Can't boot in to Xandros

raysr · 03-05-2006, 05:30 PM

I've run a-ground many times doing this and the only solution was to reinstall Xandros. How can I get Xandros to boot after installing Mandriva 2006? Xandros is installed on a second drive, hdb1, Mandriva is on hda1. I have tried to use Mandriva's boot loader by adding a Linux OS but I keep getting the "error 15 can't find file" error. I've entered the kernel image, 2.6.9-x1 and /dev/hdb1 and get the same error. Vat am I doing wong?

aus9 · 03-05-2006, 08:46 PM

make sure you edit the Mdk /boot/grub/menu.lst (if using grub) with root powers and redo Xandros (sorry) but tell it to put its bootloader into the PARTITION and amend your mdk bootloader to a chainloader command like this

title (in mdk ) Xandros
root (hd1,0)
chainloader +1

2) when xandros boots you can study the xandros /boot/grub/menu.lst file to see how it is structured and copy a new entry to Mdk if you want to...no worries if leave it alone

raysr · 03-05-2006, 10:12 PM

Thanks for the reply. I just don't get it. I installed Mandrake 9.2 on hdb1 and then tried to add Mandriva 2006 and that didn't work either. So I had to re-install 2006 to get it to boot again but now I'm back where I started except with 9.2 I can't get to. So it says in the Mandriva Control Center (Boot) "Label, image, root". I enter Mandake for the label, 2.4.22-10mdk for the image, (I've also tried /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.22-10mdk), and for root /dev/hdb1. Nothing works.

aus9 · 03-08-2006, 08:04 AM

well I tried to dumb it down..oh well

your first bios detected drive is likely to be the one with Mdk 2006 on hda1 and xandros will be installed on hdb1 (according to your post)

grub the bootloader has a menu file that can add /delete or amend entries that are currently used....yours is found on Mdk at /boot/grub/menu.lst

copy it and post its contents so we can have a look at it pls

your last post is too abbreviated to help ....you know what your mean but humour us by posting us the out put of the menu file pls.

(2) while you are at....you need root powers meaning in 2006...if you are using kde....click on a terminal ( black tv icon) type
su (and your root password)
konqueror (will then open with root powers)

then navigate to /boot/grub/menu.lst and open it....it opens with a text editor and then you can copy and paste my xandros entry and try it on reboot

jomen · 03-08-2006, 09:35 AM

for it to be quick:
Copy the xandros kernel (which is in /boot on the partition xandros is on) to /boot in Mandriva
Then add an entry to /boot /grub/menu.lst (in Mandriva - which is the working one - right?)
You can even copy the line starting with:
kernel ....
from xandros menu.lst to mandriva's menu.lst
Why is this so?

grub has one configuration file. This file contains the descriptions where it finds the kernel and where the corresponding / partition is.
xandros and where its kernel and / are to find are probably not in there.
You just need to add a new line to the grub config-file - and to make it easier - also copy the kernel...

raysr · 03-08-2006, 10:38 PM

Thanks for the help. I reinstalled Xandros and it picked up Mandriva no problem. I've went through this so many times and failed I'm apprehensive about doing it again. However, in the event I have to reinstall Mandriva I need to get a handle on how to do it. How come Xandros is superior to Mandriva in recognizing another OS? I know Mandriva will spot Windows OK, but not another Linux distro.shade 1
viewport 3 2 77 22
splashimage (hd0,0)/boot/grub/mdv-grub_splash.xpm.gz
default 0

title linux
kernel (hd0,0)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda1 acpi=ht resume=/dev/hda5 splash=silent vga=788
initrd (hd0,0)/boot/initrd.img

title linux-nonfb
kernel (hd0,0)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda1 splash=silent acpi=ht resume=/dev/hda5
initrd (hd0,0)/boot/initrd.img

title failsafe
kernel (hd0,0)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda1 failsafe splash=silent acpi=ht resume=/dev/hda5
initrd (hd0,0)/boot/initrd.img

Xandros' kernel is 2.6.11-x1

jomen · 03-09-2006, 01:31 AM

There can be only one...configuration file. And there is only one MBR per disk.
All that happened was: Mandriva was installed on hda1 and grub in MBR - all was well.
xandros was installed to hdb1 - you could have booted it without a problem, had you just added another 2 or 3 lines to grub's config-file like the ones already there.

You should read about how grub works!
No need to reinstall a OS just because it is not automatically added to the list in grub.

Is this your current grub configuration? - this boots only one system (the one on hda1).
Does not look like there was anything "picked up".

to have it boot xandros (or whatever is on hdb1) too, add lines like these:

Code:

title the_other_one
kernel (hd1,0)/boot/the_other_vmlinuz root=/dev/hdb1 ...
#initrd ... only if this is needed

raysr · 03-09-2006, 09:26 AM

The file shown is grub Mandriva, with Xandros boot loader installed on MBR hda1. Mandriva is on hda1 and Xandros is on hdb1. It works fine. However, as I stated I can't get the terminology correct if I want to use Mandriva grub to load. MCC>Boot>Set up how your system boots>bootloader to use>grub>add>Linux>Label>Xandros>image??>root>devhdb1. It's the "image" I can't get right. I've tried /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.11-x1 and variations but none seem to work.
Anyway, thanks for your help. Sorry to have frustrated you.

jomen · 03-09-2006, 10:42 AM

You could use one grub to point to another and then this one to actually boot an OS...
But - why the hassle?
One grub is enough! And it can easily do the job you want.

Which configuration-file is used?
Add the other system to it and that is it.

To save oneself such confusion is why some distributions by default use a /boot partition - this way there is only one place to begin with - for as many OS's and kernels you want.
If you can't figure out which file to use, than I recommend you do that too.

jomen · 03-09-2006, 11:42 AM

To really clear the issue you would need to explain in short:

Which drive are you booting from (BIOS-setting) - since you have grub installed to both harddisks and the confusion seems to start here...thats why I asked: Which configuration-file is used?

Answer: it is the one in /boot/grub/ on the harddisk you are booting from.

To that file (menu.lst) you add both your systems.

root (hdX,X) <-- this is where grub is (/boot/grub/_all_the_files_) - the one you use right now - the one on the partition you boot from - and should, but need not be, the same for both systems.
kernel (hdX,X)/... <-- is the location of the kernel-"image" -
initrd (X,X)/... <-- is the initrd that might be used to boot - not neccesary if all drivers needed for booting are in the kernel-image itself

Terminology: (hd0) is the first drive --> /dev/hda
(hd0,0) is the first drive, first partition --> or /dev/hda1
(hd1,0) is the second drive, first partition --> or /dev/hdb1

Quote:

kernel (hd0,0)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda1 splash=silent acpi=ht resume=/dev/hda5

the root=/dev/hda1 statement in this line tells the kernel, where it will find the / of the filesystem - it has nothing to do with grub anymore.

If you want to add another "image" to grub's configuration, you can:
copy the image from ...where it is now to /boot - so that you can find it when using the MCC (which I translated to Mandriva-Control-Center)
or
browse to the location where it is now from whithin MCC to add it
For both these suggestions to work, the other harddisk-partition would need to be mounted - of course...

aus9 · 03-09-2006, 06:55 PM

by now you may have read my tutorial and understand this

bios boots to first detected drive lets call it hda and finds its mbr bootloader which is going to be GRUB but its MDK grub so it jumps to the balance of its booting files which are on drive hda.

now I could have said how to follow my tutorial on how to put a nice menu to boot xandros......but as you could not get into it....not without a live cd....it was easier for me to say re-install xandros and make its bootloader install into the second driveś partition.

then you edit mdk /boot/grub/menu.lst file with root powers to add the chainloader command which is really easy for beginners.

let me know which of these instructions or the tutorial you wish to discuss further please...it may help me to understand why newbies are getting it wrong?

raysr · 03-09-2006, 10:26 PM

So, in MCC: Label>Xandros>Image>/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.11-x1>root:/dev/hdb1. Then this is transferred into the grub menu list file. Then change (hd0,0) to (hd1,0) and then add "chainloader +1".
What I want to do is use Mandriva's grub because if I upgrade Mandriva I lose the Xandros bootloader. Thanks alot for your patience.

jomen · 03-10-2006, 02:05 AM

Was that a question - the first part?
Nothing is transferred - you just edit a file and write down in grub's language, where it finds the files you want it to use.
Edit the file with an editor - any one will do. Maybe the things get more clear then.

Read again what aus9 said in his last post!
You will not loose anything by adding another two or three lines to /boot/grub/menu.lst!
And you always can boot "by hand" from the grub command-line. Always. Because whichever disk you have first - there is grub - you installed it to both disks.
And this is creating your confusion too. You don't know which bootloader you are using and which config-file to edit.
I suggest you find that out.

aus9 · 03-10-2006, 06:42 AM

lets talk about the upgrade issue first

if you upgrade mdk or xandros it will not make any difference to the bootloaders.

(1) keep mdk grub in mbr of first detected drive (hda) or in grubspeak (hd0)
keep (or put hint hint) xandros grub into partition hdb1 (assuming you have only one partition??) or grub speak (hd1,0)

2 your kernels and initrd images may be upgraded but the bootloader is unlikely to until grub goes to a version called grub2......but even if it did it would only update the booting files that sit in mdk /boot/grub folder.

############
in mdk /boot you will see a kernel called vmlinuz and it links to the real kernel which may be on your system vmlinuz-2.6.11-x1

while on mine its linked to 2.6.12-12mdk-i586-up-1GB

but please stop trying to use the MCC and report what you want to do as jomen as correctly deduced that for you to be in MCC means you are trying to adjust the grub file for mdk and so far you have not answered my requests on feedback to my suggestions.

its a free world but at some point you need to either read my tut or ignore it and/or look at my very first post or ignore but if you do not reply to me...do not surprised if I ignore you