I created a partition for linux, put my DVD in the drive & re booted my computer.
While booting I got the following message on a black screen.
GNU GRUB version0.97 (630k Lower / 523264k upper memory)
[Minimal BASH - like line editing is supported. For the first word TAB
lists possible command completion. Anywhere else TAB Lists the possible completion of a device file name.]
grub> _
Is there anyone that can assist me with installing it from here?
Hello Hermes,
On 2013-02-14, Hermes14 <Hermes14@no-mx.forums.opensuse.org> wrote:
>
> I created a partition for linux, put my DVD in the drive & re booted my
> computer.
Did you actually install Linux? It looks like you did (based on the minimal BASH output). But if you did, you’re going to
have to provide a lot more detail such as how you partitioned your disk and what precisely you did install. I also would
like to ask why you are installing openSUSE 12.1 rather than 12.2 (which has a different default bootloader).
>
> Is there anyone that can assist me with installing it from here?
>
I wouldn’t hold your breath. It generally doesn’t work like that. Once we have a vague idea what you’ve actually done,
we are likely to ask very precise questions (such as what is the output of `fdisk -l’ at the minimal BASH prompt
inserting the text inside code tags). But your message doesn’t even tell us that you installed openSUSE let alone how.
Adding to flymail’s comment, I must say that I read your post compeltely different and understood that you put in the DVD, reboot the system and then get the message. But I could be wrong (and he right) due to you not describing to the point what you did and saw.
In any case, creating a oartition for Linux before the insttallation might not be a good idea. The installer will only see a partition (maybe more, but you also do not tell if you have a Windows or other system on it that you want to multi-boot with) and all partitions the installer sees is not free space to use for the installer.
Thus we need indeed a fuller description on what you have, what you want and what you did.
When I see a Grub prompt like that, the first command which comes to my mind is:
grub> **find /boot/grub/stage2**
But - correct me if I’m wrong - the install DVD uses isolinux and not grub as boot loader. You wouldn’t get a Grub shell while booting from DVD - at least in BIOS mode, and on 12.1 anyway.
Thus, the OP is booting from the HDD, has installed Grub boot loader successfully but doesn’t have a (valid) menu.lst (for a reason I don’t explain). That would be my guess.
You may be correct, flymail may be correct, but the OP’s description is inconsistent in itself in a high degree if you ask me.
My action in such cases is allways to settle that first before jumping to conclusions and going for any further debugging. But you answer may help him.
On 2013-02-14, please try again <please_try_again@no-mx.forums.opensuse.org> wrote:
> But - correct me if I’m wrong - the install DVD uses isolinux and not
> grub as boot loader. You wouldn’t get a Grub shell while booting from
> DVD - at least in BIOS mode, and on 12.1 anyway.
>
> Thus, the OP is booting from the HDD, has installed Grub boot loader
> successfully but doesn’t have a (valid) menu.lst (for a reason I don’t
> explain). That would be my guess.
>
That was my thought that lead to my asking the OP: `Did you actually install Linux? It looks like you did (based on the
minimal BASH output).’ But I also agree with Henk in that the OP’s post suggests that Linux was never installed
(although I suspect it was, at least in part). I guess we won’t get very far without clarification from OP…
On 02/14/2013 01:46 PM, Hermes14 wrote:
> Is there anyone that can assist me with installing it from here?
step one would be to make sure the install media is right!
did you check the downloaded DVD iso with md5 or sha1 checksums,
see http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Download_help#Checksums
after that did you boot from the DVD and instead of selecting
install, select “Check Installation Media” as you see here:
http://tinyurl.com/3qde66h
if you did those two things then you know your media is good (it
often is not: caused by bad download, poor quality DVD blank, burning
at too fast a speed, error during burning, etc etc etc)
Previously I had Linux open suse 12.1 installed on my computer but I haven’t really been using it.
On Tuesday I decided I want to go fully over to linux.
When I tried to log into my Yast it wouldn’t accept my root password & I know I put the password in correctly.
When I first installed Open Suse 12.1 on my desktop I created three partitions.
I allocated 20GB to my swap & about 200GB each to my root & home partition. (the other +/- 500GB is window 7 basic)
The rest of my settings were default.
I read throught the first few chapters of [size=2]OpenSUSE 11.0 and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Bible](http://www.amazon.com/OpenSUSE-Linux-Enterprise-Server-Bible/dp/0470275871/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1360869667&sr=8-1&keywords=linux+suse+12.2) by Roger Whittaker and Justin Davies
kindle version which I bought a while ago & tried to run a repair.
I set my bios to first boot from dvd & restarted my computer which went straight to windown.
I then copied the software (it has already been converted to an iso image) to a 8 gig flash drive, changed my bios to boot from usb & tried to boot it from the flash drive which also didn’t help.
I then went into my system, deleted the swap & home partition & formated my root partition.
I then tried to re-install open suse 12.1 from scratch & dual boot it with windows 7 basic
It looks like linux tried to install itself on top of my windows
I have also tried to run my open suse disk on my laptop but it also goes straight to windows.
I am runnung vist on my laptop.
When I first inserted my linux dvd into my desktop, windows wanted to format it but I cancelled it immediately.
I don’t think the disk was corrupted.
[/size]
Sounds to me that you have long ago wiped out your original openSUSE. If you still had it, I’d have recommended a simple fix that probably would have worked, it worked for me. Although it happened to me in 11.3, it should probably work for 12.2 also.
When you can’t su to root or open apps that require root permissions…
As for your current situation…
If you can I recommend booting into something where you can manage partitions (LiveCD, another working OS maybe Windows, Gparted Live, etc)
Identify the partitions which hold data you want to preserve and write them all down for reference. Be sure you’ve identified the partitions accurately.
Remove/delete all partitions that aren’t holding any data, the disk space should then appear as Unused, un-partitioned, unformatted space.
From a verified valid openSUSE DVD, boot and just follow the instructions. The Install process should both identify the used partitions and the unused space, then propose a layout using the unused space.
Unless you have a reason to change the layout, accept the defaults and proceed. The Install should partition and format the <unused space> only and create a boot menu that points both to your new install and the existing partitions.
BTW - Unless you plan on installing tons of <server apps> which will store data not on the /home partition, 100GB should be plenty for the root (/) partition, you’ll actually be using only about 30GB or so.
And, as always when doing this kind of thing… If you value your data, BACK UP before messing with your partitions and formatting. It should only cost you one disk drive that’s at least larger than your existing drive and if using an imaging backup program less 45 minutes(based on your 300GB) (Most of the variation in time will be the amount of data. If very data maybe only 10 minutes). One little mistake can wipe out everything on the disk.
HTH,
TSU
No. It doesn’t do that - unless you tell it explicitely to use the whole disk - although I don’t know what you mean by “from scratch”. Most likely it took the boot flag to its root partition (or the extended partition), wherever it did install the Grub boot loader (it depends if the root partition is primary or logical). Anyway, if you reset the boot flag to your Windows partition, you will be able to boot Windows again, probably. Dunno why openSUSE installation didn’t complete - there are several possible explanations. In any case, it won’t certainly hurt to boot a live system, open a root terminal and post the output of :
# fdisk -l
I can’t reload windows & I can’t open a terminal with Linux.
Thanks guys
I think the best thing for me to do is take my box in & have the manufacturer re-install windows for me.
Sounds a lot exagerated IMO. I’m sure someone is going to post a screen shot to show you how to open a terminal from a live system - which is not very complicated.
Thanks Guys
I downloaded the live, burnt it to a usb & voila.
I am posting from my linux version.
A shell sorted the problem out.
A “shell”? Do you know what a “shell” means under Unix and Linux? But I agree that a “shell” can solve any kind of problems. 
Glad you have resolved the issue.
On 2013-02-14, Hermes14 <Hermes14@no-mx.forums.opensuse.org> wrote:
> I set my bios to first boot from dvd & restarted my computer which went
> straight to windown.
Sounds like corrupted media. If DVD drive works normally but refuses to boot a boot-DVD having changed the BIOS boot
priority, I can only think of three possible causes (in decreasing likelihood): corrupt media, borked BIOS firmware,
motherboard problems. For this reason I think at least an MD5 checksum confirmation should routinely be performed on
any installation media prior to installation.
It is actually a bit of pun.