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skykooler 10-05-2011 01:16 PM

I can't recover any operating systems from an OpenSuse LiveCD
 
I don't know if this goes here, so sorry if I posted in the wrong forum. I have a hepta-boot system (Windows 7, OSX, Mint, Kubuntu, Meego, Suse and Android) on my netbook. The way it worked was that the Chameleon bootloader would boot either Windows, Mac or Grub, which could then boot everything else. Anyway, I accidentally installed Grub over Chameleon, and tried to re-install Chameleon from within Linux. I messed up somewhere so it said "boot0: error" when I tried to boot. The only liveCD (or rather, liveUSB) I had was my OpenSuse one. I booted that and tried to chroot into my Mint install, only to find that Suse doesn't recognize any of the partitions on my hard drive. Furthermore, I can install Unetbootin within Suse, but it won't recognize any flash drives I plug in, so I can't just install Puppy or something to a flash drive. grub-install gives me the error that "/dev/loop0 does not have any corresponding BIOS drive." I tried installing Suse to another flash drive, but even though I selected that drive for bootloader installation it somehow still installed Grub stage 0 to the HD, and it doesn't find the next stage (I get error 22).
Any ideas how I can boot up? I do not have an external optical drive I can use, or another computer. (I am writing this from the Suse livecd.)

Larry Webb 10-05-2011 03:34 PM

Which version of Suse are you using? If older than 12 you probably need a newer version in order to read a ext4 file, If you have ubuntu it will probably be using grub2 which I believe Suse still uses grub legacy. I am not familiar with the chameleon bootloader. Will read and see if I can come up with something useful.

jefro 10-05-2011 05:22 PM

This post is a bit confusing too.

A modern opensuse live usb ought to be able to view partitions on the hard drive no matter the format. Since opensuse hasn't been around too long it should if it can read disk also read partition table. Either consider a usb boot of another distro just to re-test. Consider checking media of the opensuse. Consider booting to a gpxe/ipxe distro locally or over internet. Knoppix may be booted pxe the most easy from another system booted live cd/dvd. Start knoppix terminal server to setup a pxe server for knoppix.

skykooler 10-06-2011 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jefro (Post 4491087)
A modern opensuse live usb ought to be able to view partitions on the hard drive no matter the format. Since opensuse hasn't been around too long it should if it can read disk also read partition table.

Ok, I found the problem. I accidentally overwrote my partition table. I used testdisk to fix it and now I have all of my partitions back, although Windows won't boot (it gives me "The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible"). Unfortunately I do not have a Windows recovery USB drive, and my computer is a netbook so I can't just make a CD from one of the linuxes or OSX.

Larry Webb 10-06-2011 10:58 AM

You may not need a windows cd, see if the boot flag is on your windows partition. If not use your partitioner to set the boot flag.

skykooler 10-07-2011 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Webb (Post 4491645)
You may not need a windows cd, see if the boot flag is on your windows partition. If not use your partitioner to set the boot flag.

I checked with GParted and the boot flag is already set on the Windows partition. I wonder whether the drive letters changed?

Larry Webb 10-07-2011 09:09 AM

Windows should chainload from grub. On your Suse in YaST I believe the bootloader gives you the option to select a search for windows.

jefro 10-07-2011 06:45 PM

edit

deleted link

skykooler 10-08-2011 10:15 PM

I have a chainloader entry, and it boots the Windows Vista boot manager, which has two options: boot Windows or launch Chameleon. However, the Windows bootloader itself fails to load Windows, instead giving me "The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible".

Larry Webb 10-09-2011 06:05 AM

I can help past this point, not a windows man.







2

yancek 10-09-2011 09:54 AM

Are/were all of these operating systems on the same physical hard drive?
Since Chameleon is Mac software, have you gone to their forums for help on reinstalling? I suppose that it would be necessary to boot to the Mac partition to do that?

Quote:

it somehow still installed Grub stage 0 to the HD
stage0? There is not stage0, did you mean the stage1 to the master boot record?
How about posting partition information on your drive using the Opensuse usb.
Also, which Grub were you using to boot? Grub2 from Kubuntu? Grub Legacy from Opensuse?

skykooler 10-10-2011 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yancek (Post 4493845)
Are/were all of these operating systems on the same physical hard drive?
Since Chameleon is Mac software, have you gone to their forums for help on reinstalling? I suppose that it would be necessary to boot to the Mac partition to do that?



stage0? There is not stage0, did you mean the stage1 to the master boot record?
How about posting partition information on your drive using the Opensuse usb.
Also, which Grub were you using to boot? Grub2 from Kubuntu? Grub Legacy from Opensuse?

Chameleon is meant to be installed from OSX, which creates a circle - I need to boot OSX to install it, but I can't because it isn't installed. I need to make a boot usb from another Mac, but I can't for another day or so. As for Grub, I was actually using Burg, which is modified Grub2, installed on its own partition.


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