OK, it seems grub-install script comes with GRUB, so you have it.

Chroot thing. From LiveCD, create a mount point.
mkdir /mnt/linux

Then mount it.
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/linux
Note: LiveCD uses libata, hence your IDE disk is accessed as sda, it does not matter later.

mount -o bind /dev /mnt/linux/dev
This will make your /dev alive, GRUB needs it probably. Not sure but it does not hurt.

chroot /mnt/linux /bin/bash
Now you should be inside your Linux installation.

grub-install --no-floppy /dev/sda
This should install the MBR, ignoring floppy.

Please note, I did not test this, if you encounter something weird, post back.

thanks again emerson.

chroot /mnt/linux /bin/bash

produced and error. it printed two odd characters and then said:

'is_in_UTF8_mode: Input/output error'

then it brought me back to my systemrescuecd command line which
was now at the far right of my screen.

hmmm.

i tried an 'ls' just to see what's up and it printed a / directory.
then the system froze with just a blinking cursor.

BabaG

I'm quite at loss with this, probably your LiveCD has significantly newer kernel (and whole system) than your Linux installation? Do you still have the Mandriva disk you installed from? You'll probably succeed using it as LiveCD.

Or another way to get it running. Start with restoring your MBR (with dd, as you did). Then create partition(s). For last, restore the partition with partimage.

yeah. i have a few surplus boxes i'm loading this way.
trying to make the installations easy but when i don't
get one to work, i go back to a fresh install from the
mandriva live cd. so far i'm 0 for 4. that's been working
fine in every case. just means manually going through and
updating, adding apps, copying data, etc. after the
install. wish i could get this to work. odd thing is i've
gotten this partimage process to clone my xp system in a
similar upgrade without a hitch.

thanks again,
BabaG

i thought this is how i got to this point in the first place.

Didn't you do it in a different order? First partitions and then MBR?

i think i tried it every which way but i'll take
extra care to follow your order on the next one.
probably be in about 45 minutes.

same thing. GRUB writing endlessly all over the screen.

Sorry to hear this, the only way left is to chroot from Mandriva CD then. What does fsck say about your Linux partition (the one you restored from image)?

progress! wow! not working but not looking at GRUB all over my screen.

emerson, using the mandriva live cd got me to a successful, sort of,
install of grub using your arguments and commands. the mandriva boot
screen displays and the process engages. it errors, however, in a
filesystem check.

No volume groups found
Invalidating stale software suspend images... done.
Enabling /etc/fstab swaps: swapon: /dev/hda5: Invalid argument [FAILED]

Checking filesystems
fsck.ext3: Bad magic number in super-block while trying to open /dev/hda6
/dev/hda6:
The superblock could not be read or does not describe a correct ext2
filesystem. If the device is valid and it really contains an ext2
filesystem (and not swap or ufs or something else), then the superblock
is corrupt, and you might try running e2fsck with an alternate superblock:

e2fsck -b 8193 <device>
[FAILED]

*** An error occurred during the filesystem check.
*** Dropping you to a shell; the system will reboot
*** when you leave the shell.
Give root password for maintenance
(or type Control-D to continue):



i'm thinking there might be a way to still get this to work and that
the command 'e2fsck -b 8193 <device>' is generic and needs something
more specific to my system? (sorry but i don't know how to put the
above code into a box.)

help, please?

thanks,
BabaG

mke2fs -n /dev/hda1

This should tell you where superblock backups were created. Was the partition you imaged healthy on your old HDD?

i can only assume, not even knowing what a superblock is.
old system boots fine all the time.

tried mke2fs -n /dev/hda1

and got message that the drive is mounted.
i should maybe do this from the systemrescuecd,
or the mandriva live cd?

Yes, all fsck and other operations on filesystems have to be done on unmounted partitions.