Hi guys
from few days I’m going crazy trying to solve the problems of installation of OpenSUSE 12.3 on dualboot with Windows 7 and EasyBCD as manager of the MBR.
It is not the first time that I do a dualboot configurations but in the past I’ve always used distros like Ubuntu and I must say that I never had problems getting it all work.
But since I decided to switch to OpenSUSE I’m failing to find the key to the problem.
In short my HD configuration is this:
Recovery partition NTFS (primary)
System reserved NTFS partition (primary)
Windows 7 partition (NTFS and primary)
Partition for linux distro (ext4 logical)
Partition for swap (logical)
At the time of Ubuntu I was doing the following simple steps:
From windows I created 2 partitions (for root and swap)
I installed ubuntu on root partition
at the restart I used the windows cd recovery to launch these 2 commands:
Bootrec.exe / fixmbr
Bootrec.exe / fixboot
From windows with EasyBCD I added a new entry to the list of OS managed by the bootloader and the game was done!
I did the same thing with OpenSUSE (with liveUSB) but it does not work.
Ok I deleted everything (wipe linux partition and reset EasyBCD configurations) and I tried again by following step by step this guide (Dual-Boot openSUSE 12.3 And Windows » TweakHound )
This time I have specifically installed GRUB2 not in the MBR (as has happened before) but in the same / partition.
And this time I have used, not the usb-live, but the dvd.
Result: does not work the same!
As soon as I click on the new entry of EasyBCD, instead of loading grub2 I get a prompt with GRUB4DOS …
Now I do not know what to do anymore …
Do not tell me I have to go back to ubuntu :S
Last thing, as is explained in the guide, from EasyBCD I have created the new entry by choosing: GRUB2 and the specific partition where it was installed linux
Obviously if I use the restore tool included in the dvd of OpenSUSE, I can easily restore GRUB2 but the problem is that then, when the pc starts, I will have GRUB as boot manager (instead I need that was Windows to manage MBR)
Thanks for your help and sorry for my english
I did not use EasyBCD. Instead, I directly used BCDEDIT. Window 7 and opensuse are cooperating quite well, with Windows managing the booting. What works with Ubuntu should work with opensuse.
The other possibility, is that you have a new box with Windows 7 – not the same box as you previously used with Ubuntu. And, in that case, your box might be set for UEFI. As far as I can tell, EasyBCD is pretty much useless on a UEFI box. Windows does not provide the capability of booting a non-windows system under UEFI. The only choice is to use grub2-efi as the primary booter.
I have used the same laptop with the same hd.
Before I had Ubuntu.
Then for security I have created a backup image partition with Clonezilla (…because I know very well that in the world of Linux just you make some change from a situation where everything works, then it does not work anymore…).
Finally I have installed OpenSUSE on the ‘ubuntu’ partition.
And with Ubuntu I never had any problems…
So if it worked before with Ubuntu should now work with OpenSUSE (without UEFI problems…)
But in reality OpenSUSE doesn’t want to start
Can you give me some advice for BCDEDIT (it’s a tool that I’ve never used) ?
Thanks
Did you install grub to the openSUSE root partition? If using Windows to boot you obviously sis not install it to the MBR. But you must then install it to the root partition. or more precisely the partition that has /boot
Also it is best though not required to have a separate home partition, it make changing distros or upgrading so much easier. I know that Ubuntu does not have a separate home by default and I consider that a serious failing. Oh well
On 2013-08-13 01:46, suikoy wrote:
>
> Yes, how I have written, in the 2’ attempt I have installed grub in the
> opensuse root partion but the problems are still alive…
I did it sometime ago with easybcd, worked fine; but I was using grub 1
at the time. IIRC, I told openSUSE to install grub to its root partition
(boot from root), and NOT to install a default MBR.
Then I just told easybcd to boot that partition, whatever was inside.
All automatic.
I suppose that grub2 should would work just fine as grub1.
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 11.4, with Evergreen, x86_64 “Celadon” (Minas Tirith))
This morning I could try Clonezilla and I must say that the image restoration to a particular partition works perfectly!
I had also changed the linux partition, to provide total freedom to OpenSUSE installer (and so to decide how much space give to / and swap)
But after replacing the original size with GParted, Clonezilla did not have any problem to restore everything.
Uau something that works without disasters!
And now, irony of fate, there is no problem with the linux entry of EasyBCD to start Grub2 of Ubuntu…
**** OpenSUSE’s grub! >:(
However, now I try for the last times to install opensuse, using bcdedit (thanks for the link)
If it will not work -> linux mint 15 with KDE and adios opensuse
Out of interest what are the advantages / disadvantages of using EastBCD over Grub? I would have thought that Grub could handle everything and would be a simpler option; or am I missing something? I’ve never had an issue with booting windows using it.
On 2013-08-14 01:36, Penguinclaw wrote:
>
> Out of interest what are the advantages / disadvantages of using EastBCD
> over Grub? I would have thought that Grub could handle everything and
> would be a simpler option; or am I missing something? I’ve never had an
> issue with booting windows using it.
For example, when Windows has to be the primary system for company
reasons, or when you need to say that you have not altered Windows. Or
do not want to
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 11.4, with Evergreen, x86_64 “Celadon” (Minas Tirith))
On 2013-08-14 13:16, suikoy wrote:
>
> Simply because if Windows does not handle MBR, then no longer work all
> backup tools…
Yup. Also the service pack updates do not work if the boot sequence is
altered. The MBR must be the windows one, and the windows partition has
to be marked bootable - grub is impossible there.
Ok, grub is possible - but you have to disable it when doing the SP.
That’s how I do it.
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 11.4, with Evergreen, x86_64 “Celadon” (Minas Tirith))
Since I know what Carlos meant, I’ll explain with an example – my example.
I was booting with grub. And all was working well. And then a service pack came out for Windows Vista.
I told Windows to apply the service pack. The computer chugged away for a long time. Then it gave an error message. Then it chugged away for another long time removing what it had just installed.
I tried this again one week later. The same result (I had assumed a Windows bug that they might have fixed by then).
So then I looked around for other reports. And it turned out that I had to make Windows boot manager handle the booting if I wanted to apply the service pack. That worked. But I’ll give Microsoft a FAIL in software engineering competence for that.
That’s an example of what Carlos is talking about.
> That’s an example of what Carlos is talking about.
Yep, exactly, thanks
And what I meant by disabling it, is this:
I have the default MBR code that Windows installed. Grub is installed
instead to the extended partition (!), which is marked bootable (!). To
undo, I mark the Windows partition as bootable; on machine boot, MBR is
loaded, searches for the first marked partition, loads its boot
partition, and off we go. Windows is happy, SP installs away. Grub is
nowhere to be seen. Later, after the SP is installed, I put back the
boot mark where it was.
The exclamations above are because the extended partition has no space
of its own, all is allocated to the logical partitions (apparently), and
because marking bootable a partition with no content is “impossible”.
Ah, I forgot: with grub in the way, I think Windows refuses to
hibernate. At least mine does.
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 11.4, with Evergreen, x86_64 “Celadon” (Minas Tirith))
today I have done another test with KDE version of Mint.
Nothing, always the same problems…
So it’s not a problem of OpenSUSE or Mint etc but I do some mistake in the EasyBCD configuration (I don’t understand where because the steps in EasyBCD are few…)
I’ll contact NeoSmart forum and hopefully good…
Last thing: but during OpenSUSE installation, do you put GRUB2 in the / partition or (linux) extended partition?
Or directly in MBR and then modify it with EasyBCD?
On 2013-08-14 20:56, suikoy wrote:
> Last thing: but during OpenSUSE installation, do you put GRUB2 in the /
> partition or (linux) extended partition?
> Or directly in MBR and then modify it with EasyBCD?
If you are going to use easyBCD grub must go to the ‘/’ partition.
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 11.4, with Evergreen, x86_64 “Celadon” (Minas Tirith))
So from my GRUB4DOS prompt I have launched the commands
root(hd0,4)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz
initrd /boot/initrd.img-XXX-generic
boot
and finally I was able to start OpenSUSE
The question is: according to you how can I store these command??
Because if I restart the computer and choose the EasyBCD entry, GRUB4DOS reappears again -,-
(I ask also here because in that forum are not very fast in the answers ;))
After 1000 attempts I have finally resolved the problems!!!
I don’t know why but there were some problems between GRUB2 and EasyBCD.
So today I have tried to reinstall OpenSUSE following all the steps described here Dual-Boot openSUSE 12.3 And Windows » TweakHound
but using GRUB instead of GRUB2.
And the EasyBCD GRUB(legacy) entry works without problems https://neosmart.net/forums/images/mt_smilies/grin.gif
