Can't replace Lilo with Grub on Mactel (refit in use)

basileus · 05-26-2007, 04:31 AM

Here's my setup:

Macbook (=Intel-based Mac)
Refit as primary bootloader (to switch between OS X and Linux)
Lilo as the secondary bootloader (Refit load loads Lilo which loads Linux)
Debian Etch

The setup works perfectly, except for the Lilo part. I'd love to use Software Suspend2 and therefore I would love install Grub instead of Lilo. The grub version in Etch should work in configuration. Older Grub versions apparently hosed the GPT's partition table. The GPT partition table and MBR partition tables are synced (with gptsync /dev/sda).

Here's my grub.conf:

Code:

timeout 5
default 0
fallback 1

title Debian
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.18-4-686
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.18-4-686

title Mactel
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.21.1-mactel-mactel

This is what happens when I try to run "grub-install":

Code:

root@macbook:/boot/grub# grub-install /dev/sda
Searching for GRUB installation directory ... found: /boot/grub
The file /boot/grub/stage1 not read correctly.

But the "stage1" _is_ there:

Code:

root@macbook:/boot/grub# ls
default     e2fs_stage1_5  grub.conf     menu.lst        reiserfs_stage1_5  stage2
device.map  fat_stage1_5   jfs_stage1_5  minix_stage1_5  stage1             xfs_stage1_5

Do I have to recreate the stage1 file somehow? Me not understand

.

basileus · 06-12-2007, 12:55 PM

Problem fixed... see http://refit.sourceforge.net/doc/c4s5_parted.html for more info.

In short, the Linux root partition was falsely marked by GNU parted as EFI System partition (FAT) in GPT. Then, when the GPT was synced with MBR, this change was propagated to MBR, so Grub couldn't install itself, because it did not recognize the partition type. I guess Lilo works a bit differently and didn't mind. REFIT versions 0.9 fix this problem if they encounter it.