Hi. I just installed Solaris 10 x86 edition alongside Ubuntu on my computer. This is my current partition layout.

ryan@ryanhp:~$ sudo fdisk -l /dev/hda
Password:

Disk /dev/hda: 60.0 GB, 60022480896 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 7297 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 1 1342 10779583+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda2 1343 4784 27647865 5 Extended
/dev/hda3 * 4785 6059 10240272 bf Solaris
/dev/hda5 1343 1482 1124518+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/hda6 1483 4784 26523283+ 83 Linux
ryan@ryanhp:~$ sudo fdisk -l /dev/hdb

Disk /dev/hdb: 15.3 GB, 15367790592 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1868 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdb1 * 1 1868 15004678+ c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/hdb2 1 1 0 0 Empty
ryan@ryanhp:~$


First of all, hdb1 is actually an XFS partition (not sure why it says FAT32....the partition is running fine under Linux as XFS as shown here)


ryan@ryanhp:~$ mount
/dev/hda1 on / type ext3 (rw,errors=remount-ro)
proc on /proc type proc (rw)
sysfs on /sys type sysfs (rw)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,gid=5,mode=620)
tmpfs on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)
/dev/hdb1 on /home type xfs (rw)
/dev/hda6 on /video type xfs (rw)
/dev on /.dev type unknown (rw,bind)
none on /dev type tmpfs (rw,size=5M,mode=0755)
usbfs on /proc/bus/usb type usbfs (rw)
ryan@ryanhp:~$

Anyways, that is besides the point. I installed Solaris 10 and a lot of software from the companion CD in hda3, and it installed the Solaris bootloader to the master boot record of hda. I then used Knoppix to edit my menu.lst in Ubuntu and this is the full file below.


# 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 8

## 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 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/hda1 ro

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

## 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 controls 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

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
## memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## ## End Default Options ##

title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.10-5-686
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.10-5-686 root=/dev/hda1 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.10-5-686
savedefault
boot

title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.10-5-686 (recovery mode)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.10-5-686 root=/dev/hda1 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.10-5-686
savedefault
boot

title Solaris 10 x86 Edition
rootnoverify (hd0,3)
chainloader +1
makeactive

title Ubuntu, kernel memtest86+
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
savedefault
boot

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST



I then chrooted into Ubuntu from Knoppix and reinstalled grub to the masterboot record. Now, Ubuntu boots (typing this from it right now) but Solaris will not boot. Does anything look wrong with this file?

Thx!

...
/dev/hda3 * 4785 6059 10240272 bf Solaris
...

title Solaris 10 x86 Edition
rootnoverify (hd0,3)
chainloader +1
makeactive

The numbering system for devices under GRUB, begins with 0. So, changing rootnoverify (hd0,3) line to rootnoverify (hd0,2) may fix the issue.

Lol...duh! I can't believe I didn't notice that . Thank you for your help!