--- Begin Message ---
- To: submit@bugs.debian.org
- Subject: os-prober: installation report (beauty, but some issues)
- From: Frans Pop <aragorn@tiscali.nl>
- Date: Sat, 10 Apr 2004 12:06:49 +0200
- Message-id: <200404101206.49112.aragorn@tiscali.nl>
Package: debian-installer
Version: 20040407
An excellent addition to a great installer!
(Sorry for the long report, but I think you'll find it is worth reading it.)
Summary
=======
- all bootable partitions were recognized :-)
- Win2k boots from GRUB :-)
- Woody does not boot from GRUB :-(
- Additional entries in current lilo.conf are not copied to GRUB :-?
- I (semi-accidentally) ran GRUB twice, which resulted in all extra
partitions being shown twice in the menu ;-)
- some observations on potentially tricky situations
My current desktop on which I test d-i is a multi-boot machine in the extreme.
So this is a bit of a stress test for a new piece of software.
I have included a partition list and an extract of my current LILO config at
the bottom of this report for reference.
I have also attached the full new /boot/grub/menu.lst as created by d-i.
For the two d-i installations on /dev/hdb, I currently do the following:
- during d-i: install GRUB on the new root partition (/dev/hdb8 or 9)
- chainload GRUB from my lilo.conf on /dev/hda
Full report
===========
I installed d-i to my test partition /dev/hdb9 (hd1,8) and also installed GRUB
on this partition.
If I chainload GRUB on /dev/hdb9 from lilo, I get a nice menu with all
bootable partitions listed. All OS'es can be booted except for my Woody
system (I have not tested the win98 partition as it is for another machine).
Booting Woody fails with the following message.
Booting 'Debian GNU/Linux (3.0) (on /dev/hda5)'
root (hd0,0)
filesystem is ext2fs, partition type 0x83
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda5
Error 15: file not found
I think it fails because it looks for /boot/vmlinuz on /dev/hda5 while it is
on my boot partition, which is /dev/hda1.
Not sure how to fix this as I'm not really familiar with GRUB (yet). I'll try
to look into this tomorrow.
I was very surprised that for /dev/hdb8 (hd1,7) (Unstable) the GRUB on that
partition is chainloaded. From the entries in menu.lst, I would have expected
Linux to be loaded directly (like it tries to do for Woody).
I have some additional entries in my current lilo.conf for backup kernel
versions and for memtest. These were not included in the new GRUB menu. This
means, if I had installed GRUB on /dev/hda, I would have lost these entries.
I am in two minds about this:
- you preferably should not loose existing things with a new installation
- adding all entries would clutter the new GRUB menu (but can of course
always be manually deleted)
Note: for the existing GRUB on /dev/hdb8 (hd1,7) both existing entries _were_
added.
I ran the GRUB installation twice. This resulted in all additional entries
being included twice in the new GRUB menu. Probably easy to fix by cleaning
up before starting the probe for other OS.
Other observations
==================
As you can see in my partition list, fdisk marks /dev/hda3 as the active
partition. I don't understand what's happening here because lilo is installed
on /dev/hda (master boot record) and I am certain it boots from that!
Lilo can't be installed on /dev/hda3 as the boot record of that partition
contains the win2k bootrecord. So it looks like lilo works independent of the
'active partition'.
I think a test should be run to see what happens if current lilo is on for
example /dev/hda5 and you install GRUB to /dev/hda. Will a new boot use the
old lilo or the new GRUB?
You might need to change the active partition during GRUB installation in such
situations (or something).
Conclusion
==========
Kudos to joeyh!
<Partition summary>
Disk /dev/hda: 255 heads, 63 sectors, 2482 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 bytes
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 1 2 16033+ 83 Linux /boot
/dev/hda2 513 2482 15824025 f Win95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda3 * 3 512 4096575 b Win95 FAT32 Win2k
/dev/hda5 513 1022 4096543+ 83 Linux /
/dev/hda6 1704 1716 104391 82 Linux swap (swap)
/dev/hda7 1717 1971 2048256 b Win95 FAT32 Win2k data
/dev/hda8 1972 2354 3076416 b Win95 FAT32 Win2k data
/dev/hda9 2355 2482 1028128+ b Win95 FAT32 Win2k data
Disk /dev/hdb: 255 heads, 63 sectors, 524 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 bytes
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdb1 1 135 1084356 b Win95 FAT32 Win98 (from other machine)
/dev/hdb2 136 524 3124642+ 5 Extended
/dev/hdb5 136 176 329301 6 FAT16 Win98 data
/dev/hdb6 481 500 160618+ 83 Linux /home (for d-i tests)
/dev/hdb7 501 524 192748+ 82 Linux swap (swap)
/dev/hdb8 177 358 1461883+ 83 Linux / (Sid created with d-i)
/dev/hdb9 359 480 979933+ 83 Linux / (for d-i tests)
<
<extract from lilo.conf on my Woody partition>
# Specifies the boot device. This is where Lilo installs its boot
# block. It can be either a partition, or the raw device, in which
# case it installs in the MBR, and will overwrite the current MBR.
#
boot=/dev/hda
# Specifies the device that should be mounted as root. (`/')
#
root=/dev/hda5
# Installs the specified file as the new boot sector
# You have the choice between: bmp, compat, menu and text
# Look in /boot/ and in lilo.conf(5) manpage for details
#
install=/boot/boot-menu.b
# Specifies the location of the map file
#
map=/boot/map
# Boot up Linux by default.
#
default=Linux
image=/boot/vmlinuz
label=Linux
read-only
append="hdc=ide-scsi"
image=/boot/vmlinuz.old
label=LinuxPrevious
read-only
append="hdc=ide-scsi"
image=/boot/vmlinuz.stable
label=LinuxStable
read-only
append="hdc=ide-scsi"
optional
# If you have another OS on this machine to boot, you can uncomment the
# following lines, changing the device name on the `other' line to
# where your other OS' partition is.
image=/boot/memtest86.bin
label=Memtest
other=/dev/hda3
label=Win2000
table=/dev/hda
loader=/boot/chain.b
other=/dev/hdb8
label=D-Installer
loader=/boot/chain.b
other=/dev/hdb9
label=D-I_Test
loader=/boot/chain.b
# 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 5
# 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/hdb9 ro
## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd1,8)
## 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
## 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 Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.4.25-1-386
root (hd1,8)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.25-1-386 root=/dev/hdb9 ro
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.4.25-1-386
savedefault
boot
title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.4.25-1-386 (recovery mode)
root (hd1,8)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.25-1-386 root=/dev/hdb9 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.4.25-1-386
savedefault
boot
### 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/hda3
title Windows NT/2000/XP
root (hd0,2)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1
# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hda5.
# This is experimental, and may not work.
title Debian GNU/Linux (3.0) (on /dev/hda5)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda5
savedefault
boot
# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/hdb1
title Windows 95/98/Me
root (hd1,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1
# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hdb8.
# This is experimental, and may not work.
title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.4.25-1-686 (on /dev/hdb8)
root (hd1,7)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.25-1-686 root=/dev/hdb8 ro
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.4.25-1-686
savedefault
boot
# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hdb8.
# This is experimental, and may not work.
title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.4.25-1-686 (recovery mode) (on /dev/hdb8)
root (hd1,7)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.25-1-686 root=/dev/hdb8 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.4.25-1-686
savedefault
boot
# 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/hda3
title Windows NT/2000/XP
root (hd0,2)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1
# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hda5.
# This is experimental, and may not work.
title Debian GNU/Linux (3.0) (on /dev/hda5)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda5
savedefault
boot
# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/hdb1
title Windows 95/98/Me
root (hd1,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1
# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hdb8.
# This is experimental, and may not work.
title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.4.25-1-686 (on /dev/hdb8)
root (hd1,7)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.25-1-686 root=/dev/hdb8 ro
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.4.25-1-686
savedefault
boot
# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hdb8.
# This is experimental, and may not work.
title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.4.25-1-686 (recovery mode) (on /dev/hdb8)
root (hd1,7)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.25-1-686 root=/dev/hdb8 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.4.25-1-686
savedefault
boot
--- End Message ---