fixing partitions in GRUB
 

After installing redhat 9, GRUB loads, but it does not seem to recognize ANY partition? My goal was to create a winxp/redhat 9 dual boot system on my laptop, but now all that happens is GRUB loads and I am completely lost as to how to unhide them and/or register the two partitions with GRUB. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi,

post your grub.conf and lets look at it.

How do I look at my grub.conf ? :-/

its in your /boot/grub directory. At terminal (you have to be root), type the following command

#cat /boot/grub/grub.conf

This will produce an output on your screen, copy paste it over here and we can go from there.

if you type
(hd0,
and then <tab>, grub should give you a list of available partitions as it seeks to autocomplete your command.

grub has useful functionality, but you'll need to learn about it, I recommend Daniel Robbin's piece on grub, out there in ibm pdf format if you look under google. It's easy reading htoug hi t wil take 20 mins or so.

The title of your post, "fixing" is alot to ask out of grub, but I supppose that's why I read it, it stuck out. IT will certainly "see" partitions if given half the chance.

I get error 15: File not found when I try cat /boot/grub/grub.conf , as well as cat grub.conf, trying to use the find command

When I type "(hd0," and hit tab, it just keeps showing "grub>(hd0,"

Okay, I have a grub.conf file now :-/ Or at least, it's being read. What now?

[EDIT : I am an idiot :-/]

you would want to post the content of the file so we can have a look at it.

Stupid me.
 

#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 (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/hda3
# initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/hda2
default=1
timeout-10
splashimage-(hd0,1)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
title Red Hat Linux (2.4.20-6)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.20-6 ro root=LABEL=/ hdc=ide-scsi
initrd /initrd-2.4.20.6.img
title DOS
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

that might be two <tabs> in quick succession that are needed, bash style.
if you type "help" you'll get a list of poss commands. there's one there for tellign grub to use a certain conf. file as long as you know it's path and name.
grub paths are slightly different

hd0,0=hda1
hd0,1=hda2
Hd1,3=hdb4
etc etc

You shold read about tho.

Hmm, well I've managed to actually boot into the windows segment by just following the commands in the grub.conf... will try Linux next...

[EDIT: Excellent, linux is booting, too! :) Now, is there any way to automate this? Or will I have to type in the instructions every time? Thanks for all of your help!!!!!]

Edit grub.conf to contain the commands you used for the appropriate selection.