FC7 grub suddenly stops booting Solaris Express CE
 

I have installed 3 OSs on my laptop (Win2003, FC7, Solaris Express CE),I used to use Linux grub to boot 3 OS without any problem. Recently I have upgraded my FC7 by using Ymux

Suddenly while I was trying to boot Solaris Express CE , it can not boot it!!!!! I can see the menu list for grub, and when I choose Solaris to be booted, all I see is below :
Solaris Express CE
rootnoverify (hd0,2)
chainloader +1

How can I fix this issue ?

Output for the FC7's grub menu.lst file 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 (hd0,4)
# kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/sda7
# initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/sda
default=2
timeout=15
splashimage =(hd0,4)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
#hiddenmenu

# I say that /boot partion is on sda5, and / is on pratition sda7
title Fedora 7 (2.6.23.1-21.fc7)
root (hd0,4)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.23.1-21.fc7 ro root=LABEL=/ rhgb quiet
initrd /initrd-2.6.23.1-21.fc7.img


#I commented these below lines, because I used "Yumex" to update my system on 17-11-07
#title Fedora Core 7(2.6.21-1.3194.fc7)
# root (hd0,4)
# kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.21-1.3194.fc7 ro root=LABEL=/ rhgb quiet
# initrd /initrd-2.6.21-1.3194.fc7.img

# I say that windows partion is on sda1
title W2K3 Server
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
makeactive

#I say that solaris partion is on sda3
title Solaris Express CE
rootnoverify (hd0,2)
chainloader +1

try grub troubleshooter if you like.

sda1 = ms
sda2 = ?
sda3 = solaris
sda5 = fed linux

so what is on sda2?

Storage partition FAT32

if troubleshooter is no joy, add an extra menu option for solaris, do not edit your existing pls

based on number 6 for this link http://www.sun.com/bigadmin/features...b_boot_faq.jsp

try

title solaris
rootnoverify (hd0,2)
chainloader (hd0,2)+1
makeactive

btw page was slooow to load if you can not get into it see post 7b of this link same idea
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...olaris-596387/

Same thing , unfortunately no success

yeah well I do not use solaris so when to sun and a link claims this

title Solaris
rootnoverify (hd0,2)
chainloader +1
makeactive
boot

from here http://multiboot.solaris-x86.org/iii/4.html

2) now if that does not work....I need you, if you are still happy to try me, to be very explicit and tell me the results of the troubleshooter when at grub at mbr after you press c for commands and then type root (hd0,.....and press the tab key....I want you to report what grub reports about your structure....because altho I appreciate you claim solaris is on sda3 = hd0,2 in grub speak.....maybe our assumptions are wrong.


leaping ahead....if you see hd0,4 for example is reporting a non-linux non-fat non-ntfs structure then that is your solaris and you change the grub menu to reflect the new numbers ok?

3) the other thing with the link....is grub is chainloading to the solaris bootloader and maybe there is an issue with solaris bootloader....which is beyond my skill level....but if that is the case you can post to a solaris forum.....its a case of elimination.

Was not helpful.

I will do that and post all the related output.

Thanks for your trying and helping

if you are using a solaris version of grub this may interest you?
http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/doc/817...hm8o5ou?a=view

you can have Fedora grub in mbr and chainload to solaris grub.

but only you know what you chose for the solaris bootloader.

From within Linux (not through booting and press e ) I opened the terminal and type in : " grub " then I did :

nice try but within linux you are using a device map file which can stuff me up.

Please please reboot and press C at the grub menu screen. if its exactly same then we can move forward.

edit culled

2) let us know if at any time you have used another bootloader after grub was fedora installed into mbr....or you used a partition tool especially partition magic types

while you are there though, lets do some stuff manually

mbr...press C for commands
enter root (hd0,......and press tab key.......
if and only if 2 shows up as a 0xbf then its the solaris so complete the command to get to a non solaris

eg call it root (hd0,0)....who cares it reports ntfs (7)



Now issue a new command set, grub forgets your old root command

rootnoverify (hd0,2) (and press enter)....if it returns 0xbf then type
chainloader +1 (and press enter) ....if no error
makeactive (and press enter) if no error
boot (and press enter)....if sol boots you have an error in your menu so copy and paste.....but you do not need the extra command boot.

Yes, it is exactly same.

Now my turn to ask
why is the swap partition (sda8) of type : "unknown " under grub command from from within Linux and from the c command ? while the same partition (sda8) of type : swap (known) under /etc/fstab ???

I used Acronis to partition the hard disk and , then I installed Linux and then I installed solaris, I used solaris DVD to format the place (its partition) where it is residing now. i hope I answer what you was looking to know

well thanks for showing me your fstab and sorry I have a more important thing to say its

/dev/sda3 swap swap defaults 0 0

LABEL=SWAP-sda8 swap swap defaults 0 0

2) WT? your fstab is claiming you have 2 swaps....sda3 and sda8 thats wrong for a start.

I do not have a problem that you used partition tools but sometimes they muck up the mbr part table.

3) lets go back a step.....

my post 11 bottom section was a series of grub commands to chainload into solaris....did you try it...can you write down and report all errors you see please

4) your /var/log/syslog and messages should have an entry for an error for trying to mount a swap that is not a swap format......unless something has happened and now your old solaris is now truly a linux swap....well linux swap is the same as a solaris swap but still not a solaris bootable system

5) we may be getting somewhere....run a live cd....run qtparted or gparted or fdisk or cfdisk or sfdisk and see what each partition is.

if sda3 is now a swap you have to re-install solaris and change your fstab for linux.

You meant while I am at grub shell,,,,didn't you ?


I did not get how to do this , could please explain ? what I did was at ( grub> )shell I typed in : MBR,,,,then press c,,,but it gave me error message,,,,,then I tried to press Enter,,,,but it gave me error message as well.

What I did is: at a grub shell I did like this :
Are you happy with the result of : ext2fs vs 0xbf!!!!


I will try this after we fixed the issue for MBR above.

you ask some basis questions so forgive me for being more explicit.

your first post has contents of your linux menu.lst
your line (#hiddenmenu) means that when your bios has done it stuff either behind a splash screen or not.....the bios then jumps to the mbr and then grub's booting files work....and grub menu appears.

Your menu shows you have a grub splashimage that is supposed to work.
(splashimage =(hd0,4)/grub/splash.xpm.gz)

your menu time (timeout=15) shows you have plenty of time to press C for commands.

I do not use your distro....but at this point....your press C for commands.....a good distro should have text somewhere on the screen to say that is possible....


2) I can not reconcile your earlier post that you quote press c....and your response is the output is exactly the same.....maybe you were confused by my aussie speak....so lets move on.

3) It is very important we are talking about the mbr grub screen that will switch to the grub command line. Booting up linux and then opening a shell to type su and grub is not what I want you to do ok?

4) so at this grub menu immediately after bios
Press C for commands
(it takes you to grub command line)


(Press C means find the C letter on your keyboard and press it once.Sorry if that is patronising but I am not sure what your question means.)

root (hd0, (and press TAB key to autocomplete the options that grub finds.

(it may be the same result you have already posted from within your linux) (but then you should have an error trying to make a new swap mounted at /dev/sda2)

Thanks aus9 for your effort.

When you said mbr, I thought mistakenly you was asking me to press a command called : " mbr " , which is now I understand you was not asking me that.

I had already done this.

It is same.

I hope now, it is clear.

alright so do you have any errors for trying to mount /dev/sda3 as a swap when it is supposed to be a solaris? (in the logs for linux /var/log/syslog or messages or dmesg?

try with root powers
swapoff /dev/sda3 then
swapon /dev/sda3

if no error then its a swap parition and no longer a solaris.

if swapon has worked...repeating the swapon gives your error message.
swapon /dev/sda3
swapon: /dev/sda3: Device or resource busy


This is the reason I believe you and I can not get in......somehow you have made a swap out of a solaris partition.

pls confirm

I logged in as root and I typed in:

Then I used the commands below

well even tho you did not do one more swapon which is what I asked.....I am now telling you that swapon worked therefore sda3 is now a swap.

time for a rebuild.

2) edit your fstab b4 rebuild to delete the entire line relating to sda3.

good luck

System -->Administration--> Hardware

http://img150.imageshack.us/my.php?i...eenshotoi1.png

thanks for confirming.

when you get rid of linux or get rid of ms....re-design your partitions so that you have a spare partition to use as a backup.

I use partimage as a backup but if you stay with ms...acronis is a fine replacement but costs money heh heh