Grub Doesn't Load Menu.lst

CaptainMorgan · 11-22-2007, 10:52 PM

Rather than have folks read through older posts and trying to play catchup here's a new thread containing as much detail as I can muster. I have been playing around with the Super Grub Disk all night and I'm getting nowhere.

I have a SATA disk with solely Windows Server 2003 on it, so that's the primary disk. Then I have a PATA disk which dual boots Windows XP and Ubuntu Fiesty(7.04). After installing Server 2003 on the SATA disk I began having Grub issues. I then went and discovered the SGD and toyed with that for a number of HOURS. I think I probably messed something up using that... anyways.

If I use SGD I can successfully change the bootloader so that I can boot Windows- either Windows on either disk. However, if I try to fix or re-install the Linux bootloader, it installs Grub stage 1.5 and never loads the menu, only leaving me with a prompt. See here for another attempt during the grub> prompt.

Problem
Grub won't load menu.lst

Error messages
None

Map
(hd0) /dev/sda
I appreciate any support you can provide. Thank you!
-Capt

My menu.lst

Quote:

# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
# grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
# grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
# and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not change this entry to 'saved' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default 0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 10

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
#hiddenmenu

# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line) and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
# password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader +1
#
# title Linux
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=UUID=dbc46dbf-45ce-4533-a25e-f80a37b85f4d ro

## Setup crashdump menu entries
## e.g. crashdump=1
# crashdump=0

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,1)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
## alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
## lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
## lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
## altoptions=(recovery) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
## howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
## memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

splashimage=(hd0,1)/boot/grub/53131-ubuntueye.xpm.gz

## ## End Default Options ##

title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.20-16-generic
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-16-generic root=UUID=dbc46dbf-45ce-4533-a25e-f80a37b85f4d ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-16-generic
quiet
savedefault

title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.20-16-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-16-generic root=UUID=dbc46dbf-45ce-4533-a25e-f80a37b85f4d ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-16-generic

title Ubuntu, memtest86+
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title Other operating systems:
root

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda1
title Microsoft Windows
root (hd0,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1

aus9 · 11-23-2007, 12:35 AM

I think you have a hd0 error, grub is not on hd0 its on hd1.
and your menu lines for hd1 then are also in error.

it all depends on bios boot order

hd0 you have stated is the sata with ms only.

2)if you prefer bios boot order is sata then ide then you still have some work to do.

using a live cd or rescue mode try these commands (read my signature may help)

grub
root (hd1,0)
setup (hd0)

which translates to say,
booting files for grub is on second partition second drive (ide)
but install grub into mbr for first drive (sata)

then edit /boot/grub/menu.lst so anything pointing to ide drive is hd1 and anything for sata drive is hd0.

4) getting back to your bios boot order, the safest hint hint option is to change boot drive order to ide then sata.
then grub menu needs to change from hd1 to hd0 stuff and grub to hd0

grub
root (hd0,1)
setup (hd0)

and menu for sata for ms becomes

title sata
root (hd1,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

The linux boot menu is already hd0.

5) this may be all confusing you but I repeat

if bios can set boot order, it is the boot order that determines which comes first hd0 or hd1. You define that in bios.

best option in the long run, is set boot order to ide then sata.

If of course, we can seduce you into evil linux heh heh then sata is faster, and grub would love to be with its bestest buddy linux on the sata....your choice buddy

syg00 · 11-23-2007, 01:50 AM

I had some issues with SGD - wasn't as intuitive as I had hoped. Was going to forward some comments with my perceived problems, but never did.
Maybe I should.

I always find it's best to let grub tell you what it thinks of things. Drag up a liveCD (Feisty is fine), open a terminal and type in "grub" - as root for normal people, Ununtu users need to use sudo.
Then "find /grub/stage1" (if it doesn't work, add /boot). This will tell you where grub finds its files. You may get more than one response depending on your setup.
Then type "root (hd" and hit the <tab> key to see what disks grub can see. Pick one, then a comma, and hit <tab> again. This will show you the partitions on that disk.
Real handy way of figuring out what disk is what from grubs perspective. Complete the root command, (should be what the find returned), then "setup (hd0)" to write the MBR. Should be bootable after that.