GRUB problem with fedora/ubuntu

iAlta · 09-15-2007, 10:46 AM

First I installed Fedora.
Then, maybe a week later I installed Ubuntu.
During the Ubuntu Installation it asked me to format the /boot partition, and I so did. Ofcourse now I can't boot into Fedora, since it's grub was on the formated /boot. But I can boot into Ubuntu, so I'm happy.

But now I want to boot back into Fedora, but I have no idea what to do. I know I can edit GRUB, but what I'm most concerned about is the vmlinuz thing, I have no idea what to do with that, isn't the vmlinuz typically on the /boot? If so is there a way to redownload it?

manwichmakesameal · 09-15-2007, 10:56 AM

All you have to do, is add the path to the Fedora kernels. I did pretty much the same thing as you, I had Slack 12 installed, then installed UbuntuStudio with Grub. Pretty much all you have to do is edit /boot/grub/menu.lst.

Here's a snippet of mine

Code:

title		Ubuntu, memtest86+
root		(hd2,0)
kernel		/boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title		Other operating systems:
root


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hda2.
#title		Slackware Linux (Slackware 12.0.0) (on /dev/hda2)
#root		(hd0,0)
#kernel		/vmlinuz-generic-2.6.18.8-smp root=/dev/hda2 
#savedefault
#boot

Notice the difference, with Ubuntu, root is (hd2,0) and Slack is (hd0,0). With grub, the first disk device is labeled as hd0 with the first partition as hd0,0. So if you have Fedora installed on the first disk, and Ubuntu on the second, you will have something like

Code:

title		Ubuntu
root		(hd1,0)
kernel	/boot/vmlinuz
quiet

title          Fedora
root          (hd0,0)
kernel       /boot/vmlinuz

iAlta · 09-15-2007, 12:13 PM

Thanks!

But is it a problem that they don't have the same kernel?

manwichmakesameal · 09-15-2007, 12:27 PM

It's ok if the kernel name is the same. The root device is different. Grub will look in /boot for a file called vmlinuz, but its going to look in (hd0,0)/boot and (hd1,0)/boot.

I just realized you said you formatted /boot. Did you have a separate partition for /boot in Fedora? If so, did you format it and get rid of your Fedora kernel?

iAlta · 09-15-2007, 02:01 PM

yup it's gone!

AceofSpades19 · 09-15-2007, 02:05 PM

you will have to reinstall fedora then

iAlta · 09-15-2007, 02:14 PM

that probably isn't so stupid anyway..., or maybe I'll install slack...