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**Qqmike** · Mar 18, 2008, 08:25 AM

Re: Totally new problem- never seen b4

First, we assume that your PC's BIOS is set to boot first from the 40 GB HD containing XP & Kubuntu.

(Side Note: The first time you installed, GRUB was not installed properly to the right place. No need to re-install--you can always fix that. Also, when using the regular Live Kubuntu CD installer, it's best to choose the "Manual" partitioning method in Step 4; GRUB is installed in Step 6 behind the Advanced button at the lower right.)

Can you boot into Kubuntu? or can you use the Live Kubuntu CD?
Either one, please do so, and we'll try to fix things as follows:

Open Konsole (K > System > Konsole)
Type
sudo grub
That gets you a GRUB prompt grub>, at which type some commands as follows:
grub> find /boot/grub/stage1
That returns some value (hd0,y), and y SHOULD be 1 according to what you told us so far; so (hd0,1) – that's your Kubuntu partition where your GRUB files are located.
Then re-install GRUB (to the MBR of that first hard drive) as follows:
grub> root (hd0,1)
grub> setup (hd0)
grub> quit
exit

So GRUB is cleanly re-installed to the MBR of the first BIOS boot drive.
Now, check to be sure the boot menu is OK: It's the file /boot/grub/menu.lst in the Kubuntu partition.
And you have to edit it as root if any editing is required.
In that menu.lst, there will be an entry for XP that should look like this:

title Windows XP whatever
root (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

(there may be other lines, but they are not necessary)
Then File > Save, and File > Quit, and re-boot to test all this.

If you need help editing menu.lst as root or mounting the Kubuntu partition from a Live CD (to edit menu.lst), write back or see this how-to (the part about editing menu.lst from Live CD):
How To GRUB Methods - Toolkit
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3081671.0
--- HOW To: Change the Default Operating System (Also: Changing the timeout, boot menu, and other tips) Reply #1—Editing menu.lst

EDIT added:
Note the space after root, after setup, after chainloader (but no space in +1)

**LaBud** · Mar 18, 2008, 04:35 PM

Re: Totally new problem- never seen b4

Thanks for responding QMike

Booted back into kububtu using live cd.
went to terminal and did grub install, as per your instructions.
Rec'd this msg:
Checking if "/boot/grub/stage1 " exists.....yes
Checking if "/boot/grub/stage2 " exists.....yes
Checking if "/boot/grub/e2fs_stage1_5 " exists.....yes
Running "embed /boot/grub/e2fs_stage1_5 (hd0) " 17 sectors are embedded.
succeeded
Running "install /boot/grub/stage1 (hd0) (hd0)1+17 p (hd0,1) /boot/grub/stage2/boot/grub/menu.lst"...succeeded
Done.

Now, check to be sure the boot menu is OK:

Using Live CD, I opened Dolphin, clicked on root folder and then clicked on boot folder, no file in there called menu.lst.
did a search thru Dolphin and found a "menu.lst" in /usr/share/doc/grub/examples
AND in
/rofs/usr/share/doc/grub/examples

I opened them and the first line is a
#
#Sample boot menu configuration file
#
with a lot of typing after that that would take me a few hours to type, as I am posting this from another machine that has an internet connection.

"need help mounting the Kubuntu partition from a Live CD"

To confuse myself more,[re:above comment in your post] I checked to see if my partitions are mounted,
[in Dolphin] by right clicking on each shown partition and clicking on Properties. All partitions are shown, but all are listed as unmounted.
So, when I double click on the partition that has my Kubuntu install on it, its shows a empty window[folder], with the msg at the bottom
"hal-storage-fixed-mount refused uid 999"
If I right click on partition that has Kubuntu on it and choose Properties and choose Mount tab I can select to mount partition automatically. I am pretty sure a partition has to be mounted in order to work?? So, I did mount the Kubuntu partition, ran the live CD again, but it still shows as unmounted.

Is this the root of my problem[unmountedness] and where do I go from here? How do I mount these drives/partitions?
How would I go about getting the GRUB into MBR? I have tried using SuperGrub, but to no avail.

THANKS

btw, my BIOS is set HARD DISK BOOT PRIORITY >>>Master HDD - which has both WinXP, Kubuntu and swap on it.
My first boot device is CDROM.
and
I did choose the manual partitioning method
and
I did see that the GRUB was being installed when I used the Alternate install CD for Kubuntu.

**Qqmike** · Mar 18, 2008, 04:57 PM

Re: Totally new problem- never seen b4

“How would I go about getting the GRUB into MBR? I have tried using SuperGrub, but to no avail.”
No need to do any of that. GRUB was installed in the MBR of the first-BIOS boot drive when you did this:
grub> root (hd0,1)
grub> setup (hd0)
grub> quit
exit

=> Now, you can try right now to re-boot and see if this works after re-installing GRUB.

And yes, your problems might be related to mounting. When something is not mounted right, it may or may not open and then if it does it may show blank or if only root can do it, it may show blank.

(Using the Live CD) To mount the Kubuntu partition, look for it in
K > System Settings > Advanced > Disk & Filesystems, Administrator Mode (at the bottom), Right-click on the Kubuntu partition, Modify, then set a mount mount like
/media/Kubuntu
Click Writable
Click so that any one at any time may do anything.
OK.
Back out on the main Disk & Filesystems now => Enable (with the Kubuntu partition still highlighted).

That should mount the Kubuntu partition so you can use it any way you wish. This can also be done at the Konsole (the How-to shows how).

You must certainly have a menu.lst...(?), even if it's "wrong" and needs some editing.
(I use Konqueror, not sure how/why Dolphin would not show you your menu.lst, unless only root has permission to list it.)

**Qqmike** · Mar 19, 2008, 06:03 AM

Re: Totally new problem- never seen b4

... bit the dust?

If you don't have a menu.lst under /boot/grub, have you run the MD5sum check on the iso download? and on the Live CD, you can select "Check this CD for defects." Both those checks?

We can make up a basic menu.lst if necessary (but I'd still be concerned that part of your download is missing).

If there is some issue you are working on and aren't sure of you hard drives as seen by BIOS and GRUB, in the live CD you can
sudo grub
then
grub> geometry (hd0)
grub> geometry (hd1)
grub> geometry (hd2)
to see what the drives look like; we hope that hd0 is the first-BIOS boot drive (where XP & Kubuntu are).

If you are mounting at the command line (Konsole), first run
sudo fdisk -lu
to see what that drive is called. Let's say it is sdx.
Then
sudo mkdir /media/sdx
mount /dev/sdx /media/sdx
Then in the Live CD GUI, under Konqueror > Storage devices, the drive sdx should have a green triangle at lower right indicating it is mounted, and you can click on it and get to the /boot/grub/menu.lst.
Or, still at Konsole:
kdesu kate /boot/grub/menu.lst
will open menu.lst in text writer Kate as root, and you can work on menu.lst, then File > Save and File > Close when done.
To cleanly unmount that drive when done:
sudo umount /media/sdx
("umount" is used to unmount)

I think that covers most issues that might come up.

**LaBud** · Mar 22, 2008, 06:27 AM

Re: Totally new problem- never seen b4

Sorry QMike, have been unable to work on Kubuntu problem ATM.
Thanks for sticking with me.
I will check the disks for errors as you suggested.

I have been unable to mount hda, using live CD.

I will try to do it thru Konsole, as per your suggestion.

I may not get to this until tommorrow, but I am still wanting to solve this and have not bit the dust yet!!! LOL

**LaBud** · Mar 25, 2008, 04:34 PM

Re: Totally new problem- never seen b4

QMike
I have tried your suggestions re: mounting of hda2[linux root] and hda3[linux swap] using the live cd. The swap partition remains mounted but every time I reboot, the main linux partition is unmounted.

I ran the live cd again remounted the root partition and reinstalled grub as per your instructions and have found a file called menu.lst with the wording you described. [title Win XP etc] All the way thru the file are # in front of all statements, shud this be so?

**Qqmike** · Mar 25, 2008, 05:33 PM

Re: Totally new problem- never seen b4

"All the way thru the file [menu.lst] are # in front of all statements, shud this be
so?"

Well, there should not be a # on every statement! But, yes, there's tons of single and double # lines in menu.lst.

**LaBud** · Mar 25, 2008, 06:26 PM

Re: Totally new problem- never seen b4

P.S. I did the checks on the iso and live cd they check fine.

**LaBud** · Mar 26, 2008, 06:04 AM

Re: Totally new problem- never seen b4

three things

1] Linux partition will not remain mounted
no matter how many times I mount it thru live cd using either gParted or thru konsole
Once I mount it it stays mounted thru session but as soon as I shutdown, I have remount it.

2]Once mounted I go fix MBR re sudo cmds supplied [ty QMike]
When I reboot it hangs after loading grub, it usually gives me error 17
If I want to get into either OS I have to use GParted for WinXP
I have to use the live cd for Kubuntu

3]I have found menu.lst and it does have:
#title Windows XP whatever
#root (hd0,1)
#chainloader +1

and it looks just like that[above]

Should reinstall Kubuntu and start from scratch? I really have never been able to access it.
One curious thing [it may be because I installed WinXP 1st]
QParted shows a little Penguin on Linux partitions and a windows flag on windows partitions except the main windows partition which it states is unknown. Is there something I need to do here?

**Qqmike** · Mar 26, 2008, 07:45 AM

Re: Totally new problem- never seen b4

3]I have found menu.lst and it does have:
#title Windows XP whatever
#root (hd0,1)
#chainloader +1

I didn't re-read all this thread yet, but first edit menu.lst as root and remove the # signs so it reads:

title Windows XP whatever
root (hd0,1)
chainloader +1

(Is XP on the second partition of the first hard drive?)

Try that first.

**Qqmike** · Mar 26, 2008, 07:46 AM

Re: Totally new problem- never seen b4

btw, it is usually better to install XP FIRST, before Linux.
Re-installing Kubuntu is usually not the solution to these problems.

**Qqmike** · Mar 26, 2008, 08:48 AM

Re: Totally new problem- never seen b4

"1] Linux partition will not remain mounted "
Don't worry about this; not relevant to fixing this.

"One curious thing [it may be because I installed WinXP 1st]
QParted shows a little Penguin on Linux partitions and a windows flag on windows partitions except the main windows partition which it states is unknown. Is there something I need to do here?"
Ditto--nothing here relevant to fixing this.

**Qqmike** · Mar 26, 2008, 08:57 AM

Re: Totally new problem- never seen b4

Well, having just re-read this thread, I have given you all I have, and it should fix the problem (or bring us so close--just needing minor tweaks).
But something is not right:
No menu.lst? But you did find one, but it says XP is on (h0,1) but from what you said, it should be on (hd0,0). I think this part you found:
#title Windows XP whatever
#root (hd0,1)
#chainloader +1
is from the "Example" section of menu.lst.
Your real XP boot stanza will be further down in menu.lst, either before *** Begin Automagic kernels list, or, more likely after *** End Automagic kernels list; and it * should * say (hd0,0).
When you ran find /boot/grub/menu.lst, did you not get (hd0,1)? and when you ran geometry commands, what did you find for XP and for Kubuntu?

**LaBud** · Mar 26, 2008, 09:04 AM

Re: Totally new problem- never seen b4

yes QMike XP was installed 1st and is on the 1st partition of the 1st hard drive.

I have tried to modify menu.lst, but Kubuntu gives me the error msg 'Access Denied' when I try to save my changes.
Can u give me the cmds for konsole to alter this menu.lst or tell me how to get permission to change this file in Konqueror

Also, when I am in konsole and do
grub> geometry (hd0)
I get this:
drive 0x80:C/H/S=4998/255/63. The number of sectors = 80293248. /dev/hda Partition num: 0.
Error 25: Disk read error
Partition num: 1. Filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 0x83
Partition num: 2. Filesystem type is unknown, partition type 0x82

Also, in konsole
grub> find /boot/grub/menu.lst
Error 15: file not found [altho, I can see it thru Konqueror]
when i execute a shell cmd [thru konqueror >tools>execute shell cmd], I get 'No such file or directory"

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