Re: Weird partition arrangements and broken GRUB
Hi KC,
Thanks for your suggestions. I have removed the boot flag from sda1
(while keeping it on sda5) and changed the Windows 'root' to (hd0,4),
but unfortunately I still get the dreaded 'Filesystem type unknown,
partition type 0x7' message.
I have read somewhere else that Windows could only boot from a primary
partition, I don't know if that is the issue here but do you think it
might be related?
Someone, through another channel, suggested me to use /dev/sda1's
bootloader to boot into Windows XP, but seeing that /dev/sda1 contains
a crippled WinPE recovery application, I don't think it will really
work.
Suggestions would be much appreciated,
Thanks.
On 7/27/07, Nguyen, Cuong K. <cuongkieunguyen@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> On 7/26/07, Hamza Saglam <hamzasaglam@googlemail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > After reading dozens of GRUB tutorials for a good few hours and not
> > getting anywhere, I've decided to post on this mailing list regarding
> > my problem. If it has been covered before please pardon me, I really
> > can't see it :(
> >
> > Now before I start, I'd like to point out that we are both debian
> > users both due to the nature of our work, we have to have a windows
> > installation on our machines. Sad but true :(
> >
> > A friend of mine brought in his laptop after he said he couldn't get
> > 'windows booting', and when I had a look at the partition table using
> > gparted, I was presented with the following monstrosity:
> >
> > screenshot:
> > http://***image.***bayimg.***com/oaeikaabk.jpg
> > (please get rid of the 9 stars, the mailing list wouldn't accept my
> > message without these)
> >
> >
> > (for the text based readers), it looks a bit like:
> > /dev/sda1 fat32 (boot)
> > /dev/sda2 extended (lba)
> > /dev/sda5 ntfs (boot)
> > /dev/sda6 linux-swap
> > /dev/sda3 ext3
> >
> > The first fat32 partition is the recovery files that came with the
> > laptop, the rest is a bit of mess really :)
> >
> > Relevant bits from /boot/grub/menu.lst:
> >
> > title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.18-4-686
> > root (hd0,2)
> > kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.18-4-686
> root=/dev/sda3 ro
> > initrd /boot/initrd.img- 2.6.18-4-686
> > savedefault
> >
> > title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.18-4-686 (single-user mode)
> > root (hd0,2)
> > kernel /boot/vmlinuz- 2.6.18-4-686
> root=/dev/sda3 ro single
> > initrd /boot/initrd.img- 2.6.18-4-686
> > savedefault
> >
> > title Microsoft Windows XP
> > root (hd0,3)
> > savedefault
> > makeactive
> > chainloader +1
> >
> > title Acer eRecovery Management
> > root (hd0,0)
> > savedefault
> > makeactive
> > chainloader +1
> >
> >
> > I've tried all the possible combinations for the root directive of the
> > Windows section, but it doesn't want to load windows.
> >
> > Is there any way I can address the ntfs partition within that extended
> > partition, or do I need to modify the structure. (I'd very much prefer
> > not changing the structure, even though it is quite messy)
> >
> >
> > I am stuck so any help would be much appreciated.
> >
> > Many thanks.
> > Hamza
> >
> >
> > --
> > To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to
> debian-user-REQUEST@lists.debian.org
> > with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact
> listmaster@lists.debian.org
> >
> >
>
> If you look at my partition table, you may call it "messier" or "weirder":
>
> Disk /dev/sda: 100.0 GB, 100030242816 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 12161 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
>
> Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
> /dev/sda1 1 784 6297448+ 12 Compaq diagnostics
> /dev/sda2 * 785 3356 20659590 7 HPFS/NTFS
> /dev/sda3 4507 12161 61488787+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
> /dev/sda4 3357 4506 9237375 7 HPFS/NTFS
> /dev/sda5 4507 7064 20547103+ 83 Linux
> /dev/sda6 7065 7203 1116486 82 Linux swap / Solaris
> /dev/sda7 11974 12161 1510078+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
> /dev/sda8 7204 9635 19535008+ 83 Linux
> /dev/sda9 9636 11973 18779953+ 83 Linux
>
> Partition table entries are not in disk order
>
> And here is the menu.lst
>
> ## ## End Default Options ##
>
> title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.20-16-generic
> root (hd0,7)
> kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-16-generic root=/dev/sda8 ro quiet splash
> initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-16-generic
> quiet
> savedefault
>
> title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.20-16-generic (recovery mode)
> root (hd0,7)
> kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-16-generic root=/dev/sda8 ro single
> initrd /boot/initrd.img- 2.6.20-16-generic
>
> title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.20-15-generic
> root (hd0,7)
> kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-15-generic
> root=UUID=3ce886e2-7b3d-4803-ba0e-19a605fb1153 ro quiet
> splash break=top
> initrd /boot/initrd.img- 2.6.20-15-generic
> quiet
> savedefault
>
> title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.20-15-generic (recovery mode)
> root (hd0,7)
> kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-15-generic
> root=UUID=3ce886e2-7b3d-4803-ba0e-19a605fb1153 ro single
> initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-15-generic
>
> title Ubuntu, memtest86+
> root (hd0,7)
> kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
> quiet
>
> ### 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/hda1
> title Windows NT/2000/XP Recovery
> root (hd0,0)
> savedefault
> makeactive
> chainloader +1
>
>
> # This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
> # on /dev/hda2
> title Microsoft Windows XP Professional
> root (hd0,1)
> savedefault
> makeactive
> chainloader +1
>
>
> # This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
> # linux installation on /dev/hda5.
> title Mandriva 2007 (on /dev/hda5)
> root (hd0,4)
> kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda5 resume=/dev/hda6 splash=silent
> initrd /boot/initrd.img
> savedefault
> boot
>
>
> # This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
> # linux installation on /dev/hda5.
> title Mandriva 2007 (recovery mode) (on /dev/hda5)
> root (hd0,4)
> kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda5 resume=/dev/hda6
> initrd /boot/initrd.img
> savedefault
> boot
>
>
> # This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
> # linux installation on /dev/hda5.
> title failsafe (on /dev/hda5)
> root (hd0,4)
> kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda5 failsafe resume=/dev/hda6
> initrd /boot/initrd.img
> savedefault
> boot
>
> Very similar to your case: I have one Recovery partition (sda1), one Windows
> XP Pro, one Ubuntu box, and one Mandriva box. Everything works just fine: by
> selecting on the boot menu, I can boot into any OS I want.
>
> As about your case, here is my suggestion for menu.lst (not sure it will
> work, but worth giving a try)
>
> title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.18-4-686
> root (hd0,2)
> kernel /boot/vmlinuz- 2.6.18-4-686 root=/dev/sda3 ro
> initrd /boot/initrd.img- 2.6.18-4-686
> savedefault
>
> title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.18-4-686 (single-user mode)
> root (hd0,2)
> kernel /boot/vmlinuz- 2.6.18-4-686 root=/dev/sda3 ro single
> initrd /boot/initrd.img- 2.6.18-4-686
> savedefault
>
> title Microsoft Windows XP
> root (hd0,4)
> savedefault
> makeactive
> chainloader +1
>
> title Acer eRecovery Management
> root (hd0,0)
> savedefault
> makeactive
> chainloader +1
>
> The only change here is for XP partition: root (hd0,4) not (hd0,3) because
> your ntfs partition is sda5. Also, you may need just one partition to be
> bootable like me (you have two bootable).
>
> Hope that this can help,
>
> KC.
>
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