Grub problem

duffmckagan · 06-08-2005, 02:33 AM

I have three linux distros installed, and I have problem detecting MEpis using grub.

Can anybody post the Mepis lines from their Grub/menu.lst

What I expect here is the Mepis should be a default install. (Mepis 3.3) NOT 3.3.1

I want the kernel version so, I can edit menu.lst with ease.

Thanks.

Gay R0b0t · 06-08-2005, 02:45 AM

look in /mepis/boot or just /boot to find the mepis kernel name.
to make mepis the default, put a line up the top that says "default (x - 1)"

where (x -1) is the number in this list (ie first (1) second (2) third (3)) minus one. so to make first entry default it would be "default 0". second "default 1" etc.

your mepis lines will look the same as the others, except the initrd and kernel name (and maybe location) will change.

If this doesn't solve your problem, reply with contents of current menu.lst and the locations of each kernel/initrd (including partition number!!!)

edit: forgot to mention, /mepis/boot is simply the boot folder on your mepis partition, not nessesarily the mount point of mepis from another os.

duffmckagan · 06-08-2005, 02:52 AM

I have the boot loader installed from Ubuntu.

Well, I will mount the partition for Mepis here, and try the /boot folder.

Will let you know after a while. Hold on.

duffmckagan · 06-08-2005, 03:11 AM

Now, here's what I added to the Grub Menu.lst.

Check out the last lines.

Code:

# 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'.           
default		0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout		10

## 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		(hd0,1)
# 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 optons 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 specifiv 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=root=/dev/hda8 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,7)

## 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

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
##      altoptions=(recovery mode) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## nonaltoption boot targets option
## This option contols options to pass to only the
## primary kernel menu item.
## You can have ONLY one nonaltoptions line
# nonaltoptions=quiet splash

## 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

## ## End Default Options ##

title		Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.8.1-3-386 
root		(hd0,7)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.8.1-3-386 root=/dev/hda8 ro quiet splash
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.8.1-3-386
savedefault
boot

title		Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.8.1-3-386 (recovery mode)
root		(hd0,7)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.8.1-3-386 root=/dev/hda8 ro single
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.8.1-3-386
savedefault
boot

title		Memory test
root		(hd0,7)
kernel		/boot/memtest86+.bin

### 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/hda1
title		Windows NT/2000/XP
rootnoverify	(hd0,0)
savedefault
chainloader	+1


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hda7.
title		Slackware 10.1(on /dev/hda7)
root		(hd0,6)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda7 ro
savedefault
boot


title MEPIS at hda6, kernel 2.6.10
root (hdo,5)
kernel (hd0,5)/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.10 root=/dev/hda6 nomce psmouse.proto=imps quiet splash=verbose vga=791 
initrd (hd0,5)/boot/initrd.splash 
savedefault
boot

title MEPIS at hda6, kernel 2.4.29
root (hdo,5)
kernel (hd0,5)/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.29 root=/dev/hda6 nomce quiet splash=verbose vga=791 hdc=ide-scsi 
initrd (hd0,5)/boot/initrd.splash 
savedefault
boot

Moreover, I can't boot into windows too.
I can't understand what the problem exactly is.

Mepis too doesn't boot after adding those lines.
Why is that?

Gay R0b0t · 06-08-2005, 03:24 AM

coupla things:
-On the two mepis entries, you specified "root (hdo,5)" which should be "root (hd0,5)".
-Either specify a default (ie 'default 4') or specify 'saved'. If you want to use 'default' then try removing the 'savedefault' line from each entry.
Heres my (slightly less comprehensive) grub/menu.lst:

Code:

color white/blue black/light-gray
default 0
timeout 8
gfxmenu (hd0,6)/message

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title SUSE
    kernel (hd0,6)/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda3 vga=0x317 selinux=0  splash=silent resume=/dev/hda5  showopts
    initrd (hd0,6)/initrd

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows###
title Windows
    root (hd0,0)
    chainloader +1

duffmckagan · 06-08-2005, 03:29 AM

Oh man.
What a silly mistake. I will change it now. The o to 0.

I didn't get the savedefault and default stuff you have talked about.
Would you please elablorate?

Do you mean that I should remove the savedefault option from each entry!
Everywhere???

Gay R0b0t · 06-08-2005, 03:42 AM

sure, you can either specify whether you want grub to consistantly boot one distro (use the 'default (number)' command) or whether you want grub to boot the distro selected last again then use the 'saved' command in conjunction with 'savedefault'.

eg. for 'default'

Code:

default "(x - 1)"

title distro 1
    kernel (hd0,0)/vmlinuz
    initrd (hd0,0)/initrd

title distro 2
    kernel (hd0,1)/vmlinuz1
    initrd (hd0,1)/initrd1

title distro 3
    kernel (hd0,2)/vmlinuz1
    initrd (hd0,2)/initrd2

note the weird option at top, because that is what I am going to talk about now.

to automagically boot distro 2 EVERY time the computer starts (unless you, using the keyboard, select another one. but even after that, it will boot distro 2 again upon next boot) put the line "default 1" up the top, because distro 2 is second in list, therefore, "default (2 - 1)" gives us "default 1"

eg. saved

Code:

saved

title distro 1
    kernel (hd0,0)/vmlinuz
    initrd (hd0,0)/initrd
    savedefault

title distro 2
    kernel (hd0,1)/vmlinuz1
    initrd (hd0,1)/initrd1
    savedefault

title distro 3
    kernel (hd0,2)/vmlinuz1
    initrd (hd0,2)/initrd2
    savedefault

note that "saved" is now in place of "default (x - 1)" now, and that the line savedefault has been appended to each section.

in this setup, the pc will boot distro 1 on first boot, but then if you select distro 3 on the next, it will make distro 3 the default until you select another. So if you are running distro 2, and reboot it, it will boot back into distro 2, but if you are running distro 3 and reboot, it will start distro 3.

you either use "default (x - 1)" or "saved" and "savedefault" otherwise you may confuse grub as the which you are trying to perform.

how much of that made sense?
include any errors you get from non-booting partitions please (keep them simply, ie cant find kernel, or kernel panic)

duffmckagan · 06-08-2005, 04:04 AM

I will try that ......Hold on.

duffmckagan · 06-08-2005, 04:18 AM

Good, Now I can boot to Mepis.

Thanks for the Idea of looking in the mepis partition for more data. Thanks.

Now, I think that you were trying to emphasize on the default booting of the distros.

I think that I will take some sort of GRUB tutorial for that.
Your post excites me to do that!
Thanks for your efforts man.

Gay R0b0t · 06-08-2005, 04:35 AM

thats all good, glad to help.