Any GRUB experts? I clicked somethin' wrong and one won't boot...

buccaneere · 03-22-2009, 07:41 PM

XP won't boot. I've done something since I booted it last time, and it's been a while.

I got XP master, Ubuntu slave, both on secondary IDE. On a Raidbus PCI card, SuSE, F10, PCLOS. Primary IDE has 2 ODDs.

Grub is on Ubuntu.

partitioning:

Code:

chucknb@chucknb-desktop:~$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes       <---HD2
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000afd18

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               1         262     2104483+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda2   *         263        2351    16779892+  83  Linux
/dev/sda3            2352        4407    16514820    5  Extended
/dev/sda4            4408        6957    20482875   83  Linux
/dev/sda5            2352        4407    16514788+  83  Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 30.7 GB, 30735581184 bytes        <---HD0
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3736 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0006ca0a

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1   *           1        3736    30009388+   7  HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdc: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes       <---HD1
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00022288

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdc1   *           1        7343    58982616   83  Linux
/dev/sdc2            9448        9729     2265165    5  Extended
/dev/sdc3            7344        9447    16900380   83  Linux
/dev/sdc5            9448        9729     2265133+  82  Linux swap / Solaris

Partition table entries are not in disk order
chucknb@chucknb-desktop:~$

menu:
(XP map looks like slave configuration, which it WAS, but now is not)
If I set BIOS = boot=hd0, I get XP boot.
If I set BIOS = boot=hd1, I get GRUB -> Ubuntu or SuSE or F10 or PCLOS.

Code:

## ## End Default Options ##

title		Ubuntu 8.04.2, kernel 2.6.24-23-generic
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-23-generic root=UUID=c750b94d-415d-4015-8d90-54500d601b5d ro quiet splash
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-23-generic
quiet

title		Ubuntu 8.04.2, kernel 2.6.24-23-generic (recovery mode)
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-23-generic root=UUID=c750b94d-415d-4015-8d90-54500d601b5d ro single
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-23-generic

title		Ubuntu 8.04.2, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic root=UUID=c750b94d-415d-4015-8d90-54500d601b5d ro quiet splash
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic
quiet

title		Ubuntu 8.04.2, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic (recovery mode)
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic root=UUID=c750b94d-415d-4015-8d90-54500d601b5d ro single
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic

title		Ubuntu 8.04.2, memtest86+
root		(hd0,0)
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/hdb1
title		XPPro
map             (hd0) (hd1)
map             (hd1) (hd0)
rootnoverify    (hd1,0)
chainloader	+1


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sda1.


title openSuSE chainloader
root (hd2,1)
chainloader +1


title openSUSE in (hd2,1)
root (hd2,1)
configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst


title openSUSE 11.1
    root (hd2,1)
    kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27.7-9-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3802110A_5LR74M8V-part2 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3802110A_5LR74M8V-part1 splash=silent showopts vga=0x317
    initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.27.7-9-default


title openSUSE 11.1
       root (hd2,2)
       kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27.7-9-default root=UUID=8fab092a-3955-4479-807e-156ad5855365 ro quiet splash
       initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.27.7-9-default

title PCLOS
kernel (hd2,4)/boot/vmlinuz BOOT_IMAGE=linux root=/dev/hdh5  acpi=on resume=/dev/hdd5 splash=silent vga=788
initrd (hd2,4)/boot/initrd.img

title Fedora10
root (hd2,3)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27.5-117.fc10.i686 ro root=UUID=cc9cedeb-1f14-4cf7-8b4e-ce05acd8c4e7 rhgb quiet
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.27.5-117.fc10.i686.img

Drakeo · 03-22-2009, 07:52 PM

did you install ubuntu before this happened.

buccaneere · 03-22-2009, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drakeo

did you install ubuntu before this happened.

Hi Drakeo...

Yeah - they've all been installed (except PCLOS) for a while.

I do remember switchin' the XP slave and Ubuntu master about a month ago. I think that's why XP has the 'loop' mapping. I don't remember booting XP since then either...

meierfra · 03-22-2009, 08:27 PM

Everything seems to be configured correctly. Just to confirm:
If you set your bios to boot from the Ubuntu drive, you get the Grub Menu. From the Grub menu you can boot into Ubuntu, PCLinux and Suse and Fedora, but selecting XPPro fails, right?

What exactly happens when you choose XPPro at the Grub menu? Any error messages?

buccaneere · 03-22-2009, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meierfra

Everything seems to be configured correctly. Just to confirm:
If you set your bios to boot from the Ubuntu drive, you get the Grub Menu. From the Grub menu you can boot into Ubuntu, PCLinux and Suse and Fedora, but selecting XPPro fails, right?

Correct.

Quote:

What exactly happens then you choose XPPro at the Grub menu? Any error messages?

It says 'Starting up', but goes black quickly.

buccaneere · 03-22-2009, 08:42 PM

As it is now, it is still mapped for slave configuration, from when it was slave on the channel. I changed this a month ago.

I've tried dropping GRUB to edit the entry, but it still did not boot. THIS time, it just holds at 'Starting up'.
Like so:
root (hd1,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1

meierfra · 03-22-2009, 09:02 PM

Quote:

if I set BIOS = boot=hd0, I get XP boot.

With "XP boot" do you mean it successfully boots in XP?

Add these two two entries to menu.lst and try them both:

title XPPro (hd1)
rootnoverify (hd1)
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
chainloader +1

title XPPro one map
rootnoverify (hd0)
map (hd1) (hd0)
chainloader +1

(I know these seem pretty crazy, but I had some success which such entries in some very rare cases)

Also lets' see whether there is a problem with your XP boot sector:

Download the testdisk-6.10.linux26.tar.bz2 package to your Ubuntu desktop, and then do:

Code:

cd ~/Desktop
tar xvf testdisk-6.10.linux26.tar.bz2
sudo  testdisk-6.10/linux/testdisk_static /dev/sdb

Choose "proceed" on the first screen, then
"intel"
"advanced",
Select the Windows partition (although it should be selected already) and choose
"boot"
"RebuildBS"
"Write"

then press "q" a few times to quit testdisk, reboot and see whether you can boot into Windows.
(If it does not give you an option to "write", it means that the original and rebuild boot sector are identical, and testdisk RebuildBS won't be able to solve your problem)

Since you seem be able to boot into XP by switching the Boot Order in the bios, the Rebuild Boot sector probably is identical, but still I think this is worth a try.

If none of this worked:
Press "c" at the grub menu at boot-up and type

Code:

geometry (hd0)
geometry (hd1)
geometry (hd2)
geometry (hd3)

This should list the partitions of the first four hard drive. Judging from the output does Grub detect your XP drive? If yes which one is the XP drive.

(Press "esc" to get back to the Grub menu)

buccaneere · 03-22-2009, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meierfra

With "XP boot" do you mean it successfully boots in XP?

Yup.

Trying the other entries now...

First entry did not work, and did NOT hang. (More info needed for bootstring?)
Second entry hung.

Quote:

Disk /dev/sdb - 30 GB / 28 GiB - CHS 3736 255 63
Partition Start End Size in sectors
1 * HPFS - NTFS 0 1 1 3735 254 63 60018777

Boot sector
Status: OK

Backup boot sector
Status: OK

Sectors are identical.

A valid NTFS Boot sector must be present in order to access
any data; even if the partition is not bootable.

[ Quit ] [ List ] [Rebuild BS] [Repair MFT] [ Dump ]
Return to Advanced menu

Doing 'rebuild' now...

buccaneere · 03-22-2009, 09:31 PM

Is this the problem? I did execute a FIXMBR, earlier today. I don't believe that changes partition enumeration...

Disk /dev/sdb - 30 GB / 28 GiB - CHS 3736 255 63
Partition Start End Size in sectors
1 * HPFS - NTFS 0 1 1 3735 254 63 60018777

filesystem size 60018777 60018769
sectors_per_cluster 8 8
mft_lcn 786432 786432
mftmirr_lcn 3591527 3591527
clusters_per_mft_record -10 -10
clusters_per_index_record 1 1
Extrapolated boot sector and current boot sector are different.

[ Dump ] [ List ] [ Write ] [ Quit ]

List directories and files

'Writing' now...

buccaneere · 03-22-2009, 09:50 PM

I 'wrote out', rebooted, and no-go.

geometry (hd1)
drive 0 x 80

meierfra · 03-22-2009, 10:15 PM

Quote:

I 'wrote out', rebooted, and no-go.

Darn, that looked promising for a while. Which XP item did you use? Was it

title XPPro
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
chainloader +1

Quote:

geometry (hd1)
drive 0 x 80

Is that the total output of "geometry (hd0)"?
No partition?

Did the other geometry commands show the correct partitions? Did geometry (hd3) give anything? (I have seen a case where the bios skipped one of the numbers, so there is very small chance that the XP drive is on (hd3))

Anyway, it looks like there is a problem with your bios. Look at the different setting in the bios, and see whether changing them makes a difference. (But record the original settings). You can use the "geometry" command to check whether your changes had any effect.

If none of this works, I suggested to set your bios to boot from the XP drive, and chainload the ubuntu grub menu from the XP boot menu. I can show you how to do that, but lets first see whether playing with the bios has any effect.

buccaneere · 03-22-2009, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meierfra

Darn, that looked promising for a while. Which XP item did you use? Was it

title XPPro
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
chainloader +1

I did not modify menu.lst. I only booted to GRUB, and edited each line of the entry to several different configs, including the one above; no title entered of course, just the map lines, the rootnoverify lines, makeactive, chainloader, boot...

None worked. Some did NOT hang, and CTL+ALT+DEL rebooted. Other attempts DID hang, and power button reboot was necessary.

Quote:

Is that the total output of "geometry (hd0)"?
No partition?

See the picture attached? "File system unknown."

Enumeration is different too. ???

buccaneere · 03-22-2009, 10:50 PM

Here's what IS: BIOS enumeration and GRUB enumeration is different.

Here's GRUB enumeration (geometry):
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...1&d=1237776592

Grub calls the Windows disk hd1.

BIOS, when first boot device is hd0, boots windows.

What should my menu.lst entry be???

meierfra · 03-22-2009, 10:57 PM

Edit: I hadn't seen your last post then I wrote this.

Quote:

See the picture attached? "File system unknown."

Actually that picture is exactly how it is supposed to be. You are booting from the ubuntu drive and the grub at boot up always sees the boot drive as (hd0). You were able to boot your other Linux', which use (hd2,?) in menu.lst. So that drive had to be (hd2). That makes the XP drive (hd1). Grub does not recognize an "ntfs" filesystem . So you get "File system unknown"

In other words, I have no idea what the problem could be.

Try

rootnoverify (hd1,0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
chainloader +1

one more time, maybe you had a typo the last time.

If you are bored, you can also see what happens if you leave out one or two of the map lines. But I don't think that will get you anywhere.

It's getting late for me. I'll check back in tomorrow evening , and if you haven't solved your problem by then, I'll write up instructions how to add your various Linux OSs to the XP boot loader.

meierfra · 03-22-2009, 11:04 PM

Quote:

What should my menu.lst entry be???

Exactly the one you used to have in menu.lst. Which is the same as the one in my last post, since as far as I know the order of the commands don't matter.

That's the problem: Everything is exactly how it supposed to be and still you cannot boot.