An Imperative Solution Needed - Configuring Grub For Linux/XP Dual Booting

CAL · 04-05-2004, 01:49 AM

SITUATION:

RedHat Linux 9 does not see my Primary Master (XP Drive). However, during the installation it DID recognize this drive whose details are listed here:

Primary Master
(hda1) MBR (Windows XP Pro) FAT32
(hda2) FAT32
(hda3) NTFS

Here's my Linux drive:

Primary Slave
(hdb1) /boot EXT3
(hdb2) / EXT3
(hdb3) swap SWAP
hdb4 (extended partition)
(hdb5) FAT32
(hdb6) FAT32

I am able to see (and thus mount) my hdb5 and hdb6 (both FAT32) drives in Linux no problemo. However, Linux (post-install) does not even detect my hda drive at all! I CANNOT view it in the Hardware Browser. What gives? For the record, my hdb1 drive is set as the ACTIVE drive - the only active drive. When I check things out in Win (Disk Management) I am able to see every drive (and even Win verifies that hdb1 is set as the only active drive).

PROBLEM:

It's not the end of the world that I can't access my hda drive, it's just that I hate to deal with 'issues', or, problems, without meeting the challenge to solve them. The biggest issue that I believe that this (detection problem) is causing, is that I cannot boot WinXP from Grub. Whenever I try, I get the following message and the system hangs...

ERROR MESSAGES:

rootnoverify (hd1, 0)
chainloader +1

FINAL WORDS:

Whatever I seem to try (as far as new commands), Grub defaults to these messages. Why do you suppose that Linux sees my hdb disks with no problems, but can't see a damn thing on hda, not even my FAT32 partitions?

ADDED:

For the record, yes, I am able to boot into both WinXP and Linux, albeit through the tedious and unglamorous method of changing the boot priority in my BIOS. Peace.

Demonbane · 04-05-2004, 02:07 AM

leave the bios setting to boot from the Linux drive, and change

Code:

rootnoverify (hd1, 0)
chainloader +1

to

Code:

rootnoverify (hd1, 0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
chainloader +1

in your /boot/grub/grub.conf

CAL · 04-05-2004, 02:48 AM

Ferris Bueller, you're my hero.

Thanks homie, hey since you're the first impression I have of the good Linux community, I'd like to take faith in your suggestion of a good advanced user book to getting started running Linux. I ordered Beginning RedHat Linux 9 by Wrox (from Amazon) without really checking it out, and then just two days ago I was at a bookstore (Borders) and picked it up and I knew that I would devour the book far too quickly and gainlessly considering how disappointingly basic it was. Now don't get me wrong, I am a beginner to Linux; however, I am quite adept with computers in general and thus found the book just too simplified for my taste - that's all. Needless to say, thanks again man. See ya around.

Demonbane · 04-05-2004, 10:41 AM

there are quite a few Linux books around but sometimes you have to wonder whether they're worth more than the information freely available online.

RUTE
http://rute.sf.net

TLDP
http://www.tldp.org