Installed OpenSUSE, now Ubuntu Jaunty isn't showing in GRUB.

English Install/Boot/Login
#1

Hi all,
I used to dual boot Windows XP and Ubuntu for quite some time now. Yesterday after seeing OpenSUSE installed on my friends lappy, I decided it IS the time to bid goodbye to Windows:). I don’t play games, just internet browsing, listening to music, some letter writing and movies of course!
So today I removed Windows XP by formatting C: drive and installed OpenSUSE.
I am happy with OpenSUSE, but I still want to dual boot OpenSUSE with Ubuntu. But in the GRUB,only OpenSUSE entry is shown, Ubuntu is nowhere:’(. It seems OpenSUSE has overwritten the Ubuntu GRUB during install and doesn’t include Ubuntu in the boot list as Ubuntu does for other OS when we install Ubuntu.

So can anyone please tell me how to create an entry in the GRUB so that I am able to boot into Ubuntu also.

Please bear with my poor English.

Thanx in advance for your help and replies.

#2

Open a terminal and become su and do:

fdisk -l

then

cat /boot/grub/menu.lst

post it all here

We can then advise on editing the menu to add Ub*

#3

Hi caf4926. Thank you for the prompt reply Sir.
Te first command fdisk -l displays “command not found!” and the second outputs “Permission denied”.

What should I do?

Thanx for Your time and replies.

#4

Sorry to ask but how am I supposed to become Su in OpenSUSE? I know that we type sudo su and then provide the password to become su for the time being.

Thanx.

#5

Oops sorry Sir, I typed su and I am now su after providing the password. Please bear with my stupidities here.
Here is the output for “fdisk -l”

Disk /dev/sda: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x05a8706c

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 3187 25599546 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 3188 6247 24579450 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 6248 6374 1020127+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda4 6375 30401 192996877+ f W95 Ext’d (LBA)
/dev/sda5 6375 12381 48251196 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6 12382 18388 48251196 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda7 18389 24395 48251196 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda8 24396 30401 48243163+ 7 HPFS/NTFS

And here 's the output of the second command Sir…

Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Fri Sep 4 08:39:32 EDT 2009

default 0
timeout 8
##YaST - generic_mbr
gfxmenu (hd0,0)/boot/message
##YaST - activate

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title openSUSE 11.1
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27.7-9-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3250310AS_6RYNMVM0-part1 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3250310AS_6RYNMVM0-part3 splash=silent showopts vga=0x317
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.27.7-9-default

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe – openSUSE 11.1
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27.7-9-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3250310AS_6RYNMVM0-part1 showopts ide=nodma apm=off noresume nosmp maxcpus=0 edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processor.max_cstate=1 x11failsafe vga=0x317
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.27.7-9-default

Thanx for Your time.

#6

You should manually add the grub strings (to menu.lst) describing your 2nd partition on HDD where I beleive Ubuntu root filesystem is installed. This strings will be very close to strings describing SuSE, but may be somewhere different -I don’t know about Ubuntu /boot structure.

#7

open a terminal, not su.
type this: gnomesu gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

edit the file to add this:

Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Fri Sep 4 08:39:32 EDT 2009

default 0
timeout 8
##YaST - generic_mbr
gfxmenu (hd0,0)/boot/message
##YaST - activate

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title openSUSE 11.1
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27.7-9-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3250310AS_6RYNMVM0-part1 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3250310AS_6RYNMVM0-part3 splash=silent showopts vga=0x317
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.27.7-9-default

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe – openSUSE 11.1
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27.7-9-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3250310AS_6RYNMVM0-part1 showopts ide=nodma apm=off noresume nosmp maxcpus=0 edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processor.max_cstate=1 x11failsafe vga=0x317
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.27.7-9-default

###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: Ubuntu###
title ubuntu
root (hd0,1)
configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst

I’m assuming ubuntu uses a menu file in this location, but I’m not sure. Don’t worry if it doesn’t work first time. We can get it right. I’m going to check in a Virtual Machine I have. If you want to wait I’ll be back soon.

#8

The above should work as quoted. It points to the ubuntu menu so you’ll be good thru all kernel updates on both OS’s

#9

Thank You for the reply caf4926.

When I enter the commmand You provided, it says “command not found”. I am on KDE so it may be kwrite or something like that. I tried kwrite and the command You provided, but it does nothing.
Thanx a lot for Your replies. I guess I’ll have to reinstall Ubuntu. This way I can get the GRUB back with Ubuntu and OpenSUSE entries.

Thanx for Your time and replies.

#10

OK
I assumed ub user would be gnome

kdesu kwrite /boot/grub/menu.lst

#11

I don’t know why, but that method fails for me with Ubuntu (using configfile) and I have to use the symlinks method:

#Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: none# 
title Ubuntu 9.04 booting via symlinks
root (hd0,8)
kernel     /vmlinuz root=/dev/sda9 ro quiet splash
initrd       /initrd.img

Reference: HowTo Multiboot Ubuntu from openSUSE using the GRUB bootloader

#12

Thank You mikky_m,swerdna & especially caf4926 for your prompt replies Sir. You have been a great help guys.

I reinstalled Ubuntu,it detected OpenSUSE installed on my system and automatically configured the GRUB for the two OS’es. Now I can log into both the OS’es.
One query, though not that important, why OpenSUSE doesn’t automatically recognize and create GRUB entries for other OS’es like Ubuntu?

Once again thanx for Your time and replies.
Take care.
GOD Bless.

#13

One query, though not that important, why OpenSUSE doesn’t automatically recognize and create GRUB entries for other OS’es like Ubuntu?

It should. It can depend on the setup. Not very helpful answer I know, but there are so many variables in this.
Anyway, good to hear you are up and running.:wink:

#14

Hi every body ,
I ran into this problem as well
I just want to share how I resolved this without reinstall ubuntu again,

First step
Just do an
# fdisk -l
Check you partitioning layout, based on this, you will know wich one is Ubuntu and wich one is Suse or others OS,

Second step
Mount your respective Ubuntu partition , e.g
Let’s say Ubuntu is located on /dev/sda6

# mount /dev/sda6 /mnt/ubuntu (or other mount point desired)

Move to the Ubuntu filesystem and extract your grub config, (for ubuntu 11.04)

*# cd /mnt/media/boot/grub

nano grub.cfg*

and check your grub configuration, maybe you will find easily looking for “vmlinuz”, so find it.
Is something like that:

    linux   /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-8-generic root=UUID=95805ff3-3544-4139-b1a$
    initrd  /boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-8-generic

Next step, it’s put in to Suse grub config file
e.g
# nano /boot/grub/menu.lst

and add the correct lines to bootup Ubuntu again

title Ubuntu 11.04
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-8-generic root=UUID=95805ff3-3544-4139-b1a2-74a8f$
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-8-generic

Use hd0,5 if ubuntu reside in /dev/sda6

Save the file, and reboot your system , You will see the grub menu updated, and working with Ubuntu and Suse.

This works for me, hope you will find useful

My two cents

yazpik