Grub config, how to add CD to boot list?

Oxyacetylene · 06-09-2004, 02:24 PM

Is there a way to add an entry in Grub so that when it loads the menu I would have the option to boot from a CD-ROM? That way I can hit the power button on my laptop, wait for the menu, then pop the CD-ROM in, select that option and continue. As it is now I have to power it up, put the CD in, power off and then back on.

phase9 · 06-09-2004, 02:46 PM

Hi!
try to add the following to grub.conf:

Code:

title CD-ROM
    root (hd0,0)
    chainloader +1

(hd0,0: If the CD-ROM is your primary master ide device)

Oxyacetylene · 06-09-2004, 03:33 PM

what would I change it to if the CD-ROM was the secondary master? Primary master is the Hard Drive.

phase9 · 06-09-2004, 03:38 PM

Hi!

change hd(0,0) to (hd2,0). (Or try hd(1,0) if the former does not work).

Oxyacetylene · 06-09-2004, 04:08 PM

I tried it with hd1 and hd2 and neither works. I put these options in the lst file. This is a SuSE 9.0 install (if that makes a difference). When I select that option even with a CD in the drive it says Error 21: Selected disk does not exist. Could this be because Grub doesn't see the disk since there is no CD-ROM in there until after it starts up?

michaelk · 06-09-2004, 05:42 PM

Granted I only use laptops on occasion but can't you open the CDROM drive as soon as you push the power button? You should have plenty of time during the POST to insert the CD. What type of laptop make, model do you own?

I believe grub uses the BIOS drive mapping. The first detected drive or selected boot drive is hd0, next is hd1 and so on. I do not believe there is any way to boot a CD once the BIOS passes control to the hard drive.

Oxyacetylene · 06-09-2004, 10:08 PM

It's a Dell Latitude C640. I can indeed push the eject button as it is powering up, but when I do that it ejects the cd-rom and then I get a blinking underscore and it doesn't progress.

back-.space · 06-01-2009, 11:53 PM

This might help...

I now boot from the hard drive to grub and select cdrom http://cutecomputer.wordpress.com/20...-through-grub/