Grub and Lilo

[juantovarm]

Yesterday i decided to install slackware 12. but of course it uses lilo. I tried to setup lilo so that kubuntu loaded from there, but with no luck. So i decided to reinstall grub from the live cd...after a few scares, success...so, i decided to load slack from grub and all i got was kernel panic.

Ok, i have:
kubuntu on sda1
slackware on sdb1

They both have their vmlinuz but slack doesn't have an init,rd image...

by the way, i did a grub-update and it did not recognize my slackware...any ideas on how to configure grub?

[Qqmike]

Re: Grub and Lilo

I'm not sure, I've not worked with it.
For now, if no one else pops in here with something more tangible, you can take a look at how I put various things on a flash drive here:
How To Make GRUB Thumb Drive
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3081748.0
(E.g., Puppy and Knoppix as examples, scroll down through the posts; please post back here with any questions.) You might wish to jump to the last post on Puppy, SGD, GParted.

I'm thinking, basically, in the GRUB /boot/grub/menu.lst, you just need to include the right boot entry for Slackware, and that involves the kernel statement and initrd (which you say it doesn't use). The trick to the kernel statement are the kernel options you need to append to get it to boot. You might dig up some of these details inside Slackware somewhere--is there a LILO/GRUB configuration file where you can find and copy some kernel statement and options from?

(I'm assuming that GRUB will boot Slackware--I'm not sure what would disqualify Slackware)

In my limited experience, assuming GRUB will boot it, the game involves trying different kernel statements until you get it to boot, maybe by trial and error, copying from Slackware config files, or googling. Again, see how I did it (e.g., copying stuff from Isolinux config files.)

I don't know if you need any of this, but I'll post it:
How To GRUB Methods - Toolkit
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3081671.0

[juantovarm]

Re: Grub and Lilo

i have just been playing with grub, this is what i get when it's booting:

VFS : cannot open root device "<NULL>" or unknow block (8,2)
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic - not syncyng : VFS unable to mount root fs on unknown-block (8,2)

any ideas

[Qqmike]

Re: Grub and Lilo

That's what I'm referring to ...
the kicker are those kernel options.
Inside Slackware, is there not some sort of Isolinux or LILO grub configuration file where you could find some clues/answers? (.cfg file or .conf or menu.lst or ) It would be in some sort of /boot directory.

The general form of the boot entry you need in your GRUB menu.lst to boot Slackware is something like:

title Slackware
root (hdx,y)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz- {and some kernel options here after the space}
initrd # which you may not need

I think (hdx,y) will be (hd1,0) (=sdb1).

You might try Super Grub Disk live CD to see if it will boot your slackware.
If it does, that's a lot of hope! If it doesn't, you can not exactly draw any negative conclusions.
Super Grub Disk: http://supergrub.forjamari.linex.org/

Herman talks about LILO at:
Bigpond, home: http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/


Make sure GRUB is actually installed correctly.
Your PC boots from the first hard drive where Kubuntu is (sda), right?
In Kubuntu,
K > System > Konsole
type
sudo grub
that gives a GRUB prompt, grub>
type at the grub> each of these, each followed by Enter:
grub> root (hd0,0)
setup (hd0)
grub> quit
$exit


re-boot to test it.
Check in Kubuntu at /boot/grub/menu.lst to see if GRUB may have picked up a boot entry for Slackware for the boot menu.


If, in fact, GRUB can boot slackware, all we need here is a darned kernel statement. Have you googled for such?
--boot slackware from GRUB--
I'll try if I get some time here.

[Qqmike]

Re: Grub and Lilo

I googled on the string
boot slackware from GRUB

Up came bunches, but in a hurry, I grabbed the first one and got:
http://www.linuxjournal.com/node/4622/print
which said . . .

To start, let's boot Slackware. Enter the following commands at the grub prompt:
grub> root (hd0,1)
grub> kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/sda2 ro vga=791
grub> boot

That’s all we need – that sort of thing to try.

Try it with root (hd1,0) and sdb1. Here's how:
First, make sure you re-installed GRUB as I showed above in my previous post.
Turn on your PC or re-boot.
When you see the GRUB boot menu, quickly hit the "c" key.
That gives a grub prompt, grub>
type these commands, each followed by Enter:

grub> root (hd1,0)
grub> kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/sdb1 ro vga=791
grub> boot

Note all the spaces after words, which I exaggerated so you'd see them.

That may not work, I hope it does. If not, chances are we just need to get the right kernel options instead of "ro vga=791" something else that will work.

If you find one that works, then make that your menu.lst in sda1 Kubuntu /boot/grub/menu.lst:
Put the following boot entry after the line *** End Automagic kernels list:

title Slackware hope-hope-hope
root (hd1,0)
kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/sdb1 ro vga=791

(In the menu.lst, you don't need a "boot" command -- it is implied.)

[Qqmike]

Re: Grub and Lilo

Juantovarm, Don't hesitate to ask if you want me to explain any of that (above). (Also, let us know if you found something that worked )

[juantovarm]

Re: Grub and Lilo

Well, i am still cracking at it.
This is what i have done: i formatted my hdb1 and am currently using it as a home folder backup (it's a very small disk 10mb)
I partitioned my sda and gave slack 60mb
i have just finished installing slack (i didn't install lilo in MBR but in root).

Up next: sudo update-grub hopefully that will do it and i will post it here

no, that didn't do it.

Manually editing my grub menu.lst

title     Slackware 12
root      (hd0,2)
kernel     /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda3 ro

going for reboot, let's see

[Qqmike]

Re: Grub and Lilo

“i have just finished installing slack (i didn't install lilo in MBR but in root).”
--Good.

"Manually editing my grub menu.lst"
--Good -- so slackware is on the third partition, right?


And,

Make sure GRUB is actually installed correctly.
Your PC boots from the first hard drive where Kubuntu is (sda), right?
In Kubuntu,
K > System > Konsole
type
sudo grub
that gives a GRUB prompt, grub>
type at the grub> each of these, each followed by Enter:
grub> root (hd0,0)
setup (hd0)
grub> quit
$exit

Re-boot to test it

[juantovarm]

Re: Grub and Lilo

update: it's all working now, but not with grub, with lilo, needless to say i killed grub

i had to edit my lilo.conf file, here it is:

# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
 root = /dev/hda3
 label = Linux
 read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# Linux Bootable partition config begins
image = /media/buntu/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic
 root = /dev/hda1
 label = Kubuntu
 initrd = /media/buntu/boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic
 read-only
# end

turns out that the impossibility of grub to boot slack is due to kernel configuration of sata and ata drives... i would have to compile my own kernel and even though i have done it before, it's a major pain in the butt

on a personal matter, i had a lot of help from the guys at their irc channel AFTER their racist and geeky remarks were finished. Hey Kubuntu rocks specially beacuse it's community. I am a traditional chinese medicine practitioner and some people say i'm pretty good at what i do, but i was not born a therapist, i had to study A LOT. These guys seem to forget that one is not born as, but made as. I do believe that having and relying on automatic processes to do everything for us, made life a lot simpler, BUT when we rely too much, we become too comfortable and stop learning. Thank you very much guys for all your help

PROUD KUBUNTU USER

[juantovarm]

Re: Grub and Lilo

annoying things happened: with lilo it took over 4 minutes to boot kubuntu, usb drives not working correctly. I had to reinstall grub and everything is back to normal, i am still looking for a solution to dual boot, have to read more, maybe install another version of grub, amybe usb boot...

[Qqmike]

Re: Grub and Lilo

Very interesting. The ATA-SATA thing you mentioned may have something to do with no initrd, no ramdisk within which to load any USB-driver related stuff to get it off the ground. I only know those words, but haven’t dug into it as I should. My sense is that GRUB should be able to boot slackware, but that may be more wishful thinking than informed knowledge.

I will spend a little time on this, too. I will see if/how/where/whatever it takes to boot slackware with GRUB and will test it if I find something, and I’ll report it back here. May take awhile, but I’ll try to get on it within a day or two or three. I only have SATA and USB drives, no IDE drives in my machine.

I found your *report* interesting, indeed, and appreciate your feedback. This is a neat little project, imho.

I'm not familiar with slackware (except I know it's an ultimate in do-it-yourself Linux OS, not for Aunt Minnie). is there just the one version/type that I need to experiment with, for this GRUB-booting project, or are there some choices that matter?

[juantovarm]

Re: Grub and Lilo

As i learnt in the slackware irc channel, one is supposed to create the initrd image oneself...ok, that is better than having to compile the kernel AND creating the image.

I am using version 12 which is the latest one, but i imagine after reading www.slackbook.org that it has been very similar since their beginnings. I suggest you read it, if you don't read it and you look for info in the irc channel, they will tell you to read it. If you want graphical login, change default runlevel from 3 to 4 in etc>inittab.

Grub is alredy included in their packages, just download all the 6 cd's, or you can download grub from: http://packages.slackware.it/package...ub-0.97-i486-3

Interestingly enough, it's the same version as ubuntu's grub (0.97-29ubuntu4)

I guess i will download the package and work my way around from there

Interestingly enough, in the past, ubuntu used in the /boot/grub/menu.lst this format:

kernel     /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda3 ro

Now the root is a line of numbers that i don't understand or have in hand right now, that was what ubuntu's lilo complained about when i tried to install it...

[Qqmike]

Re: Grub and Lilo

That root=UUID=long list of numbers & letters is the (new but not new) way of (uniquely) identifying devices. Herman talks about it:

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

Well, I'll see what's involved with slackware. If it comes with GRUB, I'm confused about why one can not easily boot it in a dual boot setup, or chainload it.

Thanks for th info.

[Qqmike]

Re: Grub and Lilo

Hmmm. You don't see a lot of mention of GRUB at the Slackware site, do you? Must be a reason for it. I'm not sure I will go into an install right now as it looks like the homework on Slackware will be time consuming.

Let's try something else.

We have and are given the following:
Kubuntu on sda1 = (hd0,0) = the BIOS first bootable drive.
GRUB is set up in the MBR (hd0) and it boots Kubuntu.
If not, let's make sure it is:

Re-install GRUB to (hd0,0) as follows:
at Konsole (even by Live CD, whatever)
sudo grub
grub> root (hd0,0)
grub> setup (hd0)
grub> quit
re-boot to test it.

OK. Next . . .

Slackware is installed (Btw, congratulations on doing that!, based on all the stuff I read that it requires, configuring and all).
It is installed to sdb1 = (hd1,0).
LILO is its bootloader and is installed in (hd1,0).
If not, then install LILO in the root = boot partition of Slackware = (hd1,0).
(I don't know how, but you probably do; or maybe the hermanzone reference tells how--we could check if that's a hold-up here; let me know.)

Now, I'm under the impression that GRUB can boot LILO, namely by chainloading, the same way GRUB boots NTLDR.

So, let's try that.
In Kubuntu /boot/grub/menu.lst, let's add the following boot stanza entry for Slackware (Edit menu.lst as root, File > Save, File > Quit):

title Slackware looks cool but is not for those in a hurry to get no where
root (hd1,0)
chainloader +1


Then re-boot to test it.
I'm pretty sure that GRUB will chainload LILO, so this comes down to properly installing LILO in (hd1,0) -- not just copying the LILO files there, but doing the correct "setup" steps to make it work as the bootloader (installed to that partition), like we did above for Kubuntu using GRUB's commands root-setup-quit.

That should be a quick thing to try.

[juantovarm]

Re: Grub and Lilo

Finally, VICTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

and to be honest it was a walk in the park, once i knew what had to be done.

Ok, i went to slckware irc chat and asked what cd was grub in. Answer: cd3. Hey i have that one! How do you install, what is the command? installpkg nameofpackage

so after another reinstall of slackware cause i had messed so much with it it was unbootable, even for super grub disk, i mounted my cd, and in the terminal went all the way the grub folder which is in "extra", and when i found the package i just typed

installpkg grub-0.97-i486-3.tgz

everything just went smoothly

then i read the output and it said it had a grubconfig tool so i typed

grubconfig

and it even asked me where i wanted it to be installed:ROOT, FLOPPY, MBR

of course i chose root, and it created my all the files needed to boot, including a /boot/grub/menu.lst

# Linux bootable partition config begins
 title Linux on (/dev/hda1)
 root (hd0,0)
 kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda1 ro vga=normal
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
 title Linux on (/dev/hda3)
 root (hd0,2)
 kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda3 ro vga=normal
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
 title Linux on (/dev/hdd1)
 kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hdd1 ro vga=normal
# Linux bootable partition config ends
title --- For help press 'c', type: 'help'
root (hd0)
title --- For usage examples, type: 'cat /boot/grub/grub.txt'
root (hd0)

I rebooted into kubuntu and then i just copied the linux on /dev/hda3 to kubuntu's own boot>grub>menu.lst file saved, reloaded and was able to get into slack with no preoblem

I think the most important thing we needed to solve this quiz was the stage1 and stage2 files in slackware, and those were created when grub was installed

Thank you all again for your input

Juan

by the way, how do i mark this post as "solved"?