I installed linux as second OS lately and chose grub as bootloader...
now im new to linux and also Grub is completly new to me.
But it setupm pretty well and i got a window at startup asking me what OS to start. So far so good but now i had a power failure during starting up linux and grup wont load the window anymore but starting in bash mode.

Since im very new im hoepless lost there and dont know how to start my linux again. (i found some descriptions about grup meanwhile helping me to start windows but not recovering the original load window)

Any fast help would be very appreciated.

I'd suggest booting with a live cd (like knoppix), and run the command 'grub-install'.

You'll have to specify the directory. If, for example your linux installation is at /dev/hda1 and is mounted under /mnt/hda1 (because you're running from a live cd, you'll need to mount it as another harddisk), then run (from a live cd terminal) the following command (as root):

grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/hda1 /dev/hda1

any chance doing this without a cd since i dont have it here right now?

Not if you can't boot your system. The very least you need is a command line + the 'grub-install' program. If I understand it well from your first post, you have access to a bash shell? If so, try to enter the command in there.

But if you don't want to download a 600+mb disc, I believe there are some live distro's which take no more than 60meg. I just don't know if they support the command 'grub-install'. Knoppix is the only live distro I know for sure it works with.

i dont even know what knoppix is...
i do have a suse cd.
i can boot my win xp in the bash(found how it works somewhere on many pages)
but i cant boot linux sinc ei dont know the exact commands)
linux is ona logical partition and it created a swap partition in front of that(should it be (hd0,5) then and /dev/hda6 ???)
when i try root (hd0,4) it says Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x82
when i try root (hd0,5) it says Filesystem type is reiserfs, partition type 0x82
i dont know if thats actually an error or not.
i dont find my kernel (any suggestions where it might be?)

if i understood it right i can repair my bootloader when i reach YAST ie when i started linux.

on a side remark: of course i can start windows again but its ratehr annyoing to get it manually started.

You can find Knoppix herehttp://www.knoppix.org .
Simply burn it on a cd as an image file and boot from it.

If you've started a terminal in Knoppix, run 'cfdisk' (be careful not to accidentily change anything in that program) to see on which device you have installed linux.

Then run the grub-install command and replace the 'hda1' (which I used in my previous posts) with the device listed in cfdisk.

What do you mean with 'I can get Windows manually started?'
If you mean you have some sort of command-line in which you can enter the boot command for Windows, than you could do the same for linux. I can't remember the exact command though, but it must be possible.

I think grub uses something like this (at least, for my configuration, don't take this over litterary):
grub /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.10-5-386 root=/dev/hda3 ro quiet splash
Maybe you can take a look at google for the exact syntax.

Try to enter a similar command, it might work. Once you get into Suse, I believe, like you've mentioned, that you can repair the bootloader with Yast. All that needs to happen is to get Suse booting.

yes exactly i can start windows like that and i guess it should be possible to start linux as well.
i found different commands for that but none of them seem to work.
mostly either he wont take the root command(see output in my last reply)
or if he takes it he doenst find the kernel... /boot/bzimage wont work /boot/zimage wont either
im pretty sure that linux is on /dev/hda6 though.


EDIT: Downloading 700 MB with a 56k seems like overkill to me.

Ok, so Knoppix is not an option.


I think you need to enter your exact kernel as it stands under your /boot folder.

Anyway, I've gathered some links which might help you.

The first one looks interesting, but as you can't get into linux, I'm afraid it won't be much of a help, but I post it anyway

link1

The second one might be more help. It's about how to set up the windows bootloader to be able to boot linux:

link2

This one is a link to another thread on this forum about the same subject

link3

Once you get back in linux, it should be easy to reïnstall grub.


Something you've probably tried already, but isn't it possible to boot from your first Suse disc and reïnstall grub that way? Or maybe you can see the exact boot commands that way?

i would use my suse cd if i had it here...
Pitily the pc im talking about is my notebook and im not at home.

OK, this is getting very complicated.

Did you try those links which explains how to set up the windows bootloader to be able to boot linux?

í looked at those links but pitily the win bootlaoder would have required to load linux as well.

But as far as i found out now this wouldnt have helped anyways.
I got home today and dl Knoppix from there.
Now using it on my notebook i tried to openmy /dev/hda6 (linux partition) and...couldnt. it seems the power failure somehow corrupted my partition...i guess ill reinstall linux again as soon as i get my cd back(or maybe try to repair installation if thats possible.

Well, I'm all out of ideas for reïnstalling grub.

So, good luck with reïnstalling/repairing linux.