4 Operating System Boot Problem

obnascar · 09-17-2006, 12:21 PM

I have WinXP on hda1 30gb, FreeSpire hdb1 14gb, Kubuntu hdb4 20gb, and Ubuntu hdb6 20gb.

I stared out with WinXP and Ubuntu and used the rest of hdb for storage. I was trying out a FreeSpire live CD and it seemed to run well so I installed that on hdb1 writing to the mbr, but when I booted up FreeSpire could not see my Ubuntu, FreeSpire ran just fine. But Ubuntu was my main OS. I tried editing the FreeSpire menu.lst with no luck to get Ubuntu back on the FreeSpire boot menu.

Then I ended up installing Kubuntu because it is very good at seeing other OS's. This worked well except I got an error when booting into FreeSpire. Below I will show the last few lines when trying to boot into FreeSpire. I am hoping maybe some might know what the problem could be and if there is a fix for it:

This is FreeSpire's entry in the Kubuntu "menu.lst":
# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hdb1.
title FreeSpire (3.1) (on /dev/hdb1)
root (hd1,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.14-gratis root=/dev/hdb1
savedefault
boot

This is the last few lines of the boot error to access FreeSpire:
"suspend 2.2-4c15: you need to use a resume2=command line parameter to tell suspend2 where to look for an image.
resume2 parameter is emty. missing or invalid storage location. please correct and rerun grub. kernel panic-not syncing. vfs:unable to mount root fs on known block (3.65)"

Does any of this makes sense to anyone ?

thanks,
obnascar

Glennzo · 09-18-2006, 04:55 AM

If you post your grub.conf and output of /sbin/fdisk -l I may be able to help.

obnascar · 09-18-2006, 02:36 PM

Code:

obnascar@emachines2:~$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 30.0 GB, 30020272128 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3649 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1   *           1        3648    29302528+   c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)

Disk /dev/hdb: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hdb1   *           1        1824    14651248+  83  Linux
/dev/hdb2            1825        4402    20707785    5  Extended
/dev/hdb3            4403        6952    20482875   83  Linux
/dev/hdb4            6953        9729    22306252+  83  Linux
/dev/hdb5            1825        1970     1172713+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/hdb6            1971        4402    19535008+  83  Linux

Disk /dev/sda: 259 MB, 259522560 bytes
65 heads, 32 sectors/track, 243 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 2080 * 512 = 1064960 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               1         244      253424    4  FAT16 <32M
Partition 1 has different physical/logical endings:
     phys=(249, 64, 32) logical=(243, 44, 32)

Now, you wanted me to post the grub.conf, I do not have a /boot/grub/conf.....? Or am I misunderstanding something ? I do have a /boot/config but that thing is HUGE...... Please let me know !

thanks,
obnascar

Glennzo · 09-18-2006, 07:05 PM

I should have said /boot/grub/menu.lst. I'd still be interested in seeing the contents of that file. When you boot into Kubuntu are you able to mount /dev/hdb1 and look at the contents of the partition?

obnascar · 09-18-2006, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glennzo

I should have said /boot/grub/menu.lst. I'd still be interested in seeing the contents of that file.

sure, I will get that for you....

Quote:

When you boot into Kubuntu are you able to mount /dev/hdb1 and look at the contents of the partition?

yes !

I'll be back with the menu.lst.....

obnascar · 09-19-2006, 10:02 PM

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'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not change this entry to 'saved' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default		0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout		10

## 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 specific 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_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
##      kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=/dev/hdb4 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd1,3)

## 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

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## 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

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title		Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-27-386
root		(hd1,3)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-27-386 root=/dev/hdb4 ro quiet splash
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-27-386
savedefault
boot

title		Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-27-386 (recovery mode)
root		(hd1,3)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-27-386 root=/dev/hdb4 ro single
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-27-386
boot

title		Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-26-386
root		(hd1,3)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-26-386 root=/dev/hdb4 ro quiet splash
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-26-386
savedefault
boot

title		Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-26-386 (recovery mode)
root		(hd1,3)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-26-386 root=/dev/hdb4 ro single
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-26-386
boot

title		Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-23-386
root		(hd1,3)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-23-386 root=/dev/hdb4 ro quiet splash
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-23-386
savedefault
boot

title		Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-23-386 (recovery mode)
root		(hd1,3)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-23-386 root=/dev/hdb4 ro single
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-23-386
boot

title		Ubuntu, memtest86+
root		(hd1,3)
kernel		/boot/memtest86+.bin 
boot

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title		Other operating systems:
root


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/hda1
title		Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
root		(hd0,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader	+1


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hdb1.
title		FreeSpire (3.1) (on /dev/hdb1)
root		(hd1,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.14-gratis root=/dev/hdb1 
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hdb6.
title		Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-26-386 (on /dev/hdb6)
root		(hd1,5)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-26-386 root=/dev/hdb6 ro quiet splash 
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-26-386
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hdb6.
title		Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-26-386 (recovery mode) (on /dev/hdb6)
root		(hd1,5)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-26-386 root=/dev/hdb6 ro single 
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-26-386
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hdb6.
title		Ubuntu, memtest86+ (on /dev/hdb6)
root		(hd1,5)
kernel		/boot/memtest86+.bin  
savedefault
boot

Glennzo · 09-20-2006, 04:25 AM

I'm at a loss as to what the problem may be. Does vmlinuz-2.6.14-gratis actually exist in /boot folder of hdb1? I know you said that Freespire was working at one time, but...

obnascar · 09-20-2006, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glennzo

Does vmlinuz-2.6.14-gratis actually exist in /boot folder of hdb1?

Good point, no it does not exsist. But it does have vmlinuz-2.6.15-23-386, vmlinuz-2.6.15-26-386, and vmlinuz-2.6.15-27-386

Would it be safe to edit the Freespire entry and replace it with one of these ? If so which one would be another question or would it matter ? I just do not want to render my grub un bootable, I have Kubuntu set up so nice now. What do you think ?

If something did go wrong I would guess I could use a live CD and put grub back the way it was, correct ?