iB::Topic::GRUB Error 18 on HD boot

	Damn Small Linux :: Damn Small Linux Board The DSL Forums

» Welcome Guest
[ Log In :: Register ]

Damn Small Linux Board » Damn Small Linux » HD Install » GRUB Error 18 on HD boot

		Mini-ITX Boards Sale, Fanless BareBones Mini-ITX, Bootable 1G DSL USBs, 533MHz Fanless PC <-- SALE $200 each!
		Get The Official Damn Small Linux Book. DSL Market , Great VPS hosting provided by Tektonic

Pages: (2) </ [1] 2 >/

[ Track this topic :: Email this topic :: Print this topic ]

Topic: GRUB Error 18 on HD boot

< Next Oldest | Next Newest >

celica0774 Offline

Group: Members
Posts: 4
Joined: April 2007

Posted: April 05 2007,03:04

Please help.
I've been trying to do my first DSL hard disk install, and get the following error when I re-boot.

"GRUB Loading stage1.5.

GRUB loading, please wait...
Error 18"

Installed DSL to /dev/hda1. Swap on /dev/hda3.
Boots to the DSL CD just fine using Smart Boot Manager. I've tried lilo, but it gives the "L 40 40 40 ..." error, and I think that I would rather start out using GRUB.

Any help would be appreciated. And yes, I've spent a lot of time searching the forums for a solution.

Richard

======
System
Toshiba Tecra 720CDT
133 MHz Pentium
20GB hard drive
144MB RAM
======
menu.lst

title DSL
kernel /boot/linux24 root=/dev/hda1
root (hd0,0)
boot

======
device.map

(hd0) /dev/hda
(hd1) /dev/hdb
(hd2) /dev/hdc
(hd3) /dev/hdd
(hd4) /dev/hde
(hd5) /dev/hdf

=======
fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 20.0 GB, 20003880960 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2432 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 124 995998+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda2 125 2392 18217710 83 Linux
/dev/hda3 2393 2432 321300 82 Linux swap

^thehatsrule^ Offline

Group: Members
Posts: 3275
Joined: July 2006

Posted: April 05 2007,04:43

A web search: http://wiki.linuxquestions.org/wiki/GRUB#Error_18
Did you check for mobo bios updates maybe?

curaga

Group: Members
Posts: 2163
Joined: Feb. 2007

Posted: April 05 2007,05:48

Your HD is too big for the bios, it can't boot above 1024 cylinders. You need a separate boot partition to the start of the HD, where you move the kernel and the grub files (the /boot directory).

I'd recommend you to start from DSL livecd in text mode, then delete the first partition, create the first (boot) maybe 10mb, and then the rest of the current hda1 for DSL hd install. Then

Quote

mke2fs -m0 /dev/hda1

And install to hd. While still using the livecd, move the /boot dir to hda1, and change menu.lst accordingly:

Quote

default 0

title DSL
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/linux24 root=/dev/hda2

You also had a typo in menu.lst, root (hd0,0) should be before the kernel, otherwise grub won't know which disk/partition to use. And boot line is not needed.

edit: your error might also be caused because the error in menu.lst. Try changing that first

--------------
There's no such thing as life. Those mean little jocks invented it ;)
-
Windows is not a virus. A virus does something!

celica0774 Offline

Group: Members
Posts: 4
Joined: April 2007

Posted: April 05 2007,16:54

Thanks for the replies.

After following curaga's directions, at least I have a different error for GRUB stage1.5, Error 17.
I have the latest BIOS, 5.A0. From what I have read, it should support booting an 8GB drive, but I reformatted the HD anyway. After DSL install to hda2, I moved the /mnt/hda2/boot directory to /mnt/hda1 and fixed menu.lst.

Current config:
======
menu.lst (in /mnt/hda1/boot/grub)

default 0

title DSL
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/linux24 root=/dev/hda2
======
DSL installed on hda2.
======
fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 20.0 GB, 20003880960 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2432 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 2 16033+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda2 3 126 996030 83 Linux
/dev/hda3 127 2392 18201645 83 Linux
/dev/hda4 2393 2432 321300 82 Linux swap

curaga

Group: Members
Posts: 2163
Joined: Feb. 2007

Posted: April 09 2007,07:56

Try installing grub on your own, the script isn't the best always.
Also try a newer grub, in my extension is 0.97 and good instructions on how to install it..

A short howto:
get a console, type:

sudo su
grub
root (hd0,0)
setup (hd0)
quit

Then try rebooting..

--------------
There's no such thing as life. Those mean little jocks invented it ;)
-
Windows is not a virus. A virus does something!

5 replies since April 05 2007,03:04

< Next Oldest | Next Newest >

[ Track this topic :: Email this topic :: Print this topic ]

Pages: (2) </ [1] 2 >/

Damn Small Linux Board » Damn Small Linux » HD Install » GRUB Error 18 on HD boot