I know the title may appear humorous, but here is what happened. My internal has ubuntu and Debian with no room for Suse 11 so I plugged in a 160GB External HD and loaded Suse 11 with success.
However at reboot it booted automatically to Suse with no boot sequence screen.
Please understand I am a 77 year old newbie and I have not a clue what to do. I know this is basic and if I was in Ubuntu I would know how to at least get to media and see my Hard Drives.
I will continue to attempt to do something in BIOS, but I think my solution lies elsewhere and sure hope someone can help.
A critically challenged senior newbie:beat-up:
If you are booting from the external HD (usb)? Then you have set that as the first boot device, yes?
If you are booting suse from that, you should get a boot screen with at least the default boot and failsafe options. If you don’t get this, it would be very strange,
If there is a boot screen but there are no other boot options, that can be fixed.
The internal drives are still there, you just didn’t set them up during install. All you need to do is open a terminal when in suse, go su and enter your password and do
fdisk -l
and post here
aslo the contents of
/etc/fstab
All you will need to do is create a folder in the tree for each partition you want to mount. Lets say sda1 is ubuntu, create a folder called Ubuntu
then we edit fstab and the line might look something like
/dev/sda1 /Ubuntu ext3 uid=1000,gid=100,umask=0022 0 0
I was meaning to post the fdisk but was so flustered I failed to do so. You are right the boot screen does come uo with booting grub then goes directly to SUSE loading.
Here is fdisk:
linux-czqy:~ # fdisk -l
Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x5b6ac646
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 9 72261 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 10 2620 20972857+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 2621 19457 135243202+ 83 Linux
Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40007761920 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4864 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000e648d
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 1 737 5919921 83 Linux
/dev/hda2 738 777 321300 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/hda3 * 778 4690 31431172+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda4 4691 4864 1397655 5 Extended
/dev/hda5 4691 4864 1397623+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
I appreciate your reply and it is extremely difficult to make these admissions i.e. aslo the contents of
/etc/fstab (navigating files my short suit) So if you have the tenacity and the time to direct me I might get this done.
I went to gparted because I was curious and again I would have taken a screen shot from there had I known how to find it so shot of that here is what I saw.
External shows only sda 1, 2, 3 (That is confusing as all get out given what I watched as Yast partitioned.
Internal Shows sda1 which is ubuntu
sda2 swap
sda3 Debian
sda4 Extended
sda5 another swap
I am not a quitter and really comfortable with gnome and ubuntu so if you think I am being over zelious or premature just say so and I fill reload ubuntu and debian and wait until I am more seasoned.
So I will stay with you all the way if you choose and to take on what could be somewhat of an enigma.
Again thank you from small town Texas
from a terminal, then copy the contents
kdesu kwrite /etc/fstab
or of using gnome
gnomesu gedit /etc/fstab
/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_HITACHI_DK23FA-_560754-part2 swap swap defaults 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_HITACHI_DK23FA-_560754-part5 swap swap defaults 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/usb-WD_1600BEV_External_575848593037363030343835-0:0-part2 / ext3 acl,user_xattr 1 1
/dev/disk/by-id/usb-WD_1600BEV_External_575848593037363030343835-0:0-part1 /boot ext3 acl,user_xattr 1 2
/dev/disk/by-id/usb-WD_1600BEV_External_575848593037363030343835-0:0-part3 /home ext3 acl,user_xattr 1 2
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
sysfs /sys sysfs noauto 0 0
debugfs /sys/kernel/debug debugfs noauto 0 0
devpts /dev/pts devpts mode=0620,gid=5 0 0
Open Yast Partitioner
accept the warning
Does the partitioner pick up the disks and partitions?
You only need 1 swap. But you better leave it as is.
Create the folders I told you about earlier, so that when in Yast Partitioner you set the mount points.
Look for the partition/s in question, make sure the do not format radio button is checked, it should be by default. Edit each partition and set the mount point for them, you can manually type it in eg: /Ubuntu or /Debian
Remember the spelling and case must match the folder exactly. And they way I have quoted they are on main root of the tree. Some people prefer to set the folders in the existing media folder, so that would look like: /media/Ubuntu
When you have edited each, finish and reboot. If you still have problems accessing them, come back with your new /etc/fstab
I realize I am not responding to the lates post, but got messed up somehow.
76yrold - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
Anyway that site contains screen shot partitioner in yast.
And at the expense of your very clarity laden directions I am not there entirely yet.
So I actually right click I assume on partition in question and after identifying to my satisfaction I edit (actually what does that entail) then I mount I understand.
However what is the time line of creating theses folderspre or post edit and exactly where are they saved to. Please treat me like a dumb A-- for in truth I am at this point.
Thanks again continued patience
OK. So in the image I hazard a guess and say hda3 is the partition with all your user data. But just take that as eg. So left click click on hda3 so it is highlighted blue, from the buttons lower down click edit
A new box should pop up. Here you need to enter really just the mount point. So assuming you have a folder in the root directory /Ubuntu, type that in the mount point section.
Click OK
Do any other partitions the same way. (not the same mount point name - obviously) Then click OK
This should write a line in fstab
when done reboot
If necessary we can change permission values manually later.
Ok may have messed up. Went to File manager super user and window that popped up and here is where I messed up I am sure. I created the 2 folders in bin-konqueror and should have know since I did not see my creation I had fouled up.
But anyway went to Yast did the thing and now on the visual window I see /debian and /ubuntu in proper place.
Rebooted and no change so can I go back to root and create and if so be ultra specific. We are either real close I feel or I messed up bad
So did you do the edit in the partitioner?
If the folders are in place in the tree, and yes they would have to be done from super user, and you have setup the mount points via the partitioner all should be ok.
post /etc/fstab again
/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_HITACHI_DK23FA-_560754-part2 swap swap defaults 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_HITACHI_DK23FA-_560754-part5 swap swap defaults 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/usb-WD_1600BEV_External_575848593037363030343835-0:0-part2 / ext3 acl,user_xattr 1 1
/dev/disk/by-id/usb-WD_1600BEV_External_575848593037363030343835-0:0-part1 /boot ext3 acl,user_xattr 1 2
/dev/disk/by-id/usb-WD_1600BEV_External_575848593037363030343835-0:0-part3 /home ext3 acl,user_xattr 1 2
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
sysfs /sys sysfs noauto 0 0
debugfs /sys/kernel/debug debugfs noauto 0 0
devpts /dev/pts devpts mode=0620,gid=5 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-HITACHI_DK23FA-40_560754-part3 /debian ext3 defaults 1 2
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-HITACHI_DK23FA-40_560754-part1 /ubuntu ext3 defaults
use file manager super user mode to edit as above
make sure there is a blank line under the last entry, and it should work. If not we may just have to fiddle a little.
Just to confirm the tree
open a terminal go su and then:
cd /
then:
dir
post contents here
Just when I think I cannot feel any more challenged you add to my learning curve and present new challenge(what a folder I have compiled) none the less I can get the results /etc/fstab and I can get to file manager as super user, but how do I edit with file manager? do I copy it to or what. Sorry again and I know we are close
Just to confirm the tree
open a terminal go su and then:
cd /
then:
dir
post contents here
To edit fstab:
kdesu kwrite /etc/fstab
or navigate to it in su file manager and right click open with kwrite
edit and save
total 93
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 2008-08-02 18:37 bin
drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 1024 2008-12-08 17:40 boot
drwxr-xr-x 22 root root 4096 2008-12-07 18:18 debian
drwxr-xr-x 13 root root 4380 2008-12-09 17:54 dev
drwxr-xr-x 91 root root 12288 2008-12-09 17:54 etc
drwxr-xr-x 5 root root 4096 2008-12-08 17:47 home
drwxr-xr-x 13 root root 4096 2008-08-02 18:29 lib
drwx------ 2 root root 16384 2008-12-08 17:31 lost+found
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 2008-12-09 08:57 media
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 2008-12-08 17:38 mnt
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 2008-08-02 18:25 opt
dr-xr-xr-x 111 root root 0 2008-12-09 17:53 proc
drwx------ 8 root root 4096 2008-12-09 11:30 root
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 12288 2008-08-02 18:31 sbin
drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 4096 2008-08-02 18:23 srv
drwxr-xr-x 11 root root 0 2008-12-09 17:53 sys
drwxrwxrwt 23 root root 4096 2008-12-09 18:00 tmp
drwxr-xr-x 20 root root 4096 2008-12-08 11:56 ubuntu
drwxr-xr-x 12 root root 4096 2008-08-02 18:23 usr
drwxr-xr-x 14 root root 4096 2008-08-02 18:26 var
/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_HITACHI_DK23FA-_560754-part2 swap swap defaults 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_HITACHI_DK23FA-_560754-part5 swap swap defaults 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/usb-WD_1600BEV_External_575848593037363030343835-0:0-part2 / ext3 acl,user_xattr 1 1
/dev/disk/by-id/usb-WD_1600BEV_External_575848593037363030343835-0:0-part1 /boot ext3 acl,user_xattr 1 2
/dev/disk/by-id/usb-WD_1600BEV_External_575848593037363030343835-0:0-part3 /home ext3 acl,user_xattr 1 2
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
sysfs /sys sysfs noauto 0 0
debugfs /sys/kernel/debug debugfs noauto 0 0
devpts /dev/pts devpts mode=0620,gid=5 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-HITACHI_DK23FA-40_560754-part3 /debian ext3 defaults 1 2
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-HITACHI_DK23FA-40_560754-part1 /ubuntu ext3 defaults 1 2
My ISP hasbeen down hope this helps
What would be helpful is if you tell us what happens now. If you open My Computer or Sysinfo can you see the partitions in there.
What happens when you navigate to the the directory /ubuntu or /debian ?? In file browser.
To caf4926
You have been more then kind and in effect made it possible to resolve my installation problem. I suspected besides whatever I did initially to cause this loss that the recovery inspite of your great input was going badly due to my desk tops age and the limitation of the BIOS. I would get the error 21 grub loading, power off go to BIOS advanced and sometimes external was there other times not. Plus sometimes I could bring SUSE up without the external being displayed on BIOS.
Anyway to test my assumption out I took a drastic step. Formatted external brought it over to my hp desktop plugged it in, installed SUSE and attained a correct boot sequence.
I appreciate the time you took and believe me it was not wasted. I developed quite a resource file on SUSE and carried it over with me to my desk top.
Given the time on the notebook if nothing else I will format and reload Ubuntu and debian
It has been a pleasure and you are indeed a credit to Suse and are gifted with a patience threshold beyond belief.
Will see you on the forum for I read and copy essentials to my folder.
Cheers
You are welcome. Enjoy Suse