GRUB on gentoo, windows and 2 hard drives

volgn · 06-02-2005, 10:31 AM

I have two physical hard drives. In the first one [With two partitions] I have installed Windows XP (hd0,0) [The second partition (hd0,1) it’s just for storage use] and in the second hard drive (hd1) I want to install gentoo.

I installed gentoo several times before, but never when I got two hard drives. I tried to install it with this configuration [the two hard rives] and gentoo was successfully installed, but the boot loader didn’t. When gentoo ask me to restart the machine, the GRUB doesn’t work, I cannot start any OS, even Windows.

grub.conf :

default 0
timeout 30
splashimage=(hd1,1)/grub/splash.xpm.gz

title=Gentoo Linux 2005.0
root (hd1,2)
kernel /kernel-2.6.11-gentoo-r8 root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc ramdisk=8192

title=Windows XP
root (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

Please help

rarsa · 06-02-2005, 12:39 PM

In grub the partition naming is as follows

The first number in the partition name is the HDD, the second is the partition number within, both starting from zero.

That means that
First HDD, first partition is called hd0,0
First HDD, second partition is called hd0,1
Second HDD, first partition is called hd1,0
Second HDD, second partition is called hd1,1

Confusing, eh?

Assuming that you have your partitions as follows
hd0,0: Windows
hd0,1: Shared data
hd1,0: Gentoo boot
hd1,1: Gentoo root

Your grub.conf file should look as follows:

Code:

default 0
timeout 30
splashimage=(hd1,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz

title=Gentoo Linux 2005.0
root (hd1,0)
kernel /kernel-2.6.11-gentoo-r8 root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc ramdisk=8192 

title=Windows XP
root (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

Note: Adjust the hdd and partition identifiers acording to your particular partitioning.

To setup grub use the following commands within the grub console (dont' type my comments):
(If your system does not boot at all, use a linux live or rescue CD to start the grub console)

Code:

root (hd1,0)          # Sets up the location of the grub stage1 file is (usually corresponds to your /boot partition)
setup (hd0)          # Installs grub in the first HDD's MBR

Please note that root(hd1,0) DOES NOT point to the linux root partition, but to the partition where your stage1, grub.conf, etc. are installed.