How do I get Slackware onto my GRUB loader

Chronothread · 10-22-2008, 12:57 PM

I recently setup a new partition with Slackware 12.1 and I would like to get it on my GRUB loader. I know how to get to my GRUB loader's code for the menu and I know fairly well what everything in there is. I don't know if Slackware 12.1 could have multiple kernels or not, but if I could find the kernel I'm using I could probably set up the loader. How would I go about finding that? Or if there's a better/easier way to get it on the GRUB loader let me know too. Just as a warning I'm still fairly newbesque with Linux in general, so don't be surprised if I have questions about what you told me. Thank you!

syg00 · 10-22-2008, 04:40 PM

Slack normally uses lilo as a boot-loader - did you install that when you installed Slack ?. Given that you still have grub, either you didn't install lilo at all, or you installed to the partition that has Slack.
If the former, probably easiest to do it again, if the latter simply chainload to the partition involved. Add something similar to the following to the end of /boot/grub/menu.lst - presumes first hard disk, third partition, /dev/sda3 (grub counts from zero)

Code:

title Slackware
root (hd0,2)
chainloader +1

jailbait · 10-22-2008, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chronothread

if I could find the kernel I'm using I could probably set up the loader. How would I go about finding that?

The Slackware kernels will be in the Slackware /boot directory. Mount the Slackware / partition on a mountpoint and list the /mountpoint/boot directory.

--------------------
Steve Stites

Chronothread · 10-22-2008, 06:29 PM

Ok, thanks for the advice so far. But I may need a little more help.

I'll start by explaining my situation a little more thoroughly. I originally had my computer dual booting with Ubuntu 8.04 and XP. I was planning on installing both Slackware and reinstalling Ubuntu (for various reasons) today. I think I'd like to stick with grub rather then lilo because I already know it a bit. If someone wants to try to convince me to go to lilo I'll be happy to listen why, because I don't know which would work better. In anycase, I installed Slackware and posted the earlier message. Now I reinstalled Ubuntu as well hoping the new grub loader would catch Slackware as well. It did, but now when I try to load it I run into a kernel panic. Not syncing kind of stuff. So what the grub loader put in for Slackware by itself was the following:

Code:

title       Slackware Linux (Slackware 12.1.0) (on /dev/sda1)
root        (hd0,0)
kernel      /boot/vmlinuz-generic-2.6.24.5 root=/dev/sda1
savedefault
boot

If anyone has any suggestions what to do with the kernel panic it would be very helpful. And then again maybe I would switch this question to a new thread. Anywho, again, thank you for your help.

syg00 · 10-22-2008, 06:36 PM

Probably needs an initrd, but I don't have a Slack system anywhere anymore so hopefully someone who does will pass by and help. Jailbaits suggestion should give you an idea.

This illustrates one benefit of always installing the bootloader with a distro - you get to see their config file, and what options to use.

Chronothread · 10-22-2008, 06:52 PM

When I looked at the boot loader stuff and compared Slackware to Ubuntu I thought I would need some sort of initrd thing (no clue what that stands for by the way). So I had tried making it similar to what Ubuntu had and put in:

Code:

initrd      /boot/initrd.img-generic-2.6.24.5

With that I got no file found. I just looked in Slackware's boot folder and the only file that looked like it was along these lines is README.initrd. When I tried to open that from Ubuntu I get an error saying the file is broken. Any suggestions? Thanks again.

brianL · 10-23-2008, 05:10 AM

By default Slackware 12.1 boots into the huge-smp kernel, so you could try changing this line in Grub's menu.lst:

Code:

kernel      /boot/vmlinuz-generic-2.6.24.5 root=/dev/sda1

to this:

Code:

kernel      /boot/vmlinuz-huge-smp-2.6.24.5-smp root=/dev/sda1

And try booting into Slackware. To use any of the other kernels requires an initrd.