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Old 05-11-2004, 01:31 PM   #1
btexpress
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Dual Boot XP Pro and Fedora Core


Hello,

I have XP on the master drive with NTFS file system /dev/hda (C:\). I install Fedora which has grub for boot loader. My machine hangs.

I fixmbr for XP then reinstalled Fedora Core w/o the boot loader. Then I used LILO' s liloloab.b file in c:\boot.ini as c:\bootsect.lnx="Linux". grub.conf file is no longer there.

On /dev/hdb2 lilo is under /bbot/Lilo/lilo.1.8/, this is where I typed make to get the liloload.b file.

When I reboot my machine, the options appear, however, I can only select XP. When I select Linux it says Lilo loader error.

Am I missing some stape in /dev/hdb? I have a feeling that some config file is missing from the /boot. I do not see /sbin/lilo and /etc/lilo.conf

Thanks
Biniam

Last edited by btexpress; 05-11-2004 at 01:35 PM.
 
Old 05-11-2004, 03:20 PM   #2
marghorp
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Post your grub.conf file, which you will find at /boot/grub/.

Try one other thing. Load linux from Linux Rescue CD (CD 1 of Fedora installation) and then at command prompt run: /sbin/grub-install /dev/hdb or /dev/hda whichever you prefer. Maybe you have some problems with grub.conf configuration.

Also post you fdisk -l output.
 
Old 05-12-2004, 11:39 AM   #3
btexpress
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Cannot find the config file

I looked for the grub.conf file and do not find it anywhere. I tried the grub shell to create it again but no luck there. Another problem I faced is

grub> find /boot/grub/stage1 one gives no file found
grub> find /grub/stage1 gives (hd1,0)

When I quit of grub and go to /grub, It does not exist.

What is happening here?

My state of mind continues.

Regrads,
Biniam
 
Old 05-12-2004, 12:56 PM   #4
marghorp
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so you are in grub after reboot.

No stage2 graphic loader.

do the following.

find /grub/grub.conf (should give you (hd0,0) or some equivalent)
root (hd0,0) or some equivalent
cat /grub/grub.conf (this will list your grub.conf file)
kernel /vmlinuz-xxx.xxx.xxx (xxx is the version of your kernel, which you will see in your grub.conf file, and use TAB to autofinish the line. ALSO ADD THE PARAMETERS THAT ARE IN YOUR GRUB.CONF FILE)
initrd /initrd-xxx.xxx.xxx.img
boot

That should get you into linux or leave you hanging somewhere with kernel panic.

Tell me, where that gets you
 
Old 05-13-2004, 03:37 AM   #5
btexpress
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I do not know why but Windows XP explorer does not see the hard drive once formatted with Linux. Is that normal? Just to remind you, hda is master and hdb slave on primary ide controller.

I reformatted and repartitoned my hard drive and installed Fedora again.

grub.conf is

# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE: You have a /boot partition. This means that
# all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.
# root (hd1,0)
# kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/hdb2
# initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/hda
default=1
timeout=10
splashimage=(hd1,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
title Fedora Core (2.4.22-1.2115.nptl)
root (hd1,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.22-1.2115.nptl ro root=LABEL=/ rhgb
initrd /initrd-2.4.22-1.2115.nptl.img
title DOS
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1


fdisk -l gives


Disk /dev/hda: 20.4 GB, 20411080704 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2481 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 2481 19928601 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/hdb: 80.0 GB, 80026329600 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdb1 * 1 13 104391 83 Linux
/dev/hdb2 14 9664 77521657+ 83 Linux
/dev/hdb3 9665 9729 522112+ 82 Linux swap


Biniam
 
Old 05-13-2004, 04:53 AM   #6
marghorp
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If you format the linux drive with ext3 filesystem type, you WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SEE it under windows. if you format the windows partition with NTFS, you WILL NOT BE ABLE TO WRITE ON IT FROM LINUX. The only filesystem type I know of that works between both is FAT or FAT32. However you can read from Linux a NTFS partition, you just can't write to it (yet at least for now).

The partitions that in fdisk -l say Linux ARE NOT VISIBLE IN WINDOWS. In linux however you can view them all. It's just a MS thing not building a bridge the other way.
 
Old 05-13-2004, 12:01 PM   #7
btexpress
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So now what do I do?

So now what do I do to be able to boot from either drive? I get the menu. Windows boots properly. Linux gives GRUB and hangs.

Still

Regards,
Biniam
 
Old 05-13-2004, 01:53 PM   #8
marghorp
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Re: So now what do I do?

Quote:
Originally posted by btexpress
So now what do I do to be able to boot from either drive? I get the menu. Windows boots properly. Linux gives GRUB and hangs.

Still

Regards,
Biniam
What do you mean gives GRUB and hangs? How? Why? Are there any errors? Which?

Do you get to the grub command line?
 
Old 05-13-2004, 04:00 PM   #9
btexpress
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When I select Linux from the boot menu, I see a blank screen with GRUB and a blinking cursor, That is all.

Biniam
 
Old 05-14-2004, 03:44 AM   #10
btexpress
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boot.ini

This is what the XP boot.ini file looks like:

[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
c:\STAGE1="Linux"

if the MBR in dev/hda is in charge, does grub.conf ever get called. It seams it is similar to th boot.ini file. So my understanding is that the boot loader in charge uses its own file.

STAGE1 above is directly taken from /boot/grub. Is there a way that it should be copied to c:\, i.e do I need it use dd if=stage1 of=/dev/fdo bs=512 count=1?

I am going to try this before going to bed.

I still get Blank screen with GRUB and a blinking cursor with all others frozen, even keyboard.

Regards,

Your :confused
Biniam
 
Old 05-14-2004, 04:12 AM   #11
marghorp
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do the following:

find /grub/grub.conf

or

find /boot/grub/grub.conf

You should get a (hd0,0) (where 0 is the number you get, it might not be a 0)

root (hd0,0) (put in your numbers for 0)

cat /grub/grub.conf

or

cat /boot/grub/grub.conf

(one of these should print your grub.conf file)

Just type the lines under title=Fedora

kernel ....blablabla....
initrd ....blablabla......

boot

This should get you into Fedora.

once there, su to root and give your root password.

/sbin/grub-install /dev/hda (hda if you got hd0, hdb if you got hd1 with find grub.conf ...)

Hope you get it right

Peace!
 
Old 05-14-2004, 12:19 PM   #12
btexpress
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Quote:
Originally posted by marghorp
do the following:

find /grub/grub.conf

or

find /boot/grub/grub.conf

You should get a (hd0,0) (where 0 is the number you get, it might not be a 0)

root (hd0,0) (put in your numbers for 0)

cat /grub/grub.conf

or

cat /boot/grub/grub.conf

(one of these should print your grub.conf file)

Just type the lines under title=Fedora

kernel ....blablabla....
initrd ....blablabla......

boot

This should get you into Fedora.

once there, su to root and give your root password.

/sbin/grub-install /dev/hda (hda if you got hd0, hdb if you got hd1 with find grub.conf ...)

Hope you get it right

Peace!
So to do

find /grub/grub.conf

or

find /boot/grub/grub.conf

Do I boot with the floppy? Right now that is the only way I can get in Fedora.

In the grub shell, when I say boot, where does it go? If it goes to restart the machine then I am back at square one.

I am about to try another distro. This is very furstrating and tiresome, going through a lot of reinstall and moving hard drive location etc for the last 5 days until 3 am and get up at 7 am.

Biniam
 
Old 05-14-2004, 01:16 PM   #13
marghorp
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If you can boot into fedora just go from

su
<your root password here>

/sbin/grub-install /dev/hda
 
Old 05-14-2004, 02:18 PM   #14
btexpress
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Once I do this, do I need to

dd if=/boot/grub/stage1 of=/dev/fd0/stage1 bs=512 count=1

or

dd if =/dev/hdb of=/dev/fd0/stage1 bs=512 count=1
is it hdb or hdbx where x is the partition number?

or

cp /boot/grub to /dev/fd0

Then copy it to c:\ so the the XP bootloader sees it.

Thanks.
 
Old 05-14-2004, 06:18 PM   #15
marghorp
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Quote:
Originally posted by marghorp
If you can boot into fedora just go from

su
<your root password here>

/sbin/grub-install /dev/hda
 
  


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