Editing Grub.

borntorunes · 10-04-2009, 05:43 AM

Hi!
I had installed vista and xp, and now it's time for fedora. I have installed fedora 11 and i have problem:
In grub i can just choose beetwen Fedora and vista. I want to add windows xp but i don't know what write in grub.conf

Code:

Here is structure of my disk:
/dev/sda1               1         262     2098176   27  Unknown
/dev/sda2             263       13083   102983853+   7  HPFS/NTFS <-vista
/dev/sda3           13084       19456    51191122+   f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5           13084       16907    30716248+   7  HPFS/NTFS <-xp
/dev/sda6           16908       18431    12241498+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda7   *       18432       18457      204799+  83  Linux
/dev/sda8           18457       19332     7025663+  8e  Linux LVM

And here is grub.conf:

Code:

default=3
timeout=5
splashimage=(hd0,6)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu
title Fedora (2.6.30.8-64.fc11.i586)
        root (hd0,6)
        kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.30.8-64.fc11.i586 ro root=/dev/mapper/vg_leonidas-l$
        initrd /initrd-2.6.30.8-64.fc11.i586.img
title Fedora (2.6.30.5-43.fc11.i586)
        root (hd0,6)
        kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.30.5-43.fc11.i586 ro root=/dev/mapper/vg_leonidas-l$
        initrd /initrd-2.6.30.5-43.fc11.i586.img
title Fedora (2.6.29.4-167.fc11.i586)
        root (hd0,6)
        kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.29.4-167.fc11.i586 ro root=/dev/mapper/vg_leonidas-$
        initrd /initrd-2.6.29.4-167.fc11.i586.img
title Microsoft Windows Vista
        rootnoverify (hd0,0)
        chainloader +1
title Microsoft Windows XP
        rootnoverify (hd0,4)
        chainloader +1

Something is wrong, because i can't boot up windows xp. What i do wrong?

Thank's for any help.

~sHyLoCk~ · 10-04-2009, 05:51 AM

The bootable flag is in the wrong partition, should be on MS partition.

mobinskariya · 10-04-2009, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ~sHyLoCk~

The bootable flag is in the wrong partition, should be on MS partition.

i dont think so..may be i am wrong..
my fdisk -l shows two partitions with boot flag..

@OP
does your bootloader show windows XP while booting??

Larry Webb · 10-04-2009, 08:43 AM

This thread explains your problem, windows bootloaders do not like logical partitions but does explain a work around

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...tition-607114/

aus9 · 10-04-2009, 09:23 AM

hi

Your first partition looks like one of those pesky recovery partitions.

Your first windows is hd0,1 so adjust your grub menu pls, using root powers.

xp appears correct but both windows entries are wrong because your bootable flag is still wrong.

pls listen to the advice given by ~sHyLoCk~. if you disagree you need to produce evidence pls.

Change both windows entries to include a line above chainloader +1 to read
makeactive

2) I was not aware that xp was so crappy it can not boot from a logical. It may be possible to amend that xp to a map scenario?

edit with root powers to become:
title Microsoft Windows XP
map (hd0,4) (hd0,0)
map (hd0,0) (hd0,4)
makeactive
chainloader +1

pls note forum truncates space...there is one space between brackets ).(hd0,

give it a shot and see what happens? as it does not boot at the moment nothing to lose.

However, I am curious has this xp ever booted if Larry's link is correct?

good luck

~sHyLoCk~ · 10-04-2009, 09:40 AM

Turn on the bootable flag like this:

Code:

su -
parted /dev/sda
toggle 1 boot
quit

Larry Webb · 10-04-2009, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aus9

hi

) I was not aware that xp was so crappy it can not boot from a logical. It may be possible to amend that xp to a map scenario?

edit with root powers to become:
title Microsoft Windows XP
map (hd0,4) (hd0,0)
map (hd0,0) (hd0,4)
makeactive
chainloader +1

Should he hide (hd0,0)

yancek · 10-04-2009, 07:45 PM

I think your problem would be solved by booting xp from vista and if you go to the support.microsoft site, you will see numerous articles explaining why you should not install xp after vista and giving you some explanation as to how you can modify your bootloader to get it working.

Windows won't boot from a logical partition unless there is a windows partition with boot files on a primary partition so trying to boot xp directly on sda5?? I'd be surprised if it worked. Grub doesn't actually boot windows it just points to the location on disk where the boot files of the windows system should be and the windows bootloader should take over. If it's pointing to a logical partition, it won't work except in the scenario mentioned above.

aus9 · 10-05-2009, 04:18 AM

Larry and interested parties

I use grub2 now...Map = swap and my attempt swaps the 5th partition for C partition. Map swaps drives or partitions.

I think if you set root (hd0,1) (example only) and hd0,0 was C partition then hide would be needed to stop windows seeing another c partition. A known weakness of ms.

What I am trying to do is swap so hiding IMHO is irrelevant....but as I said...I never realised xp was so crappy. And I am hoping the OP has some success.

Talking out loud....now if I could convince the OP to have one primary partition for linux and run ms in virtual machines we would not be having this conversation?

Larry Webb · 10-05-2009, 05:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aus9

Talking out loud....now if I could convince the OP to have one primary partition for linux and run ms in virtual machines we would not be having this conversation?

I have an older laptop that has 1 gig of ram that does better dual boot than virtual machine. On battery power it seems to be slower with Virtual Machine.

zhjim · 10-05-2009, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aus9

pls listen to the advice given by ~sHyLoCk~. if you disagree you need to produce evidence pls.

Gotta disagree on this. Following tips blindfolded leads you nowhere. And when you take a good look at the post and fstab listing you see that bootflag is not really needed cause he can boot the vista part...