BIOS Dual Boot 2 Physical Drives

andou · 01-04-2010, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uppman

You could use a GAG bootable CD to start windoze as described in the link below.

http://www.linuxrocks.in/joomla15/in...0&limitstart=4

/Magnus

That seems like another possible solution. I may check it out, however, it still avoids the actual problem of my not wanting to install extra programs and have an additional boot menu, rather than simply having my 320GB disk boot into Windows when selected as the primary boot device through the BIOS and the 160GB boot to Linux.

I am trying to configure Grub2 to give me dual booting options now, which also isn't really my desired solution, but would be better than nothing. Just to give you an idea of where I am at, I just realized that this Grub2 bootloader - Full tutorial assumes an understanding of Linux that I don't have, and even after reading it, I am left with no idea of how to do it, and a feeling of being completely stupid.

This Grub2 tutorial seems promising, so before I give up, I'll see if this helps.

andou · 01-04-2010, 01:54 PM

The Ubuntu Grub2 help files are a little easier for me to understand and work with. That lead me to StartUpManager, which also seems pretty easy, but it doesn't give me any more options than holding shift during Grub startup:

Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-14-generic
Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-14-generic (recovery mode)
Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-14-generic
Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-14-generic (recovery mode)
Memory test (memtest86+)
Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)

yancek · 01-04-2010, 02:16 PM

The fdisk -l command suggested will return partition information. You need to be root user to get any output so in Ubuntu use:

sudo fdisk -l (and that is a lower case Letter L), after entering this command and pressing enter key, you should be prompted for your user password which you enter and once again, hit the enter key. Post the output here.

Also might post the contents of the /boot/grub/grub.cfg file from Ubuntu to see what entry you have for windows.

andou · 01-04-2010, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yancek

sudo fdisk -l (and that is a lower case Letter L), after entering this command and pressing enter key, you should be prompted for your user password which you enter and once again, hit the enter key. Post the output here.

Thank you for that. Here's the output:

Code:

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x90909090

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1        6550    52612843+  83  Linux
/dev/sda2           18708       19457     6024375    5  Extended
/dev/sda3            6551       18707    97651102+   c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sda5           18708       19457     6024343+  82  Linux swap / Solaris

Partition table entries are not in disk order

Quote:

Originally Posted by yancek

Also might post the contents of the /boot/grub/grub.cfg file from Ubuntu to see what entry you have for windows.

Not sure which part(s) would be relevant, so here's the whole thing:

Code:

#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by /usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s /boot/grub/grubenv ]; then
  have_grubenv=true
  load_env
fi
set default="2"
if [ ${prev_saved_entry} ]; then
  saved_entry=${prev_saved_entry}
  save_env saved_entry
  prev_saved_entry=
  save_env prev_saved_entry
fi
insmod ext2
set root=(hd1,1)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set a4bf1cd8-3d70-4e80-839f-71cebaba4b54
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
set gfxmode=1280x1024
  insmod gfxterm
  insmod vbe
  if terminal_output gfxterm ; then true ; else
    # For backward compatibility with versions of terminal.mod that don't
    # understand terminal_output
    terminal gfxterm
  fi
fi
if [ ${recordfail} = 1 ]; then
  set timeout=-1
elseelse
  set timeout=10
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/white
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-16-generic" {
        recordfail=1
        if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
        set quiet=1
        insmod ext2
        set root=(hd1,1)
        search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set a4bf1cd8-3d70-4e80-839f-71cebaba4b54
        linux   /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-16-generic root=UUID=a4bf1cd8-3d70-4e80-839f-71cebaba4b54 ro  vga=795  quiet splash
        initrd  /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-16-generic
}
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-16-generic (recovery mode)" {
        recordfail=1
        if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
        insmod ext2
        set root=(hd1,1)
        search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set a4bf1cd8-3d70-4e80-839f-71cebaba4b54
        linux   /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-16-generic root=UUID=a4bf1cd8-3d70-4e80-839f-71cebaba4b54 ro single  vga=795
        initrd  /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-16-generic
}
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-14-generic" {
        recordfail=1
        if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
        set quiet=1
        insmod ext2
  set root=(hd1,1)
        search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set a4bf1cd8-3d70-4e80-839f-71cebaba4b54
        linux   /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic root=UUID=a4bf1cd8-3d70-4e80-839f-71cebaba4b54 ro  vga=795  quiet splash
        initrd  /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
}
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-14-generic (recovery mode)" {
        recordfail=1
        if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
        insmod ext2
        set root=(hd1,1)
        search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set a4bf1cd8-3d70-4e80-839f-71cebaba4b54
        linux   /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic root=UUID=a4bf1cd8-3d70-4e80-839f-71cebaba4b54 ro single  vga=795
        initrd  /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grubmenuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
        linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
        linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
if [ ${timeout} != -1 ]; then
  if keystatus; then
    if keystatus --shift; then
      set timeout=-1
    else
      set timeout=0
    fi
  else
    if sleep --interruptible 3 ; then
      set timeout=0
    fi
  fi
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries.  Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment.  Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
.d/20_memtest86+ ###

thorkelljarl · 01-04-2010, 06:18 PM

Why "fdisk-l"...

You stated that you have Windows 7 on the 320GB HDD and linux on the 160GB. That "*" under boot on the partition table of the 160BG disk is a boot flag, something a Windows bootloader looks for and needs in order to boot. It should not be there, directing Windows to a linux partition. What did "fdisk -l" tell you about the 320GB HDD? Is anything flaged to boot? It should be. Usually the the flag is on the first non-hidden partition of the HDD, where Windows would be installed.

Although other utilities, including the Windows 7 DVD will do the job, I repeat.

http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBC...r+from+the+DVD

You will probably have to repair the Windows 7 bootloader after you have make any changes. It is not sufficient to rewrite things to as they were.

andou · 01-04-2010, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thorkelljarl

I repeat.

http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBC...r+from+the+DVD

Tried that before going out, but didn't have time to post. It failed, and said something about being unable to repair on its own. Then a dialog for reporting the problem to microsoft appeared, so I did that.

I'm just going to reinstall Windows 7 on the 160GB, then transfer whatever I can from my 320GB and stop messing with Linux.

edit: Still messing with Linux, just a little more careful not to leave drives plugged in while doing so.

Thanks for the help guys.