Grub start problem

[corban dallas]

Re: Grub start problem

Hi. Thanks for answers, i tried comment record about my drive in the fstab file. If drive is present in the system-grub is load, else-doesn't. I understand the main-i need to reinstall grub on the my new pictures about devices on the my ide bus throught live cd. Is it most easy way,isn't it?

[Qqmike]

Re: Grub start problem

Yes, the live CD is the best way. As I understand your situation, you are not able to boot into your regular Kubuntu OS (on the hard drive) when you turn your PC on. Therefore, using the Live CD is necessary now.

To do this, turn on your PC. Then, something will happen -- perhaps it will stall, it may not give any GRUB boot menu, or whatever. It doesn't matter. With the PC on, open your CD tray and put your Kubuntu Live CD in the tray. (Note: this must be the "regular" Kubuntu Desktop installer CD -- NOT the Alternate CD). Close the tray. Then re-boot your PC. If necessary, re-boot the hard way, by pressing the re-set button on the front of your PC case. Your BIOS should be set to boot from the CD if there is a bootable CD in the tray (if not, you'll have to enter BIOS setup and set the BIOS to boot from CD). Then, your PC boots into the Live Kubuntu session. Then proceed as in the post above about re-installing GRUB.

[corban dallas]

Re: Grub start problem

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[corban dallas]

Re: Grub start problem

Hi. My live dvd doesn't to mount my partitions. Will i need to make it by hand then make some operations with hard drives by grub?

[Qqmike]

Re: Grub start problem

To re-install GRUB, you don't have to mount any partitions. Just the GRUB commands in the post (previous post).

If you want to edit the /boot/grub/menu.lst, then you need to mount the partition it is on, and for that, see the How-To (editing menu.lst by live CD).
However, right now, you do not have to do this (yet). Just re-install grub at a grub> prompt as explained above.

[corban dallas]

Re: Grub start problem

I have made some operations from above.... Picture is like old one. Grub stage 1-5.... Error 21. Need i make my fstab fair? This is my map now: hda1-win98, hdb1-cdrom, hdc10-kubuntu. I'll try again make it operations with attention, may be i'm make mistakes and i'll report tommorow.

[corban dallas]

Re: Grub start problem

And one more.. I loaded Qtparted from kubuntu install cd, in the mode live cd and has looked my picture. I have two active hard drives. Hda and hdc are active. Is it normally?

[Qqmike]

Re: Grub start problem

Did you use the geometry and find commands?

Is the Windows drive hd0?

What was the result of
grub> find /boot/grub/stage1 ?

Windows should be hd0.
The BIOS should be set to boot in the following sequence:
First, the CD drive.
Second, the drive that Windows is on.


The result of QtParted is OK. It’s ok to have more than one partition marked as “boot.”
Is that what you mean?


Yes, as dibl pointed out, your fstab file should be current – It should correctly list the drives you have.

This is done by editing your filesystem table (the file /etc/fstab) in K/Ubuntu, to include an entry for the filesystem you wish to be automatically mounted.
After editing /etc/fstab, at a terminal, run the command: sudo mount –a.

You will find all this explained, step by step, in the following standard, favorite Linux references:

http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/p10.htm

http://www.tuxfiles.org/linuxhelp/mounting.html


You can post your fstab file here, if you wish, and we can take a look at it.
You did make changes: you removed one drive, you changed the CD drive.

[corban dallas]

Re: Grub start problem

Thanks, and so, i have won the grub. I did make it like that: find where is my stage 1, rerecord my MBR on the hd0, saw my map, after reboot i saw grub menu,and tried edit boot comands from one, system was started, but loader doesn't remember my edit?! Ok, i saw, and i takes my disk with Kub and repair menu.lst file by hand. It just change hd2,x to hd1,x. (My hard disk is secondary master now). One week ago...

[corban dallas]

Re: Grub start problem

In finally,i want to say: GRUB not comfortable, yet, i hope, for most users this too dificult, and new users, who decided tried linux, look some troubles on the boot stage, i think boot loader must saw and to do all automatically with messages about any changes with picture of map. It's my private opinion. Thanks for all. I'll be back.

[Qqmike]

Re: Grub start problem

I'm glad you sorted it out -- Good job!
You are right about GRUB being somewhat detailed for new users to Kubuntu. When I first started Kubuntu, I also had similar problems dual booting Kubuntu (2 versions) and Freespire on two hard drives.

However, it is also true that GRUB is very flexible, accessible and understandable (that is, you can read and learn the methods), and the really neat thing is that the individual user is able to configure his/her own system, even complex systems involving many distros and many hard drives (including flash drives and external USB drives). But I agree with you, at times it can be frustrating, unclear, and a (temporary) headache. They are developing a new GRUB2, so eventually we will see what improvements it has over the current Legacy GRUB.

I should also mention Super Grub Disk, a live CD that helps the user fix common GRUB problems, and again, you may still have to take time to sort out your drives and some rules and etc., but SGD can be a handy tool to keep on hand and use as needed:
Super Grub Disk (free downloads), new site: http://supergrub.forjamari.linex.org/
There's a Spanish and an English site version, and various language versions of some of the products.
Thanks for your feedback, and again congratulations on the good work.

[corban dallas]

Re: Grub start problem

Thanks for help, and contunued to find difficulties to itself then my brain hasn't dried up!