Grub syntax for setup

anilbh · 09-14-2007, 10:41 PM

I installed 64 bit Ubuntu on my son's Compaq V6000. Worked great I even updated it. However something went wrong with the Grub installation ( after a day or two ) . I could not even boot into Windows Xp . It would give an Error 17.
Somehow using grub-install I managed to get it to boot into XP which is really what he uses.

After reading about grub it seems what I need to do is use Grub setup . The parameters to this are Install-device and image-device .
However when I give the parameters in the form /dev/hda, /dev/hda6 , I get the message unrecognized string. How should these parameters be specified?

rameshg87 · 09-14-2007, 11:02 PM

if you can get a grub command line somehow use grub-install /dev/hda1 for installing it on the first partition..and then change the root to that partition and give setup (hd0) to install stage 1 onto mbr.

Junior Hacker · 09-16-2007, 12:23 AM

If you can get to a terminal in Ubuntu, you would issue command: sudo fdisk -l to see your disk partition structure. If for example, your Ubuntu / or /boot partition was /dev/hda6, you would tell grub where /boot is and where to install it with the four commands below:

Code:

sudo grub
root (hd0,5)
setup (hd0)
quit

Grub starts counting from (0), so the sixth partition is (5) in the command specifying the Linux /boot partition.
EDIT: After issuing the first command and entering the admin password, you'll be at a grub prompt (grub>), then issue the other three at that prompt.

saikee · 09-16-2007, 04:14 AM

The previous replies should solve your problem. I just throw in a few pointers about Grub.

Grub calls hard disks (hd0, hd1,hd2 etc) and partitions by number (hd0,0), (hd0,1), (hd0,2)) and count everything from zero.

Ubuntu, especially updated versions using kernel 2.6.20 and newer, call all SCSI, Pata, Sata and USB hard disks as sda, sdb, sdc, sdd, sde, etc and the old Pata disk hda, hdb, hdc and hdd have been abandoned.

To find out how Ubuntu calls the partition you issue this command in Ubuntu terminal

Code:

sudo fdisk -l

The xp should be in a ntfs partition which will have Type ID 7.

To see how Grub "sees" the same partition you issue the following commands in Ubuntu terminal

Code:

sudo grub
geometry (hd0)
geometry (hd1)
quit

To see the relationship between the two, as seen by Grub, you issue this command in Ubuntu terminal

Code:

cat /boot/grub/device.map

If you still have a problem you will need to post the output of the above plus the content of "/boot/grub/menu.lst"

anilbh · 09-16-2007, 09:31 AM

Amazed at the number of prompt replies . I missed out that I cannot boot into the Ubuntu partitions and I know they are there un-corrupted .
I get the message 'cannot boot into partition ' or something similar.

I booted with a rescue disk from Sysreccd.org . I had done grub-install that got it booting it into Winxp the menu.lst file is there unchanged . Should that not ensure correct booting.