hi,
i'm using slackware 10.2 and i want to replace my lilo with grub. i install grub but when computer start i see grub in the left corner and blinking cursors, there is no menu with OS, i can not write anything my keyboard did not respond. i use win xp too and i am booting grub from xp loader. xp is on /dev/hda1 slack on /dev/hdb5.
Can someone help me? Thanks!

Well since it appears you cannot get into any of your OS's have you tried using a LiveCD of some sort to look at your problem? If you can you should post your grub.conf file. That is really the only way to troubleshoot the problem. Most of these problems stem from an incorrect grub configuration which is usually an easy fix. Hope this helps.

this is my menu.lst



# GRUB configuration file '/boot/grub/menu.lst'.
# generated by 'grubconfig'. Tue Jan 24 21:49:35 2006
#
# Start GRUB global section
#timeout 30
#color light-gray/blue black/light-gray
# End GRUB global section
# Other bootable partition config begins
title Windows on (/dev/hda1)
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1
# Other bootable partition config ends
# Other bootable partition config begins
title Windows on (/dev/hda5)
map (hd0,0) (hd0,4)
map (hd0,4) (hd0,0)
rootnoverify (hd0,4)
makeactive
chainloader +1
# Other bootable partition config ends
# Other bootable partition config begins
title Windows on (/dev/hda6)
map (hd0,0) (hd0,5)
map (hd0,5) (hd0,0)
rootnoverify (hd0,5)
makeactive
chainloader +1
# Other bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
title Linux on (/dev/hdb1)
root (hd1,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hdb1 ro vga=normal
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# Other bootable partition config begins
title Windows on (/dev/hdb3)
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
map (hd0,0) (hd1,2)
map (hd1,2) (hd0,0)
rootnoverify (hd1,2)
makeactive
chainloader +1
# Other bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
title Linux on (/dev/hdb5)
root (hd1,4)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hdb5 ro vga=normal
# Linux bootable partition config ends
title --- For help press 'c', type: 'help'
root (hd0)
title --- For usage examples, type: 'cat /boot/grub/grub.txt'
root (hd0)

That is quite the configuration file that you have. It seems like you have more entries then you might need. On a side note I would eliminate any of the entries you don't need. Have you tried reinstalling grub? It seems like it could be possible that the grub install might have messed up. I don't see any glaring things wrong with your grub configuration file. I'm sorry I'm not more of a help. I'm just a n00b

i think that the problem is not in config file. maybe in loading stage2 or LBA. i read about frozen grub similar to my problem when stage 1 is not on first 1024 sector but with lilo i have not any problem. i install grub with grubconfig tool. can someone tell me what is tellin grub when loading why i just see grub

Building Grub into a Linux doesn't create the menu.lst. It doesn't even copy the stage1 and stage2 files when I followed Append A of GNU/Grub Grub Manual.

You need to locate the stage1 and stage2 files first and change directory to it. If you download the Grub 0.97 then it will be called /......./grub-0.97. You first change root to it.

First you make the necessary directory and copy stage1 and stage2 across
Now you can set up Grub in the mbr which is (hd0) and also hdb5 (hd1,4). The latter is optional which I shall explain later.

To set Grub up the best way is to do it in a Grub shell which you can either do it after "chroot" into Slackware or boot up a Live CD that has Grub inside.
When you reboot you only have a Grub prompt. I recommend all Linux user try to boot your Linux up manually by a Grub prompt because the power is truly amazing. I could not find a system that cannot be booted by a Grub prompt!!!

In a Grub prompt you fire up Slackware by
This is because the standard Slackware's kernel is just call vmlinuz and it doesn't use a ram disk so no initrd to bother with

To fire up Windows you type
To fire up Slackware again by chainloading technique after you set it up with "setup (hd1,4)" you type
Now you wonder why I go into so much bother to show you how to boot the systems manually but as you may see it now the manual instructions are the ingredients you need to compile the menu.lst which should look like this

i have directory /boot/grub and grub files are there. i try the folowing under grub shell

root (hd1,4)
setup (hd1,4)
grub tell:
stage1............succeed
stage2.......succeed
stage1_5 .........failed

i do not want to install grub on hd(0) because there is winxp loader which must load grub and then grub must load slack. everithing was correct when i use lilo.
i make a file with dd if=/dev/hdb5 of=/boot.lnx bs=512 count=1 and place boot.lnx in windows root directory change my boot.ini c:\boot.lnx= "Slack" but with grub that is not working.

Don't be silly

The setup (hd1,4) will set up Grub inside hdb5 suitable for you to copied out for use by NTldr. It is just the same as Lilo.

The stage1.5 failure is non-criticial and should come up as a warning only.

If you have data-only primary partition in hda disk you can put Grub there too and let XP's MBR to boot it. It is a lot easier than using NTldr.

Say if hda2 is a data-only primary partition these two line put Grub in there (after invoking a Grub shell)
Then in XP's disk management you can click this partition "make active". On a next reboot XP's MBR will boot Grub up instead of itself.

As you can boot XP with Grub you don't need to boot to XP directly anymore.

Anytime you want to boot back to XP just do a
in a Grub prompt or a Grub shell or make xp partition bootable by cfdisk or fdisk program.

So many ways to skin the cat!

did you mean that putting grub on hdb5 is wrong and xp loader can't load grub?
with lilo there is no problem. with grub i'doing the folowing:

installpkg grub*.tgz
grub
grub> root hd(1,4)
grub> setup (hd1,4)
grub> quit
dd if=/dev/hdb5 of=/boot.lnx bs=512 count=1
then i copy boot.lnx to windows partition /ntfs/ and change boot.ini file
c:\boot.lnx="Slack"
restart computer and i choose Slack from boot menu
then monitor display grub in the left corner and nothing
i can't write from keyboard, and do not display boot menu

where i was wrong?

I can't see anything wrong with what you have done. The only thing that both you and I can't be sure is "does the Slackware's /boot/grub/menu.lst work?"

If the menu.lst is defective then you would just boot up a rubbish, would you not?

I emphasize manually booting up your system because Grub responds back with every command you type at the terminal and so you can pin point the exact location where it doesn't work.

Your best best is to make a boot Grub floppy so that you don't have to depend on the MBR to boot up the PC. From a Grub prompt you can prove if the /boot/grub/menu.lst any good too.

Click the 100+ system link at my signature as the method to make a Grub floppy is detailed in Section C1, Q5 to Q7

If you have an issue to keep your XP MBR ubtouched read the link on

"To intall Linux and keep Windows untouched like a virgin"

My last post on using the data-only partition to host Grub is one of the 3 methods describe
---------------------------------
I am not talking you out of using NTldr but the success of it depends on a bootable Linux available first and that part has not been fullfilled yet.

now i do folowing:
install grub on flooppy disk then
dd if=/dev/fd0 of=......boot.lnx bs=512 count=1
copy boot lnx to windos partition and change boot.ini

everyting is OK. Linux boot
I think that mistake is not in my menu.lst, maybe in place in my hard drive where i put grub /dev/hdb5