SimplyMEPIS help for a newb.

Courtenay · 08-28-2005, 05:19 AM

Hey guys.

I got a second hard drive today so I decided I'd finally install SimplyMEPIS, rather than just booting from the LiveCD.

So it installed fine. It said to reboot and it should load up. It didn't load, it loaded with WinXP (which is on my primary hard drive). What I want here is to be able to have the option at start up to choose which I would like to load. I know this is possible, but what do I have to do to make it happen?

It does let me load SimplyMEPIS if I change it to the primary boot drive in the BIOS. When it loads it gives me an option to load 2 different kernels or Windows XP. Now, this would be all good and fine if it let me use the keyboard to choose what I want, but it doesn't until I'm actually in the MEPIS interface. What's going on here?

Also... I need to set up my LAN connection but I'll sort that out once the aforementioned problems are solved. I am a newbie at Linux, and I have tried Googling this but no luck.

- Help?

Courtenay

Simon Bridge · 08-28-2005, 06:08 AM

Do you use gub or lilo? Show us the *.conf file for the bootloader you use.

Basically, you need to include both OS's in this file.
Now - the installer should have done this for you. Is it possible that you opted to not install a bootloader or to stay with the windows bootloader?

Courtenay · 08-28-2005, 06:10 AM

Where can I find the .conf file?

And yeah I guess it is possible seeing as I had no idea what I was doing

heema · 08-28-2005, 06:34 AM

tell us whats in this file /boot/grub/menu.lst ?

Courtenay · 08-28-2005, 06:56 AM

Code:

timeout 15
color cyan/blue white/blue
foreground ffffff
background 2f5178
gfxmenu /boot/grub/message

title MEPIS at hda3, kernel 2.6
kernel (hd0,2)/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.10 root=/dev/hda3 nomce psmouse.proto=imps splash=verbose vga=791 
initrd (hd0,2)/boot/initrd.splash 

title MEPIS at hda3, kernel 2.4
kernel (hd0,2)/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.29 root=/dev/hda3 nomce quiet splash=verbose vga=791 hdb=ide-scsi 
initrd (hd0,2)/boot/initrd.splash 

title Run MEMTEST to test system memory
kernel /boot/memtest86.bin

mos · 08-28-2005, 07:53 AM

reinstall grub to your primary drive

then make your grub file look like this:

Code:

timeout 15
color cyan/blue white/blue
foreground ffffff
background 2f5178
gfxmenu /boot/grub/message

title Windows XP
rootnoverify(0,0)
chainloader +1

title MEPIS at hda3, kernel 2.6
kernel (hd0,2)/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.10 root=/dev/hda3 nomce psmouse.proto=imps splash=verbose vga=791 
initrd (hd0,2)/boot/initrd.splash 

title MEPIS at hda3, kernel 2.4
kernel (hd0,2)/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.29 root=/dev/hda3 nomce quiet splash=verbose vga=791 hdb=ide-scsi 
initrd (hd0,2)/boot/initrd.splash 

title Run MEMTEST to test system memory
kernel /boot/memtest86.bin

now, this assumes you have windows on the first partition of your primary drive, if you dont let us know and we will tell you how to modify it.

Courtenay · 08-28-2005, 07:56 AM

My primary drive isn't partitioned but it does run Windows. Is that kinda the same?

syg00 · 08-28-2005, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Courtenay
It does let me load SimplyMEPIS if I change it to the primary boot drive in the BIOS. When it loads it gives me an option to load 2 different kernels or Windows XP. Now, this would be all good and fine if it let me use the keyboard to choose what I want, but it doesn't until I'm actually in the MEPIS interface. What's going on here?

?????
The menu.lst you posted shows no evidence of a Windows option - the MEMTEST option is not Windows.
To access the options, use the up/down "arrow" keys within 15 seconds (the timeout value).
I have an old ProMepis install, and it looks similar - although I only have one disk on that system.

It would appear the installer is less sophisticated than might perhaps be wished. Rather than re-installing grub as mos suggested, try the following update to your current menu.lst in place of that from mos

Code:

title Windows XP
rootnoverify(hd1,0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
chainloader +1

This will allow you to boot either from the Mepis disk - you still won't be able to get to Mepis from the XP disk. We can show you how to achieve that as well later - one thing at a a time.

Quote:

Also... I need to set up my LAN connection but I'll sort that out once the aforementioned problems are solved.

I have found Mephis *very* good at network detection - even found my PCI wifi card without intervention.

Courtenay · 08-28-2005, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by syg00
?????
The menu.lst you posted shows no evidence of a Windows option - the MEMTEST option is not Windows.
To access the options, use the up/down "arrow" keys within 15 seconds (the timeout value).
I have an old ProMepis install, and it looks similar - although I only have one disk on that system.

It would appear the installer is less sophisticated than might perhaps be wished. Rather than re-installing grub as mos suggested, try the following update to your current menu.lst in place of that from mos

Code:

title Windows XP rootnoverify(hd1,0) map (hd0) (hd1) map (hd1) (hd0) chainloader +1

This will allow you to boot either from the Mepis disk - you still won't be able to get to Mepis from the XP disk. We can show you how to achieve that as well later - one thing at a a time.
I have found Mephis *very* good at network detection - even found my PCI wifi card without intervention.

The Windows option only comes up when my second hard drive is set to Primary in the BIOS. When I showed you the code it was set to secondary boot. As I said in my first post, the keyboard does not work on the option screen. It's almost like it's unplugged until it gets into Mepis totally or XP.

I'll give what you said a go. Thanks.

-Courtenay

mcmillan · 08-28-2005, 06:41 PM

The keyboard issue sounds similar to a problem I was having earlier. I wasn't able to get the keyboard to work when booting when I used a usb keyboard, but everything works fine with a ps2 board. I'm not sure about the techinical reason for this, but it was what I was told and seemed to fix my problem.

Courtenay · 08-29-2005, 02:15 AM

So I need to go buy a PS2 keyboard?

Not going to happen. I'll just use the extra drive as storage.

Thanks anyway guys.

mos · 08-29-2005, 03:33 PM

you could just buy a usb-ps2 adapter they run about $1

Courtenay · 08-29-2005, 05:54 PM

Nah. What really sucks is that neither MS-DOS or Partition Magic is letting me reformat the drive. Mepis is a pain in the ass for newbies, I know a whole lot of you use it but it's just not worth the hassle sometimes.

-Courtenay

mos · 08-29-2005, 10:59 PM

why are you trying to use windows tools to partition a linux drive anyways? the cd has a tool that does that in the linux formats.

aysiu · 08-29-2005, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Courtenay
Nah. What really sucks is that neither MS-DOS or Partition Magic is letting me reformat the drive.

I disagree. What really sucks is that you have Mepis, but you're not even using QTParted (which comes with Mepis) to partition your drive.

Quote:

Mepis is a pain in the ass for newbies, I know a whole lot of you use it but it's just not worth the hassle sometimes.

You must be joking. What's such a hassle about Mepis? It's arguably the easiest OS around to install, configure, and use. You're making impossible demands on Mepis. Does Windows XP let you boot to XP and Mepis? Not at all. Mepis does, however. Did you install Grub to the MBR?