Dualboot openSUSE 11.1/Vista works just Once

English Install/Boot/Login
1

Hello,

I have installed openSUSE 11.1 x64 on a 400 GB SATA Disk as a second OS with VISTA 32 installed. Half of that disk is reserved for SUSE which generates 3 paritions (swap, boot and home) and installs GRUB into the extended Partition.
Grub works fine, I can start openSUSE, Failsafe several times - no problem.
I can also start VISTA successful with no problems - But just once !
After starting Vista from Grub and doing a Re-Boot from Vista, the old Vista Boot-Manager reappears and there is no possibility to access the brand new installed openSUSE. Repair reports several errors in the file system and the package structure of the brand new installed SUSE but cannot repair the GRUB.
I have installed SUSE now several times also tried EasyBCD with NEO Grub using the menu.lst from Yast - no success!
Is it really impossible to run openSUSE beside a Vista installation allowing a stable Dual-Boot?

Thanks in advance

SIncerely your Oblomow

2

Yes. But I would install Vista first.

You might look at this. And FYI - @mingus725 is kind of a guru at this.
Triple boot: First: Vista, Next: XP, then: openSUSE 11 - openSUSE Forums

3

Vista is installed first on sdb1 and works perfect!

But booting Vista from GRUB seems to disable or destroy GRUB and openSUSE 11.1 x64 is no longer accessible except by doing a new install!

I forgot to post the menu.lst file from GRUB, normally I boot Vista by using the windows1-entry:

***# Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Thu Apr 9 16:12:10 UTC 2009
default 0
timeout 8
gfxmenu (hd0,5)/boot/message
##YaST - activate

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title openSUSE 11.1 - 2.6.27.7-9
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27.7-9-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-SAMSUNG_HD400LJ_S0H2J1WL903369-part6 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-SAMSUNG_HD400LJ_S0H2J1WL903369-part5 splash=silent showopts vga=0x345
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.27.7-9-default

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe – openSUSE 11.1 - 2.6.27.7-9
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27.7-9-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-SAMSUNG_HD400LJ_S0H2J1WL903369-part6 showopts ide=nodma apm=off noresume edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processor.max_cstate=1 x11failsafe vga=0x345
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.27.7-9-default

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 1###
title windows 1
map (hd0) (hd0)
map (hd0) (hd0)
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 2###
title windows 2
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 3###
title windows 3
map (hd2) (hd0)
map (hd0) (hd2)
rootnoverify (hd2,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1***

4

We could do with seeing a su terminal output of:

fdisk -l

If you can identify the partitions in the output, even better.

5

Since at the moment I cannot access openSUSE (a new installation would take too long) I insert the disk configuration displayed in Vista

Disk 0 - 500 GB mirrored RAID using ICHR7 for data, formatted
Disk 1 Part 1 Vista primary (200 GB) NTFS
Disk 1 Part 2 openSUSE swap (2 GB)
Disk 1 Part 3 openSUSE root (20 GB) Ext 3
Disk 1 Part 4 openSUSE home (100 GB) Ext 3
Disk 1 Part 5 free Space to be formatted for file exchange with FAT32

Thanks in Advance

6

I don’t know enough about RAID to offer advice. And I’m not prepared to guess, it’s too risky with issues as important as this.

I have Vista on my Laptop and it’s just one HD and Grub is to the MBR. Here is my fdisk:

/dev/sda1 1 8487 68163795 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 * 8487 10575 16771829 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 10575 19457 71352697 f W95 Ext’d (LBA)
/dev/sda5 10575 10965 3140676 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 10966 16191 41977813+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 16192 19457 26234113+ c W95 FAT32 (LBA)

7

Listen:

The RAID is formatted NTFS ans should not be touched by Linux!

The fdisk command isn’t available under Vista and at the moment I cannot access openSUSE due to the problem I am posting here

8

Any live distro should let you do fdisk

9

In the meantime I was able to boot Knoppix and do a fdisk -l. Here is the result:

*Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x9be824d6

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 60801 488380416 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdb: 400.0 GB, 400088457216 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 48641 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xdff2dff2

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 1 25496 204796588+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb2 25497 48641 185912212+ f W95 Ext’d (LBA)
/dev/sdb5 25497 25758 2104483+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdb6 25759 28369 20972826 83 Linux
/dev/sdb7 28370 41425 104864287 83 Linux

Disk /dev/sdc: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x9be824d6

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 1 60801 488380416 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdd: 4109 MB, 4109893632 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 499 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x002b13fd

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdd1 * 1 500 4013536+ b W95 FAT32
Partition 1 has different physical/logical endings:
phys=(498, 254, 63) logical=(499, 169, 54)

Disk /dev/sde: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x469d60df

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sde1 1 121601 976760001 7 HPFS/NTFS
*

Vista was installed first, leaving some 200 GB empty for openSUSE.
The partioning is the result of openSUSE automatic installation proposal: I just decreased the size of the /home by 20 Gig to later on define a fat32-drive for easy file exchange between Vista and openSUSE.

openSUSE installed GRUP into the extended partition sdb2 when installing.

As I see the sdb1 partition (Vista) is marked active, but from Vista I do not see the sdb2 extended partition and so cannot mark it active to get into GRUB again.

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 1###
title windows 1
map (hd0) (hd0)
map (hd0) (hd0)
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

That citation above is from GRUB menu.lst as I understand the sdb1 partition will be set as active by GRUB when selecting that menu Item (windows 1) - And that seems to be the point of no return since GRUP will make itself inaccesable when selecting that config item.

What can I do to make a reliable dual-boot configuration (reliable means switching between the two OSes should be possible in any directions more than just one time)???

Thanks in advance

Oblomow58

10

I just used parted magic to try something. You can manage flags with that.
Downloads - Parted Magic

here are screens to show you:

http://thumbnails17.imagebam.com/3230/f93e5132293206.gif](http://www.imagebam.com/image/f93e5132293206/) http://thumbnails18.imagebam.com/3230/44e42a32293217.gif](http://www.imagebam.com/image/44e42a32293217/)

=============================

It’s possible too with the SUSE DVD to repair bootloader and set boot flag, as in these screens
http://thumbnails16.imagebam.com/3223/3ae3e532227955.gif](http://www.imagebam.com/image/3ae3e532227955)

http://thumbnails14.imagebam.com/3223/1f88fc32227977.gif](http://www.imagebam.com/image/1f88fc32227977)

11

Due to haveing MS boot code in the MBR and GRUB in the extended partition you MUST remove ‘makeactive’ in the Menu.lst for the Vista boot option. Along with caf4926 post you can use Linux fdisk to change boot flags. If you use fdisk be sure not only to set sdb2 active but remove flag on sdb1.

12

Thank you for that tips. By myself I preferred to reinstall openSUSE from the scratch - that gives me GRUB back

But that GRUB configured by openSUSE automatic config inactivates itself every time, you select the windows 1 menu item:

That is, if I understand that correct, what the option makeactive will do:

Make the Vista partition active,

which will also mean,

disable GRUB

It cannot be re-activated from a running Vista (or I don’t know how).

Now I am a little bit disappointed, since alternatively activating partitions by using installation DVD’s (Vista and openSUSE) will work - But that kind of dual boot seems to be a little slow and painful

Are there no other proven, validated and reliable methods to do a dual boot Vista vs. openSUSE since the yast automatic GRUB config allows just to restore the Vista boot environment???

Thanks in advance, Oblomow

13

In the meantime I found a dirty workaround that allows me having openSUSE 11.1 installed on the same disk as Windows Vista Ultimate x86 SP1 and to select after a bootup of the machine, which OS to be booted. It makes it necessary to use 2 cascading boot managers (GRUB installed in the extended Partition and the Vista BootMgr in the MBR).

First I tried to install GRUB into the Vista BootMgr:
In VISTA + OPEN SUSE 11.0 DUAL BOOT: Another turn of the screw - openSUSE Forums I found a description on how to save the GRUB boot loader from the extended Partition sdb2 into a file.
Back in Vista I used BCedit in a CMD-Shell to add an entry for that boot sector.
After a reboot I was able to access GRUB again and to boot openSUSE.
The Windows 1 Entry automatically disables GRUB when selected. But Vista will successfully from GRUB using menu-lst as follows:

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 2###
title Windows Vista Ultimate x86 SP1 (Recommended)
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 1###
title Windows Vista Ultimate x86 SP1 (GRUB disables itself automatically)
map (hd0) (hd0)
map (hd0) (hd0)
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

It is not very elegant, but it works for me.

But after all I wonder whether there is not a more elegant and reliable solution around - One boot manager for both systems which does not disable itself when specific items are selected

Thank you very much for your responds

Best Regards, Yours Oblomow

14

You are sightly mixed up in all this. If you have just re-installed SUSE, you needed to use custom partitioning. Always my choice. When you get to the install summary, click on the bootloader and review Grubs location, for me, I always use the MBR, see screens:

This screen wrongly defaults to /boot - not what we want
http://files.myopera.com/carl4926/albums/671478/16.png

Once you click you arrive at this screen - but move on to the advanced tab
http://files.myopera.com/carl4926/albums/671478/17.png

Advanced settings:
Change from /boot
http://files.myopera.com/carl4926/albums/671478/18.png

to MBR
http://files.myopera.com/carl4926/albums/671478/19.png

Flags can be set from the boot loader options button
http://thumbnails14.imagebam.com/3223/1f88fc32227977.gif](http://www.imagebam.com/image/1f88fc32227977)

So NO flag on Vista partition. But YES on the / (root) of SUSE.
Grub to MBR

15

Are you sure that Vista will still boot reliable when grub is installed in the MBR?
I definitively prefer to use a system from Microsoft (Vista or Server 2008) as my primary working system. I just use Linux to test some ksh scripts mostly using xterm, pico and mc.
If you have to reinstall Vista or add Windows 7 as a 3rd OS this will be possible without losing GRUB.

If you don’t touch the MBR and install GRUB into the extended Partion and avoid the “makeactive” tag in the Vista section of the GRUB menu.lst. Using a Vista entry as quoted above allows me to switch between Vista and openSUSE:

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows 2###
title Windows Vista Ultimate x86 SP1 (Recommended)
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

If something goes wrong and the active bit is set to something different than the extended partition GRUB installed in, it can be reactivated using Vista’s boot mechanism: Copy the boot sector into a file, transfer that file to the C-Drive if Vista and activate it as described in VISTA + OPEN SUSE 11.0 DUAL BOOT: Another turn of the screw - in this forum.

Best regards

Oblomow

16

I suggest you look at @swerdna’s info too
GRUB Boot Multiboot openSUSE Windows (2000, XP, Vista) using the Grub bootloader.

You are aware of this?
Download EasyBCD 1.7.2 - NeoSmart Technologies

If in doubt, think it out.

All I can say is: I quite happily use Grub with Vista. But I couldn’t give two hoots if Vista went AWOL. it’s going completely at my next re-install with 11.2 anyway. I never use it, so it’s just a waste of space.

17

I know EasyBCD but never had success to manage a dual-boot with openSUSE. Why?
By default openSUSE installs GRUB into the extended partition when Vista is installed first. From inside Vista you just see the logical drives (swap, root, home) but not the extended partition.
So you cannot configure GRUB from inside Vista nor install GRUB for DOS.
I solved my problem by not using the default windows 1 entry configured by openSUSE’s automatic configuration - Using that entry will result in a loss of GRUB functionality (switch the active partition flag to Vista) which cannot been set back to the extended partition, GRUB resides in.
But when an entry for will be added to Vista’s boot manager, GRUB can be enabled from Vista’s boot menu and I am free to add as many OSes from Redmont as I like an will fit on my disks.

But thank you very much for your assistance

Best regards, Oblomow