Re: find /boot/grub/stage1 hangs
On 2013-05-22 19:38 (GMT-0600) JD composed:
Felix Miata wrote:
...
Partition info: http://fm.no-ip.com/Tmp/Dfsee/daverL03.txt
...
Was winxp installed on same disk where grub was installed?
Answered by the URL above that Apache says neither you nor Gilles nor anyone
else looked at.
If yes, then the way to fix the problem is
to boot anylinux cd, preferrably a knoppix 6.7 bootble CD.
Then mount the linux partition from the disk where you installed
winxp. Then chroot to that mountpoint.
AFAIK, chroot doesn't work when the (only) handy live (Knoppix) media is 32
bit and the installed system is 64 bit.
Assuming it is sda where you have the winxp + linux dual boot,
be sure that /dev/sda (assuming it is sda you need to fix) exists.
Now, run the command
grub-install --recheck /dev/sda
I've been multi-booting for more than 2 decades (beginning with OS/2 and
DOS). I neither use grub-install (since too long ago to remember), nor do I
put anything but generic code in any MBR.
This BTX system was built last summer by my neighbor/friend's stepson, who
installed WinXP on a partition using the whole 320MB. In September I replaced
the XP disaster with openSUSE 12.2 by first repartitioning as the URL above
details (using DFSee), then booting (unremembered) version of Knoppix, likely
7.0.4, the newest I had, and expect would have been required for Sandy Bridge
support. With Knoppix I setup Grub on sda3 using the Grub shell after copying
from the Knoppix media the Grub files necessary in /boot/grub, and building a
generic menu.lst to boot the downloaded openSUSE installation linux and
initrd. Next boot installed 64 bit openSUSE with Grub Legacy on /.
Yesterday the neighbor via stepson said he was ready to add XP. I went over
there and changed active partition from sda3 to sda1, then left him to
install to the empty C: and D: partitions.
Today I went over there to reset sda3 active and set up boot.ini to load
Grub, and menu.lst to offer a WinXP option. The latter, tried first, is what
failed. The BIOS complained sda3 could not be booted. I still don't know what
the XP installer did to it. I started repair after the $SUBJECT obstacle
appeared by copying the content off sda3, reformatting, copying back, and
trying setup from grub> again by first running find /boot/grub/stage1. It
failed again.
Then I wrote OP. While waiting for possible responses, I contemplated chroot,
but remembered I had never figured out a way to boot 32 bit and chroot into a
64 bit system, and had no 64 bit media available for use.
Part 2 of my purpose to go over there today was setting up NTLDR to load
Grub, so I proceeded to do that. When done, openSUSE's Grub menu worked, and
so did 'grub> find /boot/grub/stage1':
(hd0,2)
(hd0,5)
(hd0,7)
Currently, if sda1 is set active, first boot menu presents:
WinXP
Linux (sda6 /; presents only openSUSE options in Grub menu)
Grub (Grub on sd3)
If sda3 is set active, first boot menu choices are:
Chainload (sda6 /; presents only openSUSE options in Grub menu)
Linux (load default kernel and initrd from (hd0,6)/boot)
WinXP (chainload sda1)
This general configuration was designed to minimize risk from Windows.
Obviously, it wasn't good enough for the stepson's XP installation session to
avoid. I still don't know what XP did to sda3, or why $SUBJECT.
I suspect the latter problem has something to do with 32 vs. 64 bit. openSUSE
has separate rpms for 32 bit and 64 bit. All Knoppix media I tried AFAIK are
32 bit. The Grub files on sda3 are 15 July 2012, which match those I have in
archive I made from an openSUSE 12.2RC unmarked as to whether they are from
32 bit or 64 bit rpm. I suspect 64 bit, and one of two reasons for OP.
Now that Linux is fixed, selecting XP results in NTLDR is missing, but only
if I chainload from Grub instead of starting from sda1 directly. :-p I'll
have to put me to sleep, and resume later.
Thanks to JD and Gilles for responding.
--
"The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant
words are persuasive." Proverbs 16:21 (New Living Translation)
Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409 ** a11y rocks!
Felix Miata *** http://fm.no-ip.com/
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