I previously had openSuse 11 KDE 4.1 beta2, Kubuntu 8.04 and XP on my computer. Never really used opensuse because kde was still buggy. I installed deleted that partition and did a clean install of opensuse with kde 4.1 final. I originally kept the default OS as kubuntu because I wasn’t sure I was going to keep opensuse, but I like it, so I made it the default.
Now opensuse loads fine, but my other OSes won’t start. When I try loading kubuntu I get
root (hd2)
Filesystem type unknown, using whole disk
configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst
Error 17: Cannot mount selected partition
and windows gives me this
rootnoverify (hd2,0)
chainloader +1
The contents of my menu.lst is
# Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Wed Jul 30 17:44:40 EDT 2008
default 0
timeout 8
##YaST - activate
###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title openSUSE 11.0
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.25.11-0.1-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_WDC_WD800JD-32HWD-WMAJ91548803-part1 resume=/dev/sda6 splash=silent showopts vga=0x31a
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.25.11-0.1-default
###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: Ubuntu 8.04.1, kernel 2.6.24-19-generic (/dev/sda5)###
title Ubuntu 8.04.1, kernel 2.6.24-19-generic (/dev/sda5)
root (hd2)
configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst
configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst
###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 1###
title windows 1
rootnoverify (hd2,0)
chainloader +1
###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 2###
title windows 2
rootnoverify (hd2,0)
chainloader (hd1,0)+1
###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: floppy###
title Floppy
rootnoverify (hd2,0)
chainloader (fd0)+1
###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe -- openSUSE 11.0
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.25.11-0.1-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_WDC_WD800JD-32HWD-WMAJ91548803-part1 showopts ide=nodma apm=off acpi=off noresume nosmp noapic maxcpus=0 edd=off x11failsafe vga=0x31a
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.25.11-0.1-default
I apologize if it’s something obvious, I couldn’t really find anything. Kubuntu should still be in ext3 format, I haven’t changed anything. Help please? I need windows for recording.
We need to know your partition layout to do anything with that – what OS is where (starting with disk1,patition1? Plus, what’s your disk.map say (disk order) (same file place as menu.lst)?
Hopefully a screenshot will help. opensuse is on sda, I keep all my media on sdb (including project files for recording in Windows, so it needs to be ntfs, unfortunately), and sdc has XP and Kubuntu on it, sdc1 and sdc2, respectively.
I’m surprised SuSe will boot as you have title openSUSE 11.0; root (hd0,0)
& that map shows it on hd2 ???
So, I’m guessing below; Is that the way you have the disks setup to boot in BIOS?
Try combo’s of:
###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title openSUSE 11.0 <-- if it's working, don't change it
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.25.11-0.1-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_WDC_WD800JD-32HWD-WMAJ91548803-part1 resume=/dev/sda6 splash=silent showopts vga=0x31a
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.25.11-0.1-default
###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: Ubuntu 8.04.1, kernel 2.6.24-19-generic (/dev/sda5)###
title Ubuntu 8.04.1, kernel 2.6.24-19-generic (/dev/sda5)
root (hd2,4) <-- or root (hd1,4) after you try it
configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst
configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst
###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 1###
title windows 1
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
chainloader (hd1,0) +1
###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 2###
title windows 2
rootnoverify (hd2,0)
chainloader (hd2,0)+1
Try to boot one OS, reboot; try another, reboot, etc., until you have tried all & see what fails. One winOS should boot --may not be the one you expect though
Clearly it’s the way the device map is setup.
Its a whole lot easier if it reads:
(hd0) /dev/sda
(hd1) /dev/sdb
(hd2) /dev/sdc
Starting in the BIOS
Yea, I have no idea how Suse boots either, I was wondering the same thing. Neither of the windows drives boot. I don’t care too much if the Kubuntu partition doesn’t work, but I need the XP one.
I’m thinking about backing stuff up and starting from scratch again, but it’s a pain reinstalling XP (finding drivers, making sure they work together, etc.) and linux just takes too long to configure the way I like it (I love how it’s completely rock solid as soon as you get things to work, it’s just getting to that point that sucks).
Is there anything I can do about the windows partition? I really appreciate your help so far, it’s making things a bit more clear to me.
###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 1###
title windows 1
rootnoverify (hd2,0)
chainloader +1
To this:
###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 1###
title windows 1
map (hd2) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd2)
rootnoverify (hd2,0)
chainloader (hd2,0)+1
But back the file device.map and menu.lst up first.
Is it possible to remove grub and reinstall it without breaking anything? I do want to make note of something though. Grub doesn’t have the green Suse background it used to have. This changed when I made Suse the default. Not sure if that gives any hints to anyone.
Q1: which is the windows partition that contains the file boot.ini, and what are the contents of it? [That doesn’t answer your question - it’s a new angle]
Q2: can you still boot xp? and if ‘yes’ then you must point the bios at it with either (a) opening the bios and changing the boot sequence or (b) by getting the bios boot menu up by using a special key (like I use F12). Is that correct?
Now to your question:
Is it possible to remove grub and reinstall it without breaking anything? I do want to make note of something though. Grub doesn’t have the green Suse background it used to have. This changed when I made Suse the default. Not sure if that gives any hints to anyone.
Maybe – Reinitialise the bootloader: boot into Suse then go to Yast –> System –> Boot Loader. The Grub configuration screen comes up with the Tab “Section Management” activated. In the lower right is a drop-down selector labelled “Other”. Select from “Other” the option “Propose New Configuration” and then wait for Grub to analyse your partitions and display a new configuration. This may take a while. Important: When that finishes, activate the tab labelled “Boot Loader Installation” and select to “Boot from the Master Boot Record”. [Yast will often default to booting from the root or boot partition rather than from the MBR but that’s for experts only – always choose the MBR.] Then click Finish to save the changes and install the reconfigured Grub into the hard drive’s MBR. If you get a message that "The bootloader boot sector will be written to a floppy disk … don’t bother with the floppy – just click OK to proceed and install to the MBR. Cross your fingers and reboot.
EDIT: be sure to back up menu.lst before you do the above
A1: I’m not sure where to find the boot.ini file. The partition with XP is sdc1, if that’s what you mean.
A2: XP doesn’t boot. When I select “windows 1” from GRUB, it displays the contents of that section of menu.lst and doesn’t let me do anything. I have to hard restart at that point.
I will try your suggestion upon my return this evening, thank you. It seems like something got screwed up in GRUB somewhere along the line with the various reinstalls, etc.
Again, thanks for your help, I’m somewhat of a new guy to this.
Well you can get windows boot back any time with the XP install CD, as you probably know. And the issue is the booting from Grub, so maybe try this evening.
To find the boot.ini file, just mount the partitions and look in them using your file manager/browser (Nautilus/Konqueror). Oh I see from your screenshot that two are mounted in /windows/C and D.
The boot.ini file is in my windows “C” drive, which is sdc1. It’s contents are as follows:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
And I completely forgot about using the XP install disk to boot, thanks for that reminder!
I was able to get Kubuntu to load after resetting the Grub file, and it also gave me the Suse background again, which is a nice little thing to have, albeit relatively useless.
Actually, how do you boot using the XP install disk? I thought there was an option on one of the screens, but I didn’t see anything when I just tried it. I’m afraid doing a repair will overwrite the bootloader.
Regarding boot.ini:
this phrase: rdisk(0)partition(1)
means disk 1, first partition.
At the time windows was installed, the bios was pointing to boot from this disk and at that time it saw it as rdisk(0) which means disk number 1 or in Linux terms means sda1.
I’m hopelessly lost as to which disk the bios now points to for booting and how the device.map should be structured. I suggest you let Suse recalibrate the menu.lst and ther will emerge a menu.lst with a pointer to the boot.ini file. I’d edit that to look like this:
rootnoverify (hdx,y)
chainloader (hdx,y)+1
where x,y I think is 2,0 – but let Suse work it out
And then I’d copy boot,ini to boot.ini.bak
And edit the boot.ini so rdisk(0) → rdisk(1) and see it it boots
then if it doesn’t edit rdisk(x) to rdisk(2) and see if it boots
One of these: rdisk(0), rdisk(1), rdisk(2) should work
I think this is what @swerdna was probably referring to: Run YaST Boot Loader, under the Other button bottom right, there are several choices. Reread from Disk tells it to recheck the disks and partitions because there may have been a change; Propose and Merge tells it to search from other menu.lst’s and offer a converged menu.lst; Propose New tell is to scan all the disks and partitions and make a recommendation, sorta like the installer does.
As mingus725 suggested: propose new configuration, which should change things from the way Suse saw things when it was installed as a different drive to the way it sees thing now (perhaps )
I just installed a copy of ubu studio that i had. It replaced grub and now i’m back in action. I can boot Suse and Windows perfectly fine now, although I screwed up the installation and ubu studio doesn’t work, but I don’t need that. I’m going to be doing a full system wipe in a month, so this is fine for now. Thanks for all the help guys, I learned a lot by doing this!
)