[SOLVED] Slackware failed to boot from GRUB due to new ext3

xcristi · 10-14-2009, 05:16 AM

Hello guys,

A simple one, but I'm posting because I don't see the forest because of the trees...

So, I've installed a Slackware 13 on the same disk with a Centos (and Freebsd but this doesn't matter too much). As boot loader I use Centos' grub.

My partitions looks like:

Code:

 fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               1        1912    15358108+  83  Linux
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda2            1913        2549     5116702+  83  Linux
Partition 2 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda3   *        2550        4461    15358045+  a5  FreeBSD
Partition 3 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda4            4462       19457   120455370    5  Extended
Partition 4 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda5            4527       10908    51263415   83  Linux
/dev/sda6            4462        4526      522049+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda7           10909       12820    15358108+  83  Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order

So, Slack root is now on sda7.

I modified the grub to include it:

Code:

title Slackware 13.0
        root(hd0,6)
        kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda7 ro vga=normal

which looks pretty ok to me, If I mount /dev/sda7 manually in centos, I can find the /boot/vmlinuz there.

But, at restart, the well known GRUB error: File not found.

What is wrong here?
Should these messages from fdisk (cylinder boundary, disk order) to have some influence?

Thanks for replies.

rkrishna · 10-14-2009, 05:30 AM

by the following method you can install any number of OS on a single machine, booted with one grub

install lilo to the root partition of slack.
you can do this by running liloconfig as root.
Hint: boot to slackware partition using the install cd

then go back to centos
and add an entry to centos grub-menu.list
like

Quote:

title Slackware 13.0
rootnoverify(hd0,6)
chainloader +1

or for simply testing, from the grub prompt by typing the following commands, in sequece. we can get into slackpartition provided, the lilo is installed to root partition of slackware ie,/dev/sda7 .

GRUB> rootnoverify(hd0,6)
GRUB> chainloader +1
GRUB> boot

regards rkrishna

catkin · 10-14-2009, 05:32 AM

Looks broadly similar to mine except for lack of space between "root" and "(" in "root(hd0,6)".

EDIT: What does your Centos boot stanza look like in menu.lst (for comparison)?

xcristi · 10-14-2009, 06:15 AM

My menu.lst

Code:

# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE:  You do not have a /boot partition.  This means that
#          all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /, eg.
#          root (hd0,0)
#          kernel /boot/vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/sda1
#          initrd /boot/initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/sda
default=0
timeout=5
splashimage=(hd0,0)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu
title CentOS (2.6.18-92.1.22.el5.centos.plus)
        root (hd0,0)
        kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.18-92.1.22.el5.centos.plus ro root=LABEL=/ rhgb quiet
        initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.18-92.1.22.el5.centos.plus.img
title CentOS (2.6.18-92.el5)
        root (hd0,0)
        kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.18-92.el5 ro root=LABEL=/ rhgb quiet
        initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.18-92.el5.img
title FreeBSD 7.2
        root (hd0,2,a)
        kernel /boot/loader
title Slackware 13.0
        root(hd0,6)
        kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda7 ro vga=normal

rkrishna, I will try as a last resort the lilo called from grub method, but I don't see why this simple grub call doesn't work.

catkin · 10-14-2009, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xcristi

I don't see why this simple grub call doesn't work.

Did you try inserting a space after root in the Slackware stanza? You could also try modifying the stanza, replacing /vmlinuz with its target.

rkrishna · 10-14-2009, 06:28 AM

Quote:

rkrishna, I will try as a last resort the lilo called from grub method, but I don't see why this simple grub call doesn't work.

is your filesystem ext4 ?

one advantage is you can see the `cool lilo screen' of slackware with slackware boot logo.

i always does this, install the boot managers of various linux to its own root partition and call it from a common grub. so tht individual settings to each will remain untouched and various kernel options will also remain untouched. anyway this worked very well for me

anyway there is nothing wrong in installing lilo to ur root partion of slack, so that you can atleast try from the grub prompt.

regards rkrishna

xcristi · 10-14-2009, 07:36 AM

Ok, what I did:

- insert the space at root(hd0,6) as catkin correctly pointed to
- changed the /boot/vmlinuz to /boot/vmlinuz-huge-smp-2.6.29.6-smp (this is the default)

Rebooted, and another kind of errors:

Code:

root (hd0,6)
Filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 0x83
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-huge-smp-2.6.29.6-smp root=/dev/sda7 ro vga=normal

Error 2: Bad file or directory type
Press any key to continue...

I see this issue has some topics about it, so I'll google a little bit for find out more.

rkrishna - even if your solution seems to be one step +, I think it's the best solution in terms of safety. I'll check it later, but for my knowledge, I want to fix the grub too

xcristi · 10-14-2009, 07:47 AM

I guess I found the problem:

it seems that "e2fsprogs ≥ 1.40.5 creates ext3 filesystems with 256 byte large inodes by default (in contrast to 128 byte used before), to accommodate for further ext4 related changes... Using any of these new features requires updating the bootsector of your system. Bootsectors written by "grub or earlier versions of "grub-gfxboot" are not able to boot or even access partitions using any of these new features! "
(more here)

Slackware 13 has e2fsprogs 1.41.8.
Using dumpe2fs I find out that:

Code:

dumpe2fs /dev/sda7 | grep "Inode size"
dumpe2fs 1.39 (29-May-2006)
Inode size:               256

So, the rkrishna solution is the one left for this moment.

Thanks guys, I think this will solved the problem.