can I find a manual that explains what grub does, what it is, and how it works so that I can write the menu.lst file from some base of information? Is this the correct one -> http://www.gnu.org/manual/grub/html_mono/grub.html ?

that would be the grub manual alright. just to let you know everything that's listed will be in /boot/grub/grub.conf if you're using grub. that's the file that configures grub. sorry to hear you couldn't get in and have to reinstall.

What could be worse, right? In the process of attempting to Install Grub Natively rather than the previous way, I hosed by Windblows mbr. It would only boot to grub> when I chose Windows. And fdisk /mbr wouldn't fix it. I use ghost and had an image on the E:\ drive, but lost everything since the last backup date of 10/15 - some email that I wish I hadn't lost

Now I have lilo back as the bootloader, and it works. Why would I want grub rather than lilo anyway?

I am so sick of Windblows and I want it totally out of my computer! But following manuals for open source, such as the Grub Manual, and How-To's, just leave me sick in the stomach! After hours of work a person new to Linux finds out the author either left out some "minor details" which make a major difference, or he assumes you already have a good working knowledge of the application and just need a few pointers! It's driving me insane!

Anyway, I tried RedHat in 1999 and gave up after a few months. I tried it again this May, but found it is too bloated for my taste. Even with a personal desktop installation, and selecting only the packages I really need, it installed 587 packages! And there is no way under the sun for a newbie to understand what to leave in and what to take out. And then trying to use rpm to get something was like a dog chasing his tail for dependencies. Not for me!

So I read for weeks, and decided either Debian or Gentoo would suit me, as you can get a really base installation with very few packages and build from there. APT attracted me to Debian versus building from source in Gentoo, so here I am. I tried the Knoppix v3.3 CD, and it found all my hardware and ran really well. It's now installed on my wife and daughter's PC. There are still things which don't work properly, such as Wine, but more study and configuration should straighten that out.

I want to be Micro$loth FREE more than I want almost anything!!!!!

I'll check back once I'm back into Debian and have a new browser installed. I appreciate your help!

well with boot loaders, if one is working fine, i never mess with that. what version of windows are you running? if it was xp, then you stick in your install cd and get to recovery console and type "fixmbr". but it sounds like that was too late in coming.

Yeah. It's Windblows 2000 and I always partition Windblows using Partition Magic and make all partitions FAT32. That's okay, it's no great loss except the email. I will ghost what I've got now and then boot into Debian and go get the latest Mozilla from unstable. Then I can start getting the packages to build the latest kernel. I don't have support for sound, or my gigabit lan or other hardware until I compile the kernel.

My comp is:
Asus P4PE
Intel P4 2.4 GHz
1GB Kingston DDR333
ATI Radeon 9000
Onboard Intel 810 sound (not Linux friendly)
(2) Maxtor 60GB ATA133 7200rpm (but mobo only supports ATA100 on IDE)
Asus 52X CD-ROM
Sony DRU 500AX DVD+/- RW
Microtek ScanMaker 4850
HP Deskjet 920C
and many other assorted little gadgets

So, I have much configuring to do to get things working as they do with no effort in Windblows

I will be Micro$loth FREE!!!!!