SUMMARY: Change in HardDrive's order! hda <-> hdb

VERSION: grub (GNU GRUB 0.92)

I have 2 HardDrives, one with RedHat 8.0 Linux and another with Windows XP!

I had Linux HD as MASTER (hda) and Windows as SLAVE (hdb), both EMPTY!

I installed Linux on hda, and when I was trying to install windows on hdb, I remmember that windows must be instaled on a Active Primary Partition on the Master HD of hda!!!

So I switch the HardDrives!!! Linux -> hdb and Windows(Empty) -> hda

I updated /etc/fstab and /boot/grub/grub.conf and write the new grub config on the MBR of Linux HD. Linux boots fine!

I installed Windows on the hda and it's booting fine too!

- HDA has Windows Loader on his MBR and boot's windows fine!
- HDB has Grub Loader on his MBR and boot's Linux fine!


STRANGE BUG:

- Grub (installed on Linux HD, hdb) only boot's Linux with:
-----------------------------------------------------------
splashimage=(hd0,1)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz

title Red Hat Linux (2.4.18-14)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-14 ro root=/dev/hdb2 hdc=ide-scsi hdd=ide-scsi
initrd /boot/initrd-2.4.18-14.img
-----------------------------------------------------------
The correct setting should be (hd1,1), right???
Even root (hd0,1) don't agree with root=/dev/hdb2!!!
When Linux HD was hda, everything had logic: (hd0,1) and root=/dev/hda2!


MY REAL PROBLEM:

- I can't boot Windows on hda choosing on BIOS hdb that contains Grub and Linux:
-----------------------------------------------------------
title Microsoft Windows XP
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
-----------------------------------------------------------

PS1: HDA has only 1 partition with Windows!
PS2: HDB has 3 partitions, 1st SWAP, 2nd / and 3rd /home!

I can boot both O/S by setting on BIOS each HardDrive as first boot drive!

Thanks in Advance!!!

The simplest solution here is to add Linux to your XP boot loader and stop using the BIOS as a boot loader.

Log onto Linux as root, put a disk in the floppy, mount it and type this command in a terminal window:

dd /dev/hda /mnt/floppy/bootsect.lnx bs=512 count=1

Note: This assumes your root ('/') partition is hda. If it is not, change the above example. It also assumes you floppy drive is mounted as floppy. Again, if it isn't, make the change.

This command will copy a boot image to the floppy drive.

Exit Linux and boot XP. Copy the file from the floppy to C:\

Start Notepad and open file: C:\boot.ini

Add this as the last line:

C:\bootsect.lnx=Linux"

Towards the beginning of the file there is a line for time. I don't recall if it says wait or time, but it is pretty obvious. Set this to about 20.

Save the file and reboot your computer.

You should get an option to boot either XP or Linux. Try both.

I allready know that solution... I used that before I've bought my second Hard Drive (Linux one), when I had both Win and Linux O/S on the same drive.

The Problem here is that Grub can't boot Win on another H/D.

An the strange thing is that grub.conf is not correct, but it must be like this so Linux can boot... strange...

What If I installed Grub on MBR of hda??? and boot hda on BIOS instead on hdb?

Make a boot disk and set the BIOS to to boot from floppy. Boot Linux and, as root, usse this command:

grub-install /dev/hda

Good luck

>The Problem here is that Grub can't boot Win on another H/D.

Try to make your M$ entry like this:
>What If I installed Grub on MBR of hda??? and boot hda on BIOS instead on hdb?

That's how I run my multi-boot, and the usual way to do it AFAIK.

I tryied that but ther error still the same:

ERROR13: Invalid or Unsupported Executable Format

PS: what do you think about me having linux on hdb and Grub only boots linux as (hd0,1)??? hd1,1 should be the correct setting, right?

Well, I dunno, must have to do with how the system is seen at BIOS level, when hdb is set as first boot device.
Have you tried to boot M$ as (hd1,0)?

All I can say is if I were you I'd put grub on the master's MBR,
make the redhat entry in menu.lst as (hd1,1) and the M$ entry as suggested earlier [...include makeactive] and of course set the master as first boot device.

Well this how I resolved my problem:

/boot/grub/grub.conf
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
default=0
timeout=5
splashimage=(hd1,1)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz

title Red Hat Linux (2.4.18-19.8.0)
root (hd1,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-19.8.0 ro root=/dev/hdb2 hdc=ide-scsi hdd=ide-scsi
initrd /boot/initrd-2.4.18-19.8.0.img

title Microsoft Windows XP
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


and installed Grub on hda:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[root@localhost grub]# /sbin/grub-install /dev/hda
Installation finished. No error reported.
This is the contents of the device map /boot/grub/device.map.
Check if this is correct or not. If any of the lines is incorrect,
fix it and re-run the script `grub-install'.

# this device map was generated by anaconda
(fd0) /dev/fd0
(hd0) /dev/hda
(hd1) /dev/hdb
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Conclusion: Grub has strange behaviours when installed on a HardDrive other than hda!

PS: I posted this "bug" on Grubs website ( http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/ ) Bug Tracking System and I get no answer...