Will try and keep short and on point. Ive been using Ubuntu and decided to load Mint and give it a try. Simple install, but i chose the "load along side Ubuntu" option and on a separate partition. So i used the partition tool to resize the hd into 2 equal parts and loaded Mint on the new partition "along side" next to Ubuntu.

I was hoping to reboot and find some kind of friendly splash asking me which OS to boot into, Mint or Ubuntu but it just goes right into Ubuntu. So i checked GParted to make sure that my new part was flagged for boot and it was not, so i changed it, still wont boot from Mint.

So now Im looking at Grub. I don't know much about Grub so I am RTFM and looking for any assistance to help me figure this out. The result I am looking for is a choice at boot up. Ubuntu or Mint.

Thank you!

Post the contents of your /boot/grub/menu.lst file to this thread.

Run the command:

update-grub

from Ubuntu, and it should put the new installation on the boot menu.

zzyzx1-desktop:~$ update-grub
debconf: DbDriver "passwords" warning: could not open /var/cache/debconf/passwords.dat: Permission denied
Searching for GRUB installation directory ... found: /boot/grub
/dev/sda1: error opening volume
/dev/sda1: error opening volume
Searching for default file ... found: /boot/grub/default
Testing for an existing GRUB menu.lst file ... found: /boot/grub/menu.lst
cp: cannot remove `/boot/grub/menu.lst~': Permission denied

Try sudo update-grub - root privileges will be needed to do that.

However, I don't think that will give you a choice of operating systems. You'll need to add an entry to the menu.lst file (Linux distro installers seem to focus on dual-booting with Windows, and ignore other Linux installations).

To find the partition names in grub-speak, you can use the grub shell:
This tells me that on my system I have two installations (on /dev/sda1 and /dev/sda6). Add an entry similar to the following to the menu.lst file of the Ubuntu installation:
Of cours, the initrd and vmlinuz names will have to be substituted with the ones from the Mint installations. The UUID can be found using vol_id:
... though I think you could also use the name of the root partition in Linux speak (i.e. root=/dev/sda6).

Alternatively, you could just copy the menu.lst entry from the file in the Mint installations /boot/grub.

# 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 3

## 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

### 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=c1fac2bc-2156-482f-9249-79b3854acfc0 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=c1fac2bc-2156-482f-9249-79b3854acfc0

## 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

## specify if running in Xen domU or have grub detect automatically
## update-grub will ignore non-xen kernels when running in domU and vice versa
## e.g. indomU=detect
## indomU=true
## indomU=false
# indomU=detect

## 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 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-16-generic
uuid c1fac2bc-2156-482f-9249-79b3854acfc0
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-16-generic root=UUID=c1fac2bc-2156-482f-9249-79b3854acfc0 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-16-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-16-generic (recovery mode)
uuid c1fac2bc-2156-482f-9249-79b3854acfc0
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-16-generic root=UUID=c1fac2bc-2156-482f-9249-79b3854acfc0 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-16-generic

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-15-generic
uuid c1fac2bc-2156-482f-9249-79b3854acfc0
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-15-generic root=UUID=c1fac2bc-2156-482f-9249-79b3854acfc0 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-15-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-15-generic (recovery mode)
uuid c1fac2bc-2156-482f-9249-79b3854acfc0
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-15-generic root=UUID=c1fac2bc-2156-482f-9249-79b3854acfc0 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-15-generic

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-14-generic
uuid c1fac2bc-2156-482f-9249-79b3854acfc0
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-14-generic root=UUID=c1fac2bc-2156-482f-9249-79b3854acfc0 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-14-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-14-generic (recovery mode)
uuid c1fac2bc-2156-482f-9249-79b3854acfc0
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-14-generic root=UUID=c1fac2bc-2156-482f-9249-79b3854acfc0 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-14-generic

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-13-generic
uuid c1fac2bc-2156-482f-9249-79b3854acfc0
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-13-generic root=UUID=c1fac2bc-2156-482f-9249-79b3854acfc0 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-13-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-13-generic (recovery mode)
uuid c1fac2bc-2156-482f-9249-79b3854acfc0
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-13-generic root=UUID=c1fac2bc-2156-482f-9249-79b3854acfc0 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-13-generic

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic
uuid c1fac2bc-2156-482f-9249-79b3854acfc0
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=c1fac2bc-2156-482f-9249-79b3854acfc0 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic (recovery mode)
uuid c1fac2bc-2156-482f-9249-79b3854acfc0
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=c1fac2bc-2156-482f-9249-79b3854acfc0 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic

title Ubuntu 9.04, memtest86+
uuid c1fac2bc-2156-482f-9249-79b3854acfc0
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

"Mint installations /boot/grub."

OK, so this was the path i was heading towards before i cried out for help. So if i go to Mint installations /boot/grub and copy that info i should go back to Ubuntu Grub and paste that menu.lst? and which order?

This is the part that is confusing me... thx.

You installed Mint Grub to the root partition of Mint so you just need to copy the first Mint entry from its /boot/grub/menu.lst to the Ubuntu /boot/grub/menu.lst. Don't copy the whole file. Is your Mint partition mounted? can you see the Mint files from Ubuntu? If you can't post back with the output of "sudo fdisk -l" listing your partition information.

I noticed that the Mint menu.lst has the Mint OS loaded under "default" and has the Ubuntu loaded under "automagic kernel"

So can i just put Mint's menu.lst in Ubuntu's /boot/grub ??

"sudo fdisk -l"

Yes, the Mint partition mounts (when i double click the drive) from Ubunto. But I dont thing its mounting on boot and therefore unrecognised at startup. /dev/sda6 is MINT OS.


Disk /dev/sda: 61.4 GB, 61492838400 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 7476 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xea1aa9c7

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 3648 29302528+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 3649 7476 30748410 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 7292 7476 1485981 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 * 3649 7135 28009264+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 7136 7291 1253038+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Partition table entries are not in disk order

Disk /dev/sdb: 30.7 GB, 30750031872 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3738 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x9dc96e9e

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 4 32098+ de Dell Utility
/dev/sdb2 5 3738 29993355 7 HPFS/NTFS

CONFIRMED- I chose the MINT OS at boot and it errors with "Partition not recognized" How do i get the partition to boot..??

Thanx.

There might be a problem with the Mint partition, by the sound of it. Have you tried scanning it with fsck from Ubuntu?

What is your Mint entry in the Ubuntu menu.lst file (you are still booting from Ubuntu)? should start with root (hd0,5).

You should be able to boot with this:

title Linux Mint
root (hd0,5)
chainloader +1