Re: SATA multi boot problem - sort of SOLVED

[nilsA]

I'm trying to make a Kubuntu/ubuntu/ubuntustudio (64 bit) + Win7 (64bit) + Win XP Media (32 bit) edition PC for my son.

It is a Dell Dimension E521. No IDE, onboard SATA for two units and an extra SATA card.

The onboard SATA runs a 1 gig disk for *buntu and Win 7 and the DVD writer.
The SATA card runs a 0,5 gig disk for XP.

update-grub

does find XP, on the second disk, but it will not boot.

I have checked that the XP installation is ok - running it at the onboard SATA controller.

Any ideas? I have tried to read the Grub2 documentations and links, but it's a matter of too much information. I'm not able to find where to start.

[dibl]

Re: SATA mulit boot problem

but it will not boot.

Is there an error message?

Also, check that the "boot" flag is set on the partition where XP is installed.

[nilsA]

Re: SATA mulit boot problem

There is no error message. Just black screen with a blinking _ top left corner.

The disk is divided in:

sdb1 - Dell rescue, FAT, no start flag

EDIT: sdb1 has a start flag that I'm not able to remove. /EDIT

sdb2 - XP, NTFS, start flag
sdb4 - Windows recovery image, FAT, no start flag

I can boot into sdb1, but not sdb2. (Have not tried sdb4)

I've also tried to remove the flag from sdb2 - no change.

EDIT:

Gparted does not "see" the partition sdb1. Other disk partitioning tools seems to see it, but cannot change it.

[dibl]

Re: SATA mulit boot problem

You might try booting the Win XP installation CD, and under "Repair Console" or whatever it is called, use the command prompt and run fixmbr.

[nilsA]

Re: SATA multi boot problem

You might try booting the Win XP installation CD, and under "Repair Console" or whatever it is called, use the command prompt and run fixmbr.

Hmmm, no change.

I've also found that some mounting/un-mounting was necessary to remove flag from sdb1, and put it on sdb2, where XP does reside.

If I put the second disk (the XP one) on the onboard SATA controller, it starts without any problem.

So, perhaps the problem is in how GRUB2 relates to the new SATA controller?

[dibl]

Re: SATA mulit boot problem

Right, the "boot" flag can only be changed on an unmounted partition.

There is not any direct interaction between Grub and the SATA controller. As long as Grub is installed on the MBR of the first hard drive listed in BIOS, there should be no further interaction between Grub and the motherboard hardware. Sometimes Grub and Linux end up not agreeing on partition enumeration. You probably can sort it if you make a little study of Section 3 and Section 4 of QQMike's Grub Tutorial here: http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3117206.0

I know it's dense, but take it a step at a time, and you should be able to crack it.

[oshunluvr]

Re: SATA mulit boot problem

If, in fact grub won't start an OS on the added controller, you could likely do it by installing to the second drive but have a separate /boot partition on the primary drive (and controller).

It reads to me likely you have an incompatible piece of hardware.

[nilsA]

Re: SATA multi boot problem

If, in fact grub won't start an OS on the added controller, you could likely do it by installing to the second drive but have a separate /boot partition on the primary drive (and controller).

It reads to me likely you have an incompatible piece of hardware.

Yes, that was my guess, until I looked in grub.cfg:

[# BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry "Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda1)" --class windows --class os {
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ntfs
	set root='(/dev/sda,msdos1)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 9A5C87825C875841
	chainloader +1
}
menuentry "Dell Utility Partition (on /dev/sdb1)" --class windows --class os {
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod fat
	set root='(/dev/sdb,msdos1)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 07d6-0c05
	drivemap -s (hd0) ${root}
	chainloader +1
}
menuentry "Windows XP Media Center Edition (on /dev/sdb2)" --class windows --class os {
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ntfs
	set root='(/dev/sdb,msdos2)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root D264901D649005FF
	drivemap -s (hd0) ${root}
	chainloader +1
}
menuentry "Windows NT/2000/XP (on /dev/sdb4)" --class windows --class os {
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod fat
	set root='(/dev/sdb,msdos4)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 0000-0000
	drivemap -s (hd0) ${root}
	chainloader +1

If the controller was the problem - how come "Dell Utility Partition" and "Windows NT ..." will boot?

It's the same disk, the same controller

[oshunluvr]

Re: SATA mulit boot problem

I agree, but that means your issue is likely not grub related. Rather, it sounds like your second drive controller is not linux compatible. You didn't give us any info on it so I can't state that for a fact, but that's what it seems to be. The fact that Gparted doesn't "see" your second drive would confirm this as well.

Grub is not linux - it's a bootloader.

It's possible - if a linux driver for the controller exists - that you could compile it into your kernel and then boot up. Otherwise (and much simpiler), install linux to sda and leave windows on sdb

[dibl]

Re: SATA mulit boot problem

In a terminal window

sudo fdisk -lu

should resolve the question of whether Linux can see the drive on the added controller card.

[vinnywright]

Re: SATA mulit boot problem

dose not windows demand to be on the primary drive ?

and maybe thats why it wont boot when it's being started as a secondary drive.

VINNY

[nilsA]

Re: SATA mulit boot problem

I agree, but that means your issue is likely not grub related. Rather, it sounds like your second drive controller is not linux compatible. You didn't give us any info on it so I can't state that for a fact, but that's what it seems to be. The fact that Gparted doesn't "see" your second drive would confirm this as well.

It's a little weirder than so - Gparted cannot see sda1; but sda2 and sda4.

[nilsA]

Re: SATA mulit boot problem

dose not windows demand to be on the primary drive ?

and maybe thats why it wont boot when it's being started as a secondary drive.

VINNY

If I remember this right, old Grub could fix this by adding this in menu.lst, the boot windows part:

root (hd1,0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

Is this possible to do in Grub2?

(I'm writing this from another PC/location until this evening GMT+1)

[dibl]

Re: SATA mulit boot problem

If I remember this right, old Grub could fix this by adding this in menu.lst, the boot windows part:

You don't have any such file with Grub2, and you don't edit the grub.cfg file manually, you have edit the configuration files in /etc/default and /etc/grub.d.

[Qqmike]

Re: SATA mulit boot problem

I haven't looked at this in ages (since GRUB 2 first came out in 8.10).
However, you might check my how-to, see what's there:


GRUB 2: A Guide for Users
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3117206.0

In Reply #1, the topic:
-- Windows Topics -- booting
--> drivemap command: XP on a non-first hard drive