I have acquired new hardware for my OpenSuSE 10.2 mail gateway and have started the process of moving from the old server hardware to the new platform. The basic hardware is similar in that the processor is the same on the new server (except faster), different motherboard, different NIC, both servers have the same kind of IDE drives, etc.
I used Norton Ghost to make an image of the old server and then copied the image to the new server. Now, when the new server boots it just gets to a screen that says “GRUB” with a blinking cursor and stops there.
I know I can boot from the 10.2 installation disk and the disk has a few repair options, but I’m not sure which one to pick. Any suggestions?
(I plan on upgrading to 11.0 once I get the 10.2 installation running on the new hardware)
Here’s atypical entry from my computer in the grub config file, menu.lst:
###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title openSUSE 11.0 - 2.6.25.16-0.1
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.25.16-0.1-pae root=/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_Maxtor_6L160P0_L30VFB7H-part2 resume=/dev/sda7 splash=silent showopts vga=0x31a
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.25.16-0.1-pae
Notice that the “kernel” line addresses the bootup location by the hardware ID of the old hardware. You need to change it to a more generic term like /dev/sda2 or whatever is appropriate for your (very different) situation.
OK, I got it to boot by booting from the 10.2 installation CD, choosing “Rescue System” and then “Boot Installed System”. I went into Yast, checked the bootloader, and changed the entry below from “root=/dev/hda1” to “root=/dev/hda2” (the partition that I had to choose in the “Boot Installed System” option above). I rebooted but it still locks up at the “GRUB” prompt. Any ideas? Here is my current /boot/grub/menu.lst:
Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Thu Oct 9 23:11:36 CDT 2008
default 0
timeout 8
gfxmenu (hd0,1)/boot/message
###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title openSUSE 10.2
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 vga=0x314 resume=/dev/hda2 splash=silent showopts
initrd /boot/initrd
###Don’t change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: floppy###
title Floppy
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader (fd0)+1
Resume: resume= should point to the swap partition.
To get a fresh code into the Master boot record pointing to the 10.s partition do this: boot to installed system again and goto Yast bootloader.
Under “Section Management” tab clock the “Other” option (lower right) → propose new configuration → wait, wait it will eventually arrive.
Then activate the tab for “Boot loader installation” and make sure the check mark is in the box for Boot from Master Boot Record → Finish.