grub error 17 and lilo 01

cyb0rg777 · 12-03-2006, 05:36 PM

I finally talked my wife into trying linux on her computer.So she agreed to dual boot Debian with Windows XP .I tried the net install of debian testing .Then I got grub error 17 .No menu or anything, just the error.So now no windows or linux.I've tried grub-install from a boot cd ,same thing .I've tried lilo and it gives 01 01 01 etc.,so I went back to grub.It's a simple dual boot with windows xp and 1 hard drive.I hope she doesn't decide not to try it because of this.Any ideas?

Simon Bridge · 12-03-2006, 09:29 PM

17 : "Invalid device requested"
This error is returned if a device string is recognizable but does not fall under the other device errors.

(As opposed to error 16 : "Device string unrecognizable")

Does this error occur when you try to boot after installation, or when you try to boot from the installation media?

cyb0rg777 · 12-04-2006, 12:56 AM

After the install.

Simon Bridge · 12-04-2006, 03:43 AM

OK -cool.
Basically grub is saying it dosn't recognise the filesystem.

We need, I guess, to see sfdisk -l and the menue.lst file ... you may have to use recovery mode of a live distro for this.

1st guess: pre-installed XP often has a recover partition (you'll have noticed it) as hda0, making the XP ntfs partition hda1 and linux partitions starting at hda3 etc. If menue.lst (grub.conf) gives hd(0,1) as the linux root, this will be wrong and grub won't recognise the file system ...

cyb0rg777 · 12-04-2006, 08:04 AM

This is sfdisk -l /dev/hda
It show 5 partitions, but we installed linux in 1 partition and hda5 is swap.

Code:

Disk /dev/hda: 19457 cylinders, 255 heads, 63 sectors/track
Units = cylinders of 8225280 bytes, blocks of 1024 bytes, counting from 0

   Device Boot Start     End   #cyls    #blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1          0+  16827-  16828- 135168736+   7  HPFS/NTFS
                end: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,63,63)
/dev/hda2   *  16828   19348    2521   20249932+  83  Linux
/dev/hda3      19349   19456     108     867510    5  Extended
/dev/hda4          0       -       0          0    0  Empty
/dev/hda5      19349+  19456     108-    867478+  82  Linux swap

This is menu.lst

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         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/hda2 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,1)

## 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 2.4.27-3-386
root            (hd0,1)
kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.27-3-386 root=/dev/hda2 ro
initrd          /boot/initrd.img-2.4.27-3-386
savedefault
boot

title           Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.4.27-3-386 (recovery mode)
root            (hd0,1)
kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.27-3-386 root=/dev/hda2 ro single
initrd          /boot/initrd.img-2.4.27-3-386
savedefault
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
chainloader     +1

Simon Bridge · 12-04-2006, 06:14 PM

So much for the first guess - everything seem fine except for the following line:

Code:

   Device Boot Start     End   #cyls    #blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1          0+  16827-  16828- 135168736+   7  HPFS/NTFS
                end: (c,h,s) expected (1023,254,63) found (1023,63,63)

I've not personally encountered this before. However, I do know grub tends to be fussy about partition layout. Ideally, I think, we want to clean this up.

My feeling is to go back and repartition - make the windows partition slightly smaller. Either leave a gap between hda1 and the first linux partition, or stick a vfat partition in there...

saikee · 12-04-2006, 07:08 PM

It is a common problem with older hard disks that Windows and Linux can see the same disk with "different geometries". I think Ferdora has a big share of this problem but I did encounter the same problem in one or two other distros too.

It is also possible the Debian installer has a problem of installing at the high end of the disk and couldn't cope, as 135168736 blocks of 1024 bytes is 135Gb. Many distros are still not designed to cross the 137Gb barrier in a hard disk. My Debian Woody has been installed at hda15 and Sarge in hda23, both have to be below the 137Gb barrier. I did try in vain to move them further up but both Debian wouldn't have it.

I would try to salvage the Windows partition first by restoring its MBR (Task B1 or B2 of my last link in the signature refer).

Get Windows back first and make a record of its geometry before installing a Linux.

In the mean time try out the Live CDs first. To convince a Windows user a Live Cd really rocks.

cyb0rg777 · 12-22-2006, 04:59 PM

We got Linux installed.We had to reinstall Windows and install Linux first. Now Windows is installed on drive g: but no problem with that so far.Thanks for the help. :-)