Red Hat. I synced (low level copied) the entire hard disk to a 2nd hard disk. The second hard disk is now the main disk but i can't get it to boot directly without a boot floppy. Once booted the disk runs all aps correctly. I ran fdisk and the boot partition is 'bootable'. Is there a simple command to make the hard disk bootable?? Thanks in advance! Dave

have you installed a boot loader on the new harddisk?
if not, do a
# /sbin/lilo
when you boot in from the fd.
you could choose grub if you like..


Srichand

Grub is installed and the grub.conf file has :
---
root(hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz ro root=/dev/hda3
initrd /initrd.img
---
Note: i didn't re-install grub after copying the original hd to the 2nd hd.
I just booted the original hd and it is running grub at bootup and the grub config files match on both hd's.
Do i need to re-run grub on the new HD to update a boot track???

from your grub.conf file

root(hd0,0)

appears fishy, are you sure this is the exact location of the boot partition?


kernel /vmlinuz ro root=/dev/hda3

again, are you sure /dev/hda3 is the correct location of the kernel image? not /dev/hdb ?
as in, is this the older harddrive still connected? that is referred to as hda
Prim master is /dev/hda

i think the problem lies in those lines

cheers
Srichand

The old drive is not connected. The new drive replaced the old drive. Only 1 hd in the system. (at a time)
(when i say i just booted the old drive - i unplugged the new one and plugged back in the old one).

This exact situation happend to me 2 years ago and a linux tech gave me a simple command to make the hard disk bootable. i don't recall if the command was at the 'floppy boot:" prompt or after the computer was booted up?? I sure wish I kept 'notes' better!!! I am pretty sure it was a simple one line command. I don't recall having to run 'grub' or any re-install.

FYI - i got my system to boot off the hd by running the 'grub install' command:
install (hd0,0)/grub/stage1 (hd0) (hd0,0)/grub/stage2 p(hd0,0)/grub/grub.conf

Thanks for your help!