Grub stage 1.5

[Qqmike]

Re: Grub stage 1.5

He's OK on the "bootable" flag.
sda1 is set as bootable (XP).
And GRUB is (or should be!) installed to the MBR of that sda drive.
(At least, that's how my drives work.)

This really should work. But the partitions are so messed up (in a sense) that I'm afraid the installer has put things in various places; now, he has to manually straighten them out; for example, re-install GRUB from the Kubuntu partition (hd0,5) to the MBR (hd0). Not a big deal, but it has to be done that way. (BTW, niteowl69, (hd0,5) = sda6; the left side is GRUB notation, the right side is Linux notation).

[toad]

Re: Grub stage 1.5

Oh, sorry, are we talking wubi? I missed that... Thanks for pointing it out, Qqmike!

[niteowl69]

Re: Grub stage 1.5

Today so far today

With g part I created one partition. 37.27 unallocated partition. MS DOS partition table. I have two disl 1 dounloaded from the Kubuntu site and that checks out as a good disk. The other from a bit torrant site that also checks out as good. I am at work now but tonight when I get home I plan on (in between paying bill ugg) going in to live version and posting the results from the sudo fdisk -lu and then installing one of the disk. Or if someone has a better site i can download and burn a cd

What I want in the end is to have the whole computer run Kubuntu no windows

I will post the results after 7 pm EST tonight

[Qqmike]

Re: Grub stage 1.5

Hi toad. No, I don't think it is wubi. But the way I think it (seems) to work is that BIOS sees a boot flag, then considers that disk bootable, BIOS goes for it, finds GRUB in the MBR, and GRUB takes over from there (pointing at the Kubuntu partition).

Now if GRUB were installed to the boot sector of Kubuntu partition, then you might want to set the boot flag on the Kubuntu partition, intending to boot that partition directly.

Another example. Here's my sda1 containing XP and also, on sda2 I have a bootable GRUB partition. GRUB is installed to the MBR, points at sda2, where GRUB then can boot anything--XP on sda1 or even Kubuntu on some other hard drive or external HDD:

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 16065 204812684 102398310 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 204812685 205021529 104422+ 83 Linux (=> No boot flag on sda2)
/dev/sda3 205021530 312576704 53777587+ 5 Extended

[niteowl69]

Re: Grub stage 1.5

I know that in windows there is an option called system were it gives current system info and device manager. are the same options in Kubuntu and what are the commands please

[dibl]

Re: Grub stage 1.5

We seem to have drifted off topic, but I don't mind.

First, you have the KInfoCenter, which is in the KMenu>System Menu. It will show a lot about your computer's hardware.

Beyond that, there are different ways to get at different kinds of information.

lspci

to see devices attached to the PCI bus.

lsusb

to see devices using the USB bus.

fdisk -lu

to see the hard drives and partitions.

If you want more, install hwinfo by opening the Konsole and entering

sudo apt-get install hwinfo

Then you can run it with "hwinfo" and see a listing of hardware components.

On the OS side, you can enter

uname -a

to see all about your Linux kernel, and

lsb_release -a

to see which version of Kubuntu you are running.

lsmod

will show the loaded modules that are running.

top

will show the running processes, and their individual use of CPU and memory resources, in descending order of resource consumption.

dmidecode

to list out the BIOS contents on your system.

http://linux.die.net/man/8/dmidecode

[niteowl69]

Re: Grub stage 1.5

Thank you for me it is part of the topic because while in live i want to collect some info about the system to see if there is anything i am not aware of that could be causing a problem. Once i recorde the info. (cannot find the printout i made in xp) i will do the install and maybe be in a better position to answer questions

[Qqmike]

Re: Grub stage 1.5

If it were me (but, it's not me—it's you), if it were my disk (which it is not—it's yours) ... with me so far? ...

Here's what you have:

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 63 11245499 5622718+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 11245500 78156224 33455362+ 5 Extended
Partition 2 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda5 74862963 78156224 1646631 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 11245626 72147914 30451144+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 72147978 74862899 1357461 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Without getting into issues of optimizing disk partitions and pro's and con's of such and all that ...

Start up GParted Live CD.
Get into the main screen showing your partitions on sda.

I'd leave XP just as it is for now and for the near future (until you feel ready and comfortable).
Looks like XP takes up less than 6 GB (of the 40 GB disk).

Delete all partitions EXCEPT sda1 (XP):
In GParted Live CD,
I'd highlight each partition (sda5, sda6, sda7, and finally sda2 (Extended)), and each time select Partition (tab at top), Delete.
Then everything after sda1 is gone and all that space after sda1 is “unallocated” (and that's what GParted call it, too).

Next, create the partitions you will need for Kubuntu:
Highlight the unallocated space (following sda1).
Partition (tab at the top).
New.
And use the dialog box to create a primary partition for the root (/) files of Kubuntu and that's also where your home (your personal files) will be (perhaps 20-25 GB total for sda2). Format: ext3.
(Note: 10 GB = 10000 MB * in the dialog *)
That gives you sda2.
Again, highlight the unallocated space (beyond sda2), select Partition (tab), New, and use the dialog box to create a 1 GB partition for swap. (For now, you can indicate ext3 as the format – the Kubuntu installer will change that automatically for you when you tell it that sda2 is for /swap). Now you have sda3 (for swap).

Now you have sda1 (XP), sda2 (ext3 for Kubuntu), and sda3 (for swap).

Options:
You can stop now and exit GParted and install Kubuntu,
or
>> create an Extended partition using ALL the remaining unallocated space (beyond sda3). You may use this later, but I doubt it.

>> Or, if you wish, you can re-do what I've said here, creating a * separate * partition for your /home (your personal data files):
sda1 XP
sda2 10 GB (for Kubuntu)
sda3 15 GB for /home
sda4 1 GB for swap

Or, another way to do it:

sda1 XP
sda2 10 GB (for Kubuntu)
sda3 15 GB for /home
sda4 Extended partition going all the way to the end of the disk (accept the default in the dialog and/or make sure the slider is dragged all the way to the right, as far as it will go).
sda5 1 GB swap partition

I think you get the idea here.

Before leaving GParted:
Write down on paper what is where:
sda1 = XP
sda2 = root (/)
sda3 = etc.
etc.



(If you decide to create an Extended partition (and you do NOT have to do so), and if you still get the message that the Extended partition does not end on cylinder boundary, ignore that message, it's ok. There's a few reasons that can happen, and none of them will affect anything. However, this time you will NOT get any message saying "partitions not in disk order"--we fixed that here.)

[niteowl69]

Re: Grub stage 1.5

Qqmile
I currently have I large unallocated partition. 37.27 unallocated partition. MS DOS partition table. The XP partition is gone and I could not boot from it anyway. If I understand your last post I should patition what is left and make one maybe 20-25 CB partition format ext3 and 1 1GB partition format ext3 and then install Kubuntu.

should I create a partition of the unallocated space and format ext 3
or just leave it

[Qqmike]

Re: Grub stage 1.5

In that case, everything I said above still holds true--except you do not have sda1.

So, you'd create new partitions:

sda1 10 GB for Kubuntu ext3
sda2 1 GB for swap (for now, format it ext3)
sda3 15 GB ext3 (for /home)

[niteowl69]

Re: Grub stage 1.5

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -lu

Disk /dev/sda: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders, total 78165360 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xbce1bce1

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 63 57368114 28684026 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 57368115 59569019 1100452+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 59569020 78156224 9293602+ 5 Extended
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$

ok i am that far more later have to pay bills first

[niteowl69]

Re: Grub stage 1.5

Hello

Above was berfore the install this is after

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -lu

Disk /dev/sda: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders, total 78165360 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xbce1bce1

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 63 57368114 28684026 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 57368115 59569019 1100452+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 59569020 78156224 9293602+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 59569083 77256584 8843751 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 77256648 78156224 449788+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$


Next step

grub> find /boot/grub/stage1
(hd0,4)

grub> root (hd0,0)

grub> setup (hd0)
Checking if "/boot/grub/stage1" exists... no
Checking if "/grub/stage1" exists... no

Error 15: File not found

grub>


tried to set grub again from (hd0,4)

grub> root (hd0,4)

grub> setup (hd0)
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)"... 16 sectors are embedded.
succeeded
Running "install /boot/grub/stage1 (hd0) (hd0)1+16 p (hd0,4)/boot/grub/stage2
/boot/grub/menu.lst"... succeeded
Done.

rebooting computer

[Qqmike]

Re: Grub stage 1.5

That should work OK (from (hd0,4)).

But, still, why so many Linux partitions ... ?


******** EDIT:
Looks like you put Kubuntu root files in sda5 = (hd0,4).
But what's in sda1 = (hd0,0) ?!

[niteowl69]

Re: Grub stage 1.5

At work now

I received the same error grub stage 1.5 and nothing moves from there

I am thinking about when i get home of deleting

sda 1 and 2

I think it installed to the largest open space and then created sda 5 and 6

sda 3 was the extended partition I created in g part

and then try the grub setup again and then starting working from there

I will keep you all informed as to what happens

[Qqmike]

Re: Grub stage 1.5

As long as Kubuntu got installed to sda5, it shouldn't matter that you have the partitions sda1 and sda2.
Something is preventing the installer from properly setting up GRUB.
And you have checked the CD for MD5sum and on the live CD “Check this CD for Defects.”

- - - - - - - - - -

You can first try to re-install GRUB AGAIN! (that's the first thing I would do) -- the same way as before:
grub> root (hd0,4)
grub> setup (hd0)
grub> quit
rebooting computer

It just might go this time.

- - - - - - - - - -

It would be nice to see what would happen if Kubuntu were installed straight into sda1, with swap and home on sda2 & sda3.

Some people feel it's a little more involved (I disagree), but on the Live CD, you can specify where to put what using the Manual method:

Step 4: Manual (partitioning method)
Step 5: Indicate which partitions to use and what goes where.
Example:
Highlight sda1.
Click Edit.
In the Dialog, indicate the “mount point” for as root (there should be a drop-down list, though I'm forgetting just now what this dialog looks like). And the format as ext3.
OK.
And that brings you back again to the list of your partitions.
So, you'd click on one for swap and set it up (in the dialog box).
Then do one for /home.

Then click to indicate finished with this screen (in Step 5) and go on to Step 6: Click Finish.
(The default, shown behind the Advanced button at lower right, indicates to put GRUB in (hd0), which is what we want.)

Then let it re-boot to test everything.


If that installs Kubuntu but you still get Error Loading GRUB Stage 1.5, then, again, re-install GRUB as before, from a Live CD:

Konsole
sudo grub
root (hd0,0)
setup (hd0)
quit

(Note that this time we put Kubuntu in (hd0,0) which is where the GRUB files should be, thus: root (hd0,0).)