HD Install Win XP and Grub!

Forum: HD Install
Topic: HD Install Win XP and Grub!
started by: neonuke

Posted by neonuke on May 28 2006,12:51

Hi everyone,

I've had some success installing DSL before, but now trying to do it on a machine already running WinXP is giving me headaches

I have the following setup:

Windows XP: hda1
DSL: hdc1
Linux Swap: hdc2

I can get past the HD install, but when I restart it doesn't boot up with Grub, just goes straigt to Win XP

Following the advice of several threads I've tried the following:

1.
Boot using LiveCD, then
$grub
> root (hd2,0)
Error 21: Selected disk does not exist

2.
Boot using LiveCD,
#grub-install /dev/hda
/dev/cloop does not have any corresponding BIOS drive.

3.
Boot LiveCD.
Mount hdc1
edit /boot/grub/menu.lst with the following:

title Windows XP
root (hd0,0)
chainloader+1
makeactive
boot

None of the above have worked for me, what is going on? I suspect it may be the disk geometry, I'm not really sure, I have no experience with MBR stuff. Any help is appreciated.

neonuke

Posted by piccolo on May 29 2006,10:47

You says that you have a hard disk labeled "hda" and another labeled "hdc" by DSL.
But then also you have other hard disk labeled "hdb"? Is say, the question is how many hard disks have you?
If you have only two hard disks then you have:

Windows XP: hda1
DSL: hdb1
Linux Swap: hdb2

Then the lines from /boot/grub/menu.lst should be:
.....
title DSL on /hdb1
root (hd1,0)
.....

I recommend you boot from LiveCD and then to check the /boot/grub/menu.lst file.

Note: When you execute the hd-install script autotically edit the /boot/grub/menu.lst file. You must answer correctly the question that does the hd-install script only.

Posted by neonuke on May 30 2006,03:47

I do have only two hard drives, and they are hda and hdc, because hdb is my CD drive.

Posted by hs7sv on May 30 2006,04:52

neonuke, I suggest you to put DSL image in hda2, same HDD with XP. You need GRUB boot loader in the primary HDD. If so, you need to re-partition (by PartitionMagic) hda1 and hda2:-

Windows XP : hda1 (Primary Master)
DSL (~100MB) : hda2 (Primary Master) - ext2
Linux Swap : hdb1 (Primary Slave) - swap
DSL Data/myDSL : hdb2 (or hda1 if you don't need another partition) - ext2
CD-ROM : hdc1 (Secondary Master)

Good luck

Posted by pr0f3550r on May 30 2006,18:30

neonuke,
hdb is hda's slave. How come that a cdrom is a salve of a harddisk? I don't think it's even possible.

Posted by neonuke on June 02 2006,14:06

Quote (hs7sv @ May 30 2006,00:52)

would this be the Frugal hard drive install?

I'm still not really sure what the difference between HD install and Frugal with GRUB

Posted by piccolo on June 03 2006,09:25

Quote

would this be the Frugal hard drive install?

Yes.

Quote

I'm still not really sure what the difference between HD install and Frugal with GRUB

As you know, DSL was originally developed to run from a LiveCD.
Other boot method is "DSL Poorman's Install", copying the KNOPPIX folder to hard disk, boot DSL without CDROM. That launch DSL from files onto hard disk as well as DSL boot from CDROM. Both two cases DSL run "live mode" from RAM memory.
The "Frugal" installation is the equivalent to "DSL Poorman's Install" except that boot using the boot loader installed on hard disk. (For "DSL Poorman's Install" a boot floppy or Loadlin is required to boot DSL).
< Frugal Howto >

Posted by hs7sv on June 05 2006,02:45

neonuke, This is another way:-

Linux Swap : hda1 (Primary Master) - swap
DSL (~100MB) : hda2 (Primary Master) - ext2
DSL Data/myDSL : hda3 (or hda2 if you don't need another partition) - ext2
Windows XP : hdb1 (Primary Slave)
CD-ROM : hdc1 (Secondary Master)

Good luck

Posted by Gadabout on June 08 2006,00:35

I have the same problem and have asked for help on another thread. I have win2000 installed on hda1 and dsl frugal on hdb1. Grub is on hdb1 and looks ok but doesn't boot. I thought about making hda1 not bootable but was warned by fdisk that I may loose data on the dos(win2000) drive. I hate to mess with win2000 if I don't have to. Just thought I add this here as it was in line with your problem. Any ideas?? Thanks Craig

Posted by jimihieu on June 08 2006,16:54

Quote (neonuke @ May 28 2006,08:51)

hi neonuke
try:
use any LiveCD to boot up into whatever level then:
#grub
> root (hd3,0)
> setup (hd3)
> quit

for Gadabout try :
use any LiveCD to boot up into whatever level then:
#grub
> root (hd2,0)
> setup (hd2)
> quit

if it works when boot up then you can edit /boot/menu.lst to add in chainload for windows XP! as what i have:
title Windows XP
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

JiMi

Posted by Gadabout on June 09 2006,00:48

JiMi. Thanks for the info. I think you are close but I am still having problems Your suggestion root (hd2,0) gets me error 21 "selected disk does not exist" So I tried root (hdb1,0) where the frugal is installed and get error 23 "error while parsing number" I think you are on the right track and I would like more information or suggestions to try. Thank Craig

Posted by jimihieu on June 09 2006,03:19

Quote (Gadabout @ June 08 2006,20:48)

please show me your output of
#fdisk -l
thanx

Posted by Gadabout on June 09 2006,23:41

Sorry, I can't figure out how to output the fdisk to this page so I will tell you what it said. Hda1 fat32 bootable 20 gig win200 installed, hdb1 linux 83 bootable 8 gig, hdb2, hdb3, hdb4, all linux 83 bootable 40 gig each. I think I installed frugal on hdb1 and possibly hdb2 but I know grub is on hdb1. I did read up on grub and I think there are commands that will do what I need but as of now it is too deep for me, I will read furthur. Thank for any help. Craig

Posted by jimihieu on June 10 2006,15:56

Quote (Gadabout @ June 09 2006,19:41)

hi craig
so sorry
my mistake
if u want to grub hdb then u should use hd1 so it should be like this:
use any LiveCD to boot up into whatever level then:
#grub
> root (hd1,0)
> setup (hd1)
> quit

good luck!

Posted by Gadabout on June 11 2006,03:58

JiMi, Didn't work. I think you are correct in the layout but it just didn't work. It puts nothing on hda1. Don't I need something on hda1 that would be like the MBR or like if I had installed dsl to hda1 the /boot/grub/ things would be there? I did read something about redirecting drives in grub but couldn't quite understand it. I will read more, but I sure thank you for all the help. Craig

Posted by jimihieu on June 11 2006,15:29

Quote (Gadabout @ June 10 2006,23:58)

what is the error this time?

Posted by Gadabout on June 11 2006,17:08

Same as before, The machine boots directly into win2000. Grub never runs. Thanks Craig

Posted by doodle77 on June 12 2006,00:10

ignore

Posted by Gadabout on June 12 2006,01:23

Well I answered one of my own questions. I have a laptop that is set up like I want my desktop setup. I have Kubunto on hda1 and dsl on hda2 and grub is on hda2. I don't know if there both Linux operating systems has anything to do with or not but it does work. I also came across an interesting grub comand that is "groot" this may tell the system where to boot from or something. I will look into this tomorrow. See ya craig

Posted by Gadabout on June 20 2006,13:16

Ok, After much trial and tribulation I have gone where no man has gone before.(just kidding). I am now triple booting Win2000, DSL, and Kubunto all on the same desktop. My problem was with partitioning and I realy don't understand it enough to explain it but I had to used Kubunto's installer(Debian's installer) to partition some drives to install Kubunto and then using Kubunto's grub default it all worked. It prompted me to know if the Win2000 was on hda1 and told me it was putting something on the MBR but this didn't mess up the Win2000 booting. It all so knew that DSL was on hdb1 and set up grub correctly for that. Grub is on hdb4 now. I do know that I had to make a partition "root" and that is where Kubunto and grub now reside. I think DSL's installer needs a little work for us newbie types. I am still real shacky on partitioning in general. I guess that it. I am a happy camper. Craig