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Re: GRUB location on Dual-Boot with TWO hard drives

Wally Lepore wrote:

On Sat, Oct 13, 2012 at 11:55 PM, Joe Zien <jozien@comcast.net> wrote:

Wally Lepore wrote:

Hi Debain Users,

I'm at the final stages of Installing NOT Ubuntu but  Debian 'Squeeze'
on my dual-boot system. Windows is installed on the 1st hard drive
(/dev/sda) and Debian will be installed on the 2nd hard drive
(/dev/sdb).

The installer is asking me where I want Grub installed. It says:

*****BEGIN*****
The following other operating systems have been detected on this
computer: Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional

If all of your operating systems are listed above, then it should be
safe to install the boot loader to the master boot record of your
first hard drive.

When your computer boots, you will be able to choose
to load one of these operating systems or your new system. Install the
GRUB boot loader to the master boot record? No  or  Yes ?
*****END*****

This is the make it or break it point! Debian is installed on my 2nd
drive (/dev/sdb) NOT the 1st drive (/dev/sda). I also created a
partition on the Debian drive (/dev/sdb) called  "/boot". GRUB was to
be installed at this /boot location and then I would go into BIOS
after install and switch the boot order to boot the Debian drive
(/dev/sdb). This would then present the menu for which OS I would like
to boot (Windows or Debian).

If I choose NO to the installer's question as to placing GRUB in the
MBR of the 1st drive. What are my choices as to where to install it? I
don't want to answer "NO" to the question only to advance the
installer to a dead end. I have no idea what may happen next if I
answer NO. Any ideas or suggestions please?

Thank you



Hi Wally,

I use mepis 11, a debian distro,  as my default with grub legacy
in the MBR.
I boot all distros that use grub2 by adding the following example
using grub legacy menu.lst:

title Debian 6.0 GNU/Linux, at sdb21 (core.img) with Linux 2.6.32-5-amd64
root (hd1,20)
kernel /boot/grub/core.img
savedefault
boot

How do I get into BRUB's menu.Ist: ?

grub2 doesn't use menu.lst




This works for me every time.
Most grub2 distros put grub2 in the MBR and all I have to do
is re-install grub legacy for mepis 11 to the MBR and add the new grub2
distro
as above

But I'm not using "two" linux distro's. I'm using a dual boot with
windows 2000 and Debian Squeeze. Windows in a dual boot with a Linux
distro is not as easy.

Thank you Joe


debian squeeze does not use grub legacy.
I would suggest you try mepis 11  and install grub legacy in the MBR.
It would automatically create menu.lst in /boot/grub and add all operating systems 
in menu.lst.

jozien
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