I followed the instructions in a Linux book to configure Grub but the boot hangs and does nothing.

I have two hard drives one with linux kernel 2.6 k7 (amd processor) and another with windows 98.

Linux will boot ok on its own and I can access the windows disc from Linux but how do I configure grub successfully so that I can choose to boot Linux or Windows 98 at startup?

Thanks for your help on this,
Greeb

...what does it look like now?

Also, key in the following command and let us know the output
(assuming you have 2 IDE drives):
/coralsaw

Of course I don't know what is wrong, but GRUB can't boot Windows from a logical partition. So unless WinXP resides on partition 1, 2, 3 or 4 of its hard-disk, I think you'll have to get more creative.

Dear all this is what grub looks like so far - my windows bit is at the bottom - everything before that is system generated.

When I pick the windows option at startup, the system just hangs there...

# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
# grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
# grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
# and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
default 0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 5

# Pretty colours
color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line) and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
# password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader +1
#
# title Linux
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specifiv kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
# kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,0)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
## alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
## lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
## altoptions=(recovery mode) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
## howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
## memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## ## End Default Options ##

title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.8-2-k7
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.8-2-k7 root=/dev/hda1 ro
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.8-2-k7
savedefault
boot

title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.8-2-k7 (recovery mode)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.8-2-k7 root=/dev/hda1 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.8-2-k7
savedefault
boot

title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.4.27-2-386
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.27-2-386 root=/dev/hda1 ro
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.4.27-2-386
savedefault
boot

title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.4.27-2-386 (recovery mode)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.27-2-386 root=/dev/hda1 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.4.27-2-386
savedefault
boot

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# my widows 98 entry follows now
#
title Windows 98
root (hd1,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1
boot

# end of my windows 98 stanza
#

Try removing the 5th line of instruction from the windows portion of the menu.list file.

It should look as follows:

title Windows 98
root (hd1,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

Thanks - I tried this but no difference. The system does however recognise it as FAT filesystem, then hangs.

I know that if I take out the disk drives and replace just the windows 98 drive the system does actually boot into windows.

Thanks again for help,
Greeb

try changing this line:

root (hd1,0)

to

root (hd0,0)

Remember that grub starts counting at 0 (zero). So if you have two hard drives hda and hdb grub will count this as (hd0 first drive)and (hd1 second drive). If windows is on the first drive then your grub file should say, (hd0,0)

NOTE: the second 0 is the first partition.


Peace V

Windows wants to be on the first hard-drive. You are trying to load Win98 from the second hard-drive (that is, root (hd1,0)) without virtual drive swapping. See the GRUB manual:

http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/man...OS_002fWindows

Of course, in menu.lst, you don't need to type in grub>.

Thanks I'm sure that will be it. I must have a new years resolution to read more manuals....

Greeb.