[SOLVED] Grub wont allow to boot because of USB... [help]

RaptorX · 08-01-2009, 06:26 PM

well title says it almost all...

I am in my grub screen I choose one of my kernels and it tells me File not found.

So I enter to the grub shell and I do the following:

Code:

grub> root (hd0,3)
grub> kernel /boot/[TAB]
vesamenu.c32 vmlinuz

Those two files that it is picking up are not from my HDD but from my usb which contains SLAX!

I figured that out and rebooted without the usb and grub found everything correctly. I was able to boot Slackware and LFS from there but if I plug the usb (which i almost all the time have it plugged because i have a lot of utils there) it wont boot since it sees the usb as the root of everything.

So the questions are:

why is it grub picking up the usb even though im doing "root (hd0,3)" doesnt that tells grub where to search for the files?

do i have to put anything additional to my menu.lst?

my current config file is:

Quote:

default 0
timeout 10
color green/black light-green/black

title Slackware
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-custom root=/dev/sda2

title LFS 6.4
root (hd0,3)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda4

GlennsPref · 08-01-2009, 07:05 PM

Hi, I also use slax 6.1 on a stick.

But to boot from it I need to call it from a bios boot menu (F8)

same for a live cd/dvd. Other wise the system uses the grub boot menu and my system harddrives.

I think your problem occurs because you have the bios set to boot from an external drive first (if found)

otherwise it will find the installed harddrives and look for grub there.

you may hbe able to change the slax grub menu.lst to point to your first (normal) drive

and or give you the option to boot slack or lfs from there as an option.

So, either change the bios, or edit slax boot menu to point back to the installed drives as well as the stick.

see how you go, Glenn

My slax does not have a menu.lst for grub :-o

/boot/slax.cfg may be the file to edit, but I would refer to the slax pages for more info.

RaptorX · 08-01-2009, 07:18 PM

you are actually correct...

The question came because I had lilo on my HDD few minutes ago, and I have an option in Slax boot saying : boot from HDD, with localboot 0x81 as parameter.

What it did was that it went out of Slax menu, and picked up lilo from my HDD in which i could chose my Slackware and Windows installed.

I just finished installing LFS and I decided to try grub.
Slax menu works the same, it does sends me to the grub in HDD, but then grub is confused, and thats what startled me...

is there any way to fix that in the grub> prompt? kind of a chroot in there or the only options are changing the bios or adding all my partitions to the Slax menu?

GlennsPref · 08-01-2009, 07:45 PM

To be honest, I don't know.

Backup your files, to be sure.

The cheatcodes.txt has no mention of it, you may type "nohd" but I think that would

negate the use of the flash drive for checking and configuring the installed systems files.

(Which is what I use slax for, editing and cleaning filesystems)

You've got slax, so you know where to find the doc pages, they have been updated with 6.1 and there is a lot more there now than last year.

That's all I got.

Cheers Glenn

RaptorX · 08-01-2009, 07:46 PM

thanks for your help!

I will give it a try tomorrow (technically today...it is 2.46 am) I go to bed now!

whho · 08-01-2009, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RaptorX

why is it grub picking up the usb even though im doing "root (hd0,3)" doesnt that tells grub where to search for the files?

Have you tried something like root (hd1,3) ? Does it not work?

RaptorX · 08-04-2009, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whho

Have you tried something like root (hd1,3) ? Does it not work?

actually it does!

thanks for the hint, it seems to be that as my bios detects my usb as a harddrive it was labeling it (0,[0-1]) and my SATA drive is labeled (1,[0-3]).

Thanks again!