LinuxQuestions.org - why is GRUB being mean to me??????????

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why is GRUB being mean to me??????????

hi everyone heres what i got off memory i have ubuntu breezy on my 40gig (master) hda and i have fedora core 4 on (slave) hdb. i have reinstalled fedora maybe 10 times in last 2 days trying to get grub to give me choices. when grub loads i hit esc. and it brings me to grubs menu and 3 ubuntu things are there. if i dont hit esc ubuntu loads anyway its like fedora isnt even there. i have read ubuntu guide and fc4 book ubuntu guide says not a damn things about it and the book that isnt clear enough on what to do i tried adding fedora to grub when i boot up but well that turned out to be not as easy as i thought. is there any easy guides anywhere that google and i couldnt find? if not anyone care to explain what i need to do? im on breezy now well cause i cant get fc4 to boot.

A good place to start would probably be if you posted your grub.conf/menu.lst file. On my system, it resides in /boot/grub so maybe look in there (or just search for it).

Quote:

Originally posted by Nylex
A good place to start would probably be if you posted your grub.conf/menu.lst file. On my system, it resides in /boot/grub so maybe look in there (or just search for it).

Code:

# 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                3



## hiddenmenu

# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)

hiddenmenu



# 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



## nonaltoption boot targets option

## This option controls options to pass to only the

## primary kernel menu item.

## You can have ONLY one nonaltoptions line

# nonaltoptions=quiet splash



## 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                Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.12-8-386 

root                (hd0,0)

kernel                /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.12-8-386 root=/dev/hda1 ro quiet splash

initrd                /boot/initrd.img-2.6.12-8-386

savedefault

boot



title                Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.12-8-386 (recovery mode)

root                (hd0,0)

kernel                /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.12-8-386 root=/dev/hda1 ro single

initrd                /boot/initrd.img-2.6.12-8-386

boot



title                Ubuntu, memtest86+

root                (hd0,0)

kernel                /boot/memtest86+.bin  

boot



### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

out of the files in there thats the only one that said menu.list also why im at it if it wont screw anything up can i just take the time out number raise it and save it?

Yeah, if you want to change the timeout there's nothing wrong with that. 3 seconds is very short, obviously!

You don't have an entry for Fedora. What partition is it on on /dev/hdb? As you can see, GRUB doesn't uses different terminology.It uses (hdx,x). The first x is the drive no. hda = 0, hdb = 1 and so on. The second x is the partition number and again starts counting from 0. /dev/hda1 = (hd0,0), /dev/hdb1 = (hd1,0). You got that bit? You will also notice that there are two "root" bits for each entry. The first one is where the boot partition is and the second one (in the kernel line) is where the root partition (/) is. If you don't have a separate boot and root partition, use the same for both "root" bits. Hopefully that makes sense.

Now, can you mount your Fedora partition (or just your boot, if you have them separated) in Ubuntu and check what's in there?

ok i let fedora partion hdb on its own so where the root is i have no clue but i also let ubuntu do it too so maybe same? just hda vs hdb? and i dont have the first clue on how to add fedora that would intail knowing something about file system im assuming and im a dummy there. i so hate sounding stupid but i never learned the file system i learned windows file system but thats no help at all. im gonna attempt to change the timeout time to 15 i think.lol yeah almost like that would be easy. that is readme file only where is the real frigging one

So you've only got one partition on your slave drive, ie. /dev/hdb1? That's ok. I wouldn't advise blindly copying your Ubuntu entry and just changing the partition info for Fedora, because the kernel is probably different.

Is your Fedora partition mounted in Ubuntu right now? Type "mount" (without the quotes) to check.

searching for grub i found 23 files im going threw each one and looking for something close to that read me file (this is a guess)

Code:

boxerboy@boxer:~$ mount

/dev/hda1 on / type ext3 (rw,errors=remount-ro)

proc on /proc type proc (rw)

sysfs on /sys type sysfs (rw)

devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,gid=5,mode=620)

tmpfs on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)

usbfs on /proc/bus/usb type usbfs (rw)

tmpfs on /lib/modules/2.6.12-8-386/volatile type tmpfs (rw)

tmpfs on /dev type tmpfs (rw,size=10M,mode=0755)

boxerboy@boxer:~$

im not sure if that really means anything to tell u truth i see a kernel and off hand i think thats ubuntu. and yes fc4 is on slave drive 2 seprate drives

Code:

(hd0)        /dev/hda

(hd1)        /dev/hdb

not alot of help but i found that in the device.map

Code:

/.

/lib

/lib/grub

/lib/grub/i386-pc

/lib/grub/i386-pc/stage2

/lib/grub/i386-pc/stage2_eltorito

/lib/grub/i386-pc/e2fs_stage1_5

/lib/grub/i386-pc/jfs_stage1_5

/lib/grub/i386-pc/minix_stage1_5

/lib/grub/i386-pc/reiserfs_stage1_5

/lib/grub/i386-pc/xfs_stage1_5

/lib/grub/i386-pc/fat_stage1_5

/lib/grub/i386-pc/stage1

/sbin

/sbin/grub

/sbin/grub-install

/sbin/grub-md5-crypt

/sbin/grub-terminfo

/sbin/update-grub

/sbin/grub-floppy

/sbin/grub-reboot

/bin

/bin/mbchk

/bin/mkbimage

/usr

/usr/share

/usr/share/doc

/usr/share/doc/grub

/usr/share/doc/grub/changelog.gz

/usr/share/doc/grub/NEWS.gz

/usr/share/doc/grub/AUTHORS

/usr/share/doc/grub/BUGS

/usr/share/doc/grub/README

/usr/share/doc/grub/TODO

/usr/share/doc/grub/copyright

/usr/share/doc/grub/examples

/usr/share/doc/grub/examples/menu.lst

/usr/share/doc/grub/changelog.Debian.gz

/usr/share/doc/grub/THANKS.gz

/usr/share/doc/grub/README.Debian.gz

/usr/share/man

/usr/share/man/man1

/usr/share/man/man1/mbchk.1.gz

/usr/share/man/man1/mkbimage.1.gz

/usr/share/man/man8

/usr/share/man/man8/grub-md5-crypt.8.gz

/usr/share/man/man8/grub-terminfo.8.gz

/usr/share/man/man8/update-grub.8.gz

/usr/share/man/man8/grub-floppy.8.gz

/usr/share/man/man8/grub-reboot.8.gz

/usr/share/man/man8/grub.8.gz

/usr/share/man/man8/grub-install.8.gz

i found that also and it looks like a text of the files i went through. doesnt help me cause i couldnt file a file like the one i pasted above that i can make changes to

Right, your Fedora partition isn't mounted. You need to mount it. First create a mount point for it, if you don't have one already:

# mkdir /mnt/fedora

Then mount it:

# mount -t ext3 /dev/hdb1 /mnt/fedora

Note: choose whatever directory you want for the mount point. If you aren't using ext3 for Fedora, change that bit to what ever filesystem you're using.

Next change to Fedora's boot directory and check what's there:

# cd /mnt/fedora/boot
# ls

It's ok to do that as your normal user, I'd think. We really need your kernel image file!

yes its ext3 file heres what i got when i tried

Code:

boxerboy@boxer:~$  mount -t ext3 /dev/hdb1 /mnt/fedora

mount: only root can do that

boxerboy@boxer:~$ sudo mkdir /mnt/fedora

mkdir: cannot create directory `/mnt/fedora': File exists

boxerboy@boxer:~$ sudo mount -t ext3 /dev/hdb1 /mnt/fedora

boxerboy@boxer:~$ sudo cd /mnt/fedora/boot

sudo: cd: command not found

boxerboy@boxer:~$

i thought and maybe just me but ubuntu also uses cd as a command cd=linux not per distro i thought
heres the ls command oputput

Code:

boxerboy@boxer:~$ ls

Desktop  print.ps

boxerboy@boxer:~$ sudo ls

Desktop  print.ps

boxerboy@boxer:~$

can i do that in fc4 "live" i know knoppix is a choice when i boot from dvd but can i make changes from it that way same commands and all?

Ack, I was gonna say to try as root but then Ubuntu only lets you use sudo. Can you try "cd /mnt/fedora/boot" again, without the sudo I mean? Then try ls from that directory if you can change to it without problems.

I'm not too sure about Knoppix/FC4 live CDs, you can probably still mount your partition though.

i dont mind reinstalling fc4 if i have to to make it easy its not like i have anything better to do tonight but it only sees fc4 accourding to grub at time of bootloader crap after the auto partition should i not add anything just leave it alone see what it boots too and/or see what list i get when i hit esc? and where should grub go on mbr? or first partition on hd something i cant remember what that choice was but i picked it a few times out of all this

If you want to reinstall Fedora, it's up to you. If you do go through with it, I think Fedora will install GRUB for you to the MBR so you won't have to use the commands. Make sure you have your copy of grub.conf/menu.lst in Ubuntu, so you can just add an entry for Ubuntu after Fedora's installed GRUB.

I'm gonna go to bed now, so I'll check back here tomorrow and see what's going on. Hopefully one of the mods/gurus will help out as well :).