Booting triple Linux OSs

ziggy25 · 11-13-2007, 05:14 AM

This is what i have

IDE Master - disk1
IDE Slave - disk2

SATA Master - disk3

Disk1 has Windows XP installed on it.
Disk2 has Ubuntu 7.10 installed on it.
Disk3 has Fedora 8 installed on it.

Grub installed on Disk1 loads XP and Ubuntu
Grub installed on Disk 3 loads Fedora

When i installed Fedora (which was the last OS to be installed) it didnt show the other operating systems to add to Grub. Is this because they are on different disks? I now have to go into BIOS and select whether i need to boot from Disk1 or Disk3.

I would like to always boot from Disk3 and choose the operating system to load from the Grub instance on Disk 3. Is this possible?

Simon Bridge · 11-13-2007, 05:32 AM

You have to manually add the entries to boot the other OSs.

mrrangerman · 11-13-2007, 06:05 AM

Quote:

ziggy25

I would like to always boot from Disk3 and choose the operating system to load from the Grub instance on Disk 3. Is this possible?

Yes it is as Simon Bridge said, but if you can already boot windows and Ubuntu from Disk 1 just edit that grub's menu.lst and add an entry for Fedora? Then set Disk 1 to be first in boot order in the bios.

zootmo · 11-13-2007, 07:43 AM

If you want an easy way to manage multi-booting you might want to take a look at GAG the graphical boot manager: http://gag.sourceforge.net/index.html In the zip download, available from the link, there is a README that will tell you how to use GAG. You can write the GAG floppy from Windows or Linux, and if you don't have a floppy drive to boot from, I believe GAG will work from a USB drive although I have not tried this, perhaps someone who has will comment. This link shows what GAG looks like in action http://gag.sourceforge.net/pics.html It's as easy as pressing a number key to select which OS to boot, or if you wish, you can select a default OS to boot after (n) seconds.

In my experience GAG will find any correctly installed bootloader no matter what partition/drive it's on, it doesn't matter whether it's GRUB, LILO or the NT bootloader, whatever the bootloader is, GAG will find it and allow you to add it to the list of bootable OS's. I've used GAG for over a year now without any problem, it makes managing a multi-boot system a dream.

ziggy25 · 11-15-2007, 03:20 AM

Hi all,

Apologies for not replying earlier. Im having some problems with my broadband connection so i couldnt log in.

Anyway could someone tell me exactly what changes i will need to do.

Here are the disks on my computer and the contents of the grub configuration file on the ubuntu disk.

Disk Drives and Partitions

Code:

ziggy@ziggy-ub:~$ sudo fdisk -l
[sudo] password for ziggy:

Disk /dev/sda: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00370037

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1          25      200781   83  Linux
/dev/sda2              26       30401   243995220   8e  Linux LVM

Disk /dev/hda: 120.0 GB, 120034123776 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x3e4c3e4b

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1   *           1       14592   117210208+   7  HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/hdb: 60.0 GB, 60022480896 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 7297 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x44234423

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hdb1   *           1        6994    56179273+  83  Linux
/dev/hdb2            6995        7297     2433847+   5  Extended
/dev/hdb5            6995        7297     2433816   82  Linux swap / Solaris
ziggy@ziggy-ub:~$ cd /boot/grub
ziggy@ziggy-ub:/boot/grub$

/boot/grub/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'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not use 'savedefault' 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

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

### 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=UUID=3c7e2e56-9326-47d2-8822-de212a1ac363 ro

## Setup crashdump menu entries
## e.g. crashdump=1
# crashdump=0

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

## 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

## 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

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
##      lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
##      altoptions=(recovery) 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

## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title		Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic
root		(hd1,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic root=UUID=3c7e2e56-9326-47d2-8822-de212a1ac363 ro quiet splash
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic
quiet

title		Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic (recovery mode)
root		(hd1,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic root=UUID=3c7e2e56-9326-47d2-8822-de212a1ac363 ro single
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic

title		Ubuntu 7.10, memtest86+
root		(hd1,0)
kernel		/boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### 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 Professional
#root		(hd0,0)
#savedefault
#makeactive
#chainloader	+1

ziggy25 · 11-16-2007, 02:44 AM

Hi guys,

I decided that i will use the grub installed with Fedora because it looks better than the one installed with the Ubuntu installation.

I had a look at the Grub configuration file in with the Fedora installation and it looks different from the one i posted earlier.

As you can see from the partitions list below, some of the disks are refered to as /dev/sd* rather than /dev/hda. i thought i could have just copied the definition from the Ubuntu grub to the Fedora grub but it didnt work.

I managed to updated the Fedora grub to include the Ubuntu installation but i couldnt add the Windows installation.

I also dont understand why the partitions are listed as sd* but the grub file refers to them as hd*.

After i edited this version of grub it loaded Ubuntu from (hd2,0) but it couldnt load windows from (hd1,0). What do i need to do to include the windows installation.

Here are the partitions and disks

Code:

[root@localhost ~]# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00370037

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1          25      200781   83  Linux
/dev/sda2              26       30401   243995220   8e  Linux LVM

Disk /dev/dm-0: 247.7 GB, 247732371456 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30118 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/dm-0 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/dm-1: 2080 MB, 2080374784 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 252 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x30307800

Disk /dev/dm-1 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/sdb: 120.0 GB, 120034123776 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x3e4c3e4b

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1   *           1       14592   117210208+   7  HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdc: 60.0 GB, 60022480896 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 7297 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x44234423

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdc1   *           1        6994    56179273+  83  Linux
/dev/sdc2            6995        7297     2433847+   5  Extended
/dev/sdc5            6995        7297     2433816   82  Linux swap / Solaris
[root@localhost ~]#

Here is the grub config for the Fedora installation in the Sata drive.

Code:

#grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE:  You have a /boot partition.  This means that
#          all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.
#          root (hd0,0)
#          kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00
#          initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/sda
default=0
timeout=5
splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu
title Fedora (2.6.23.1-42.fc8)
	root (hd0,0)
	kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.23.1-42.fc8 ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 rhgb quiet
	initrd /initrd-2.6.23.1-42.fc8.img
title Other
	rootnoverify (hd1,0)
	chainloader +1

#Ubuntu
title		Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic
root		(hd2,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic root=UUID=3c7e2e56-9326-47d2-8822-de212a1ac363 ro quiet splash
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic
quiet

Here is what i tried to include the WIndows disk but it didnt work

Code:

title		Microsoft Windows XP Professional
root		(hd1,0)
makeactive
chainloader	+1

louieb · 11-16-2007, 08:42 PM

http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/p15.htm - on Grub
http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/ dual boot general
For windows your probably going to need the map command.
For Linux look at the configfile and chainloader options.
It getting late here but the two links will show all you need to modify Fedoras GRUB configuration file.

fair_is_fair · 11-17-2007, 05:31 PM

You can save yourself a lot of grief using GAG as Zootmo suggested. Just install whatever bootloader to the root partition with GAG installed to mbr.

In some instances Grub does not like to boot alternate kernels. I've ran into this at least twice. Now, I havn't researched this entirely. It could have been something to do with an older Grub version trying to boot a newer kernel. It was not worth the effort, ultimately, when Gag is idiot-proof. It all depends on how much you like to fool around with stuff. I tend to have a short attention span when things go south.