Re: Changing bootloader and FS question

[Robert Storey <y2kbug@ms25.hinet.net>]

As someone else pointed out, "apt-get install grub" will install the
grub package. To install it in the mbr, your run "grub-install /dev/hda"
(assuming you are installing it on /dev/hda). However, once you do this,
when you go to reboot, you'll simply be presented with a prompt that
says: "grub>". You can use that to boot Linux (or another OS) if you
know what to type at the prompt. What you should do is construct a file
/boot/grub/menu.lst, which has everything you need in it - then you
won't have to type anything, just choose from a menu. Below I've
included what I have in that file - yours will no doubt differ depending
on what's installed in your partitions.

You ought to read this primer:
  http://www2.linuxjournal.com/lj-issues/issue85/4622.html

After you've digested that, download a grub boot floppy image and
experiment with that before you actually install to the hard drive.

regards,
Robert

# /boot/grub/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		30

# Pretty colours
color cyan/blue white/blue

# Display a splashscreen
splashimage (hd0,4)/boot/splash.xpm.gz
foreground  bbbbbb
background  000000

## 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
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
# kopt=root=/dev/hda5 ro hdc=scsi hdd=scsi

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,4)

## 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=(single user 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		Knoppix 3.3
root		(hd0,7)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda8 ro hdc=scsi hdd=scsi
initrd		/boot/initrd.gz
savedefault
boot

title SUSE
root	(hd0,2)
kernel	(hd0,2)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda3 vga=0x317 splash=silent
desktop hdd=ide-scsi hddlun=0 showopts
initrd	(hd0,2)/boot/initrd
boot

title		Slackware
root		(hd0,6)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda7 ro hdc=scsi hdd=scsi apm=power-off
boot

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


title		Libranet GNU/Linux, kernel 2.4.21 (single user mode)
root		(hd0,4)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.21 root=/dev/hda5 ro hdc=scsi hdd=scsi single
savedefault
boot

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

title  Memory Test
root   (hd0,4)
kernel /boot/memtest86.bin