Need a dual-boot solution.

English Install/Boot/Login
1

Hi. I need to make my computer dual-bootable from the GRUB menu. At the moment I use the BIOS’s F8 key during POST, but my sister needs access to programs on the Windows Vista partition.

My device.map:


(fd0)	/dev/fd0
(hd1)	/dev/sda
(hd0)	/dev/sdc
(hd2)	/dev/sdb

I don’t plan on changing the ordering, as it tends to mess up.

My menu.lst:


# Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Sat Apr 18 13:39:24 BST 2009
default 0
timeout 8
##YaST - activate
gfxmenu (hd0,1)/boot/message

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title openSUSE 11.0 - 2.6.25.20-0.1
    root (hd0,1)
    kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.25.20-0.1-pae root=/dev/disk/by-label/system resume=/dev/sdc1 splash=silent showopts vga=0x31a
    initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.25.20-0.1-pae

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe -- openSUSE 11.0 - 2.6.25.20-0.1
    root (hd0,1)
    kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.25.20-0.1-pae root=/dev/disk/by-label/system showopts ide=nodma apm=off acpi=off noresume nosmp noapic maxcpus=0 edd=off x11failsafe vga=0x31a
    initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.25.20-0.1-pae

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: windows###
title Windows
    rootnoverify (hd0,1)
    chainloader (hd1,0)+1

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: floppy###
title Floppy
    rootnoverify (hd0,1)
    chainloader (fd0)+1

My grub.conf


setup --stage2=/boot/grub/stage2 (hd0) (hd0,1)
quit

Output of ‘fdisk -l’



Disk /dev/sda: 320.0 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0007af32

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               1       38913   312568641   83  Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
240 heads, 63 sectors/track, 32301 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 15120 * 512 = 7741440 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x3923946c

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1   *           1       32302   244196352    7  HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdc: 73.4 GB, 73407488000 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 8924 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0003ef77

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdc1               1         784     6297448+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdc2   *         785        8924    65384550   83  Linux

As you’ve probably noticed, YaST made a ‘Windows’ chainloader option during mi initial install. However, it does not work and I need to know how to change it without sending my GRUB into a SNAFUBAR state as I have done before.

Here’s how my Disks look in real life:


SATA-1 -- /dev/sda -- [HITACHI-HDP72503]
|--> /dev/sda1 -- [/home]

SATA-2 -- /dev/sdb -- [Maxtor-7Y250M0]
|-->  /dev/sdb1 -- [/windows/C]

SCSI -- /dev/sdc -- [IBM-ESXS-DTN073C1UCDY10F]
|-->  /dev/sdc1 -- [swap]
|-->  /dev/sdc2 -- /]
2

edit the windows boot in menu.lst to:

rootnoverify (hd1,0)
chainloader (hd1,0)+1

see if that does it
GRUB Boot Multiboot openSUSE Windows (2000, XP, Vista) using the Grub bootloader.

3

Thank you for your reply; much appreciated. However, the solution does not work as GRUB changes the entry back to:


    rootnoverify (hd0,1)
    chainloader (hd1,0)+1

I have tried to change it to ‘rootnoverify (hd1,0)’ at the GRUB menu however it throws this back at me:


      Booting Command List

rootnoverify (hd1,0)
chainloader (hd1,0)+1

Error 13: Invalid or unsupported executable format

Press any key to continue..._

GRUB does the same thing even with your solution, as it switches back to ‘rootnoverify (hd0,1)’.

I shall consult swerdna’s website, thank you for the link and reply. :slight_smile:

4

Just how are you editing the /boot/grub/menu.lst ??

Grub doesn’t just change it back!

5 

map (hd2) (hd0)
map (hd0) (hd2)
rootnoverify (hd2,0)
chainloader +1
6

Vista doesn’t recognise map function

7

There’s a bug in one of the openSUSE releases, 11.1 I think, whereby edits of Grub’s config file don’t stick. This is fixed in a patch that’s available via Yast –> software –> Online Update. Use that for a full online update. Might help your edits to stick. (Of course, it might be something else that’s happening too).

8

Be it as it may, Vista is lying on hd2 if device.map is correct.


(hd2)	/dev/sdb

Disk /dev/sdb: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
240 heads, 63 sectors/track, 32301 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 15120 * 512 = 7741440 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x3923946c

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1   *           1       32302   244196352    7  HPFS/NTFS

I don’t know if the map-command will be ignored then or if it really will prevent Vista from booting, but trying with and without mapping will certainly do no harm.

9

Vista will ignore the map and cary on with the booting. Having map there does no harm. Well spotted about the hd2.