How to restore boot loader on Mandriva 09 dual boot ... pruned parts 1
//moderator/note: hijack cleanup. For a clean view of this thread see http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...e-11.0-695425/. Apologies to the OP for moving *his* posts and related replies, unfortunately it was easier managable this way.
|
This is an interesting question.
I am going to install Mandriva 2009. I have a DVD of Mandriva 2009. I am going to install it on another computer which has the latest Ubuntu. [ Not on this computer] The default operating system is Ubuntu. 1. I have installed even old 'open SuSE 10.3' and it works fine. 2. I have installed Windows 2008 server on a primary partition and it works fine. 3. I have installed Windows Vista on a primary partition and it works fine. So Ubuntu, Windows 2008 server and Windows Vista is on 3 separate primary partitions and open SuSE 10.3 is on a logical partiton. GRUB works fine to recognize all the operating systems.However, it is bit tardy. First comes Ubuntu's GRUB, Afterwards I get the 'open SuSEs' GRUB. I want to install Mandriva on a logical partition which is 'sdb5' Where shall I place Mandriva's bootloader? How shall I install Mandriva's bootloader? I want Mandriva to be on the system as the fourth operating system. ........................................................ sdb1 for Windows 2008 server {Primary partition} sdb2 for Windows Vista {Primary partition} sdb3 for Ubuntu {Primary partition} sdb5 --- Empty partiton for Linux installations {Logical sdb6 --- Empty partiton for Linux installations {Logical sdb7 --- Small partion (8.0GB) {Linux swap sdb8 for open SuSE 10,3 {Logical ......................................................... As a matter of fact I wanted to install open SuSE 10.3 on 'sdb5'. I couldn't dictate terms and it forced me to install on 'sdb8'. I don't know why. It may be I don't have sufficient knowledge of those tricky matters. |
If you have an entry similar to the one in post #10 above, that is why it goes from the Ubuntu Grub to the Opensuse Grub
This line: configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst, point it to the menu.lst of Opensuse from Ubuntu. To change that you need your entry to point to the kernel in Opensuse. Look at the entries in post #9 with the kernel and initrd options. Find those in your Opensuse 10.3 menu.lst file and copy them to your Ubuntu menu.lst. Or you could post your Opensuse 10.3 menu.lst with the Ubuntu menu.lst (just the parts referring to 10.3) and someone can give you the correct entries. You can install Mandriva bootloader (Grub) to the sdb5 if that's where you install it. Then you can put the entry from the Mandriva menu.lst file in the Ubuntu menu.lst file. You can also install Grub from Mandriva to the mbr and hope that it detects all other systems? |
Thanks yancek for excellent comments.
I installed Mandriva 2009. I didn't put the bootloader of Mandria 2009 on MBR. I put it on the root folder of Mandriva. However, I can't put it to the 'menu.lst' file of Ubuntu. So Mandriva is not working or rather it does not appear as it is not on the 'menu.lst' file. I don't know the stanzas for Mandriva. I tried in vain the with the following stanzas. ................................................................................. title Mandriva 2009 root (hd1,4) configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst ................................................................................. I successfully installed it on 'sdb5' partition. I have 'open SuSE' on 'sdb8' partition. It works as it is on the 'menu.lst' file. Code:
The following is the output of the fdisk file. Code:
root@ni-desktop:/home/ni# fdisk -l The following is the Ubuntu's menu.ist file. Code:
root@ni-desktop:/boot/grub# cat menu.lst I appreciate your help again. |
title Mandriva 2009
root (hd1,4) configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst With Mandriva on sdb5, the above entry is correct and should work. Possible problems, need a space after root - before (hd1,4) and looks like there is. Same after configfile and before /boot..., looks right. When you boot into Ubuntu and mount Mandriva, go into the /boot/grub/menu.lst file to verify that you have entries for Mandriva and the kernel and initrd entries in menu.lst are showing files that are actually in the /boot directory, i.e. the vmlinuz and initrd files. The only other thing might be that you should put the entry for Mandriva in your Ubuntu menu.lst below the DEBIAN Magic Kernels line in menu.lst. Seems I read that somewhere but I don't use Ubuntu. I do have version 7.04 of Ubuntu installed and all the other OS's on my machine have entries below that line. Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
|
Thanks yancek for taking time to reply me.
First I went to work this morning. Afterwards I went to the gym for training and came home about 10 minutes ago. So I was away whole day. Code:
However, I can't put it to the 'menu.lst' file of Ubuntu. So Mandriva is not working or rather it does not appear as it is not on the 'menu.lst' file. If I know the exact stanzas, I can edit the file and Mandriva will definitely work. ------------------------------------------------------- Code:
I have 'open SuSE' on 'sdb8' partition. It works as it is on the 'menu.lst' file. The following is the menu.lst file from Open SuSE 10.3 Code:
When the computer starts, I get the 'open SuSE 10.3' menu. The default operating system on 'open SuSE 10.3' menu is Ubuntu. Afterwards it jumps to Ubuntu menu. The default operating system on Ubuntu menu is also Ubuntu. If I don't do anything when the computer starts, I get the Ubuntu to the screen. You have written how to solve the problem of two menus. It is unnecessary to get both menus. I will try to fix it later. If I ran into problems, I would beg your help on this too. I am not an expert in these matters though I have been working with Linux for about 10 years. I may have made an error in the process of installing 'open SuSE 10.3'. As I wrote this error causes to get the 'open SuSE 10.3's menu first and the Ubuntu's menu second. [ We can solve this problem later on.] For the moment, the most important thing is to get Mandriva 2009 working. I can get Ubuntu, 'open SuSE 10.3', Windows 2008 Server and Windows Vista on to the screen. I can go to the Internet with any one of the above. Mandriva is hidden First I must get Mandriva working. Your thoughts are very welcome. |
Here is the latest 'menu.ist' file from Ubuntu.
I am posting only the important lines. I got the following error message. root(hd1,4) Filesystem type is ext2fs, partiton type 0x83 configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst Error 2: Bad file or directory type press any key to continue Code:
## ## End Default Options ## |
Quote:
Quote:
Actually, using the configfile entry is useful if you are constantly changing operating systems on a specific partition for development or experimentation. You can leave that entry and install any OS without changing the entry as long as the OS is using Grub. If you initially get the Opensuse menu.lst, then it would make sense to put the entry for Mandriva in the Opensuse menu.lst Check the /boot/grub directory on Mandriva by mounting in Opensuse. First create the directory for Mandriva: mkdir /mnt/mandriva, then mount it: mount /dev/sdb5 /mnt/mandriva, then change to the directory and see if you actually have the menu.lst file there and it has entries pointing to the kernel and initrd files. Copy the entry in the Mandriva menu.lst file (for Mandriva) into the /boot/grub/menu.lst of Opensuse. Don't use the configfile, use the separate kernel and initrd lines. I'm sure you can see by looking at your Opensuse menu.lst file below why your machine boots the way it does. The Ubuntu stanza is the only one with the 'configfile' entry! You could change that so it didn't display the menu.lst from Ubuntu by simply placing the kernel and initrd lines in that stanza. Replace this entry in the OPENSUSE menu.lst: title Ubuntu 8.04, kernel 2.6.24-16-generic (/dev/sdb3) root (hd1,2) configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst with the following entry in OPENSUSE menu.lst: title Ubuntu 8.04, kernel 2.6.24-16-generic root (hd1,2) kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-16-generic root=UUID=c5fb4ab5-6767-44e8-b89a-6383b86e2bad ro quiet splash initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic quiet Quote:
Further questions or problems, just post. |
yancek
I work whole day. Afterwards I went to the gym for circuit training. I just came home. I will eat something and sleep. It is too late here; almost midnight here. I will attend this tomorrow evening. I profoundly appreciate your help. Please keep a good watch on the thread. |
I'll keep watching. I'm curious about the bad file or directory error you get from Grub. Mount that partition and see what is actually there.
|
yancek
I logged on as a superuser in open SuSE 10.3. I created a directory mandriva as you suggested. I tried in different ways. It seems there is no entry about 'sdb5' in the 'fstab file. Code:
ni@SuseLinux103:~> su root The following is the 'fstab' file in open SuSE 10.3 Code:
SuseLinux103:/etc # cat fstab ---------------------------------------------------------------- The following is the 'mtab' file in open SuSE 10.3 Code:
SuseLinux103:/etc # cat mtab The following is the 'fdisk -l' output from open SuSE 10.3. Code:
SuseLinux103:/ # fdisk -l The following is the 'open SuSE 10.3s menu.lst file. Code:
SuseLinux103:/boot/grub # cat menu.lst As I mentioned before, sdb1 and sdb2 are for Windows 2008 server and Windows Vista. Both of them are primary partitions. I have Ubuntu on sdb3 and it is also a primary partition. The above 3 operating systems are working fine. I have no complains about them. I installed 'open SuSE 10.3' on sdb8. It is a logical partition. My open SuSE 10.3 works fine. I installed 'Mandriva 2009' on sdb5 and it is a liability. The partition sdb5 is a logical partition. Your thoughts are welcome. PS I hope to install some other Linux distros on Maxtor hard disk later on. The system recognizes it as sda. I think Samsung and Maxtor belongs to one company. Maxtor has 250GB. |
You have the mandriva directory under /mnt as seen below.
Quote:
mount /dev/sdb5 /mnt/mandriva Should work, if it doesn't you may need filesystem type and I think it is ext3 so do: mount -t ext3 /dev/sdb5 /mnt/mandriva Then change directory: cd /mnt/mandriva Then do ls -l, you should see the mandriva files. If you see the mandriva files, go to /boot/grub and find the menu.lst file. Copy the entry for mandriva to the bottom of the Opensuse menu.lst file If you see the mandrivaa files, put this entry in /etc/fstab of Opensuse: /dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_MAXTOR_STM35003_9QM357QE-part5 / ext3 acl,user_xattr 0 0 This is for the second drive on which you have Opensuse and Mandriva. The only changes you should need from Opensuse are from "part8" to "part5", and changing the "1 1" at the end of Opensuse to "0 0" for mandriva. The above entry includes those changes. You don't have an fstab entry for mandriva in Opensuse because you installed mandriva after Opensuse. I'm not sure if this will solve the "bad file or directory" error? Maybe the files arent there? Is sdb set to boot first? If you get errors or have problems, post again. |
Yes, it worked.
I will attend the rest gradually. Code:
SuseLinux103:/mnt # ls |
I changed the 'fstab' file in open SuSE 10.3.
I will reboot and see whether I am in business now. The following is the new file. Code:
SuseLinux103:/etc # cat fstab |
yancek
I got the same old error message. I rebooted twice. Ubuntu and open SuSE 10.3 comes to the screen. What would be the next step? ----------------------------------------- I installed all the programs on the sdb drive. So bootloader and mbr are on the sdb. |
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:08 AM. |