GRUB configuration 1

[AP81]

I just installed Slackware 9.0 and have a couple of questions. I opted not to install a bootloader as I have GRUB already installed on the MBR from RedHat. I installed it onto a floppy, so the only way I can boot into Slackware is by floppy.

Here is my partition info:

/dev/hda WinXP
/dev/hda1 /boot (RH)
/dev/hda5
/dev/hda6 / (RH)
/dev/hda7 / (Slackware)
/dev/hda8 Shared_files

This is the contents of my /boot folder in Slackware:

config
config-ide-2.4.20
system.map-ide-2.4.20
vmlinuz
vmlinuz-ide-2.4.20

Here is my mnu.lst GRUB file:

#boot=/dev/hda
default=0
timeout=10
splashimage=(hd0,1)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
title Red Hat Linux
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.20-8 ro root=LABEL=/ hdc=ide-scsi
initrd /initrd-2.4.20-8.img
title Windows XP
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

This is what I have added into the GRUB.conf (menu.lst)

title SlackWare
root(hd0,6)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-ide-2.4.20 root=/dev/hda7 hdc=ide-scsi

When booting up, I get the error message:
Error 15: File Not Found

I've also tried variances, but still get the same error.

I have no idea why it doesn't want to boot...Can you help me out?

 

[Morsing]

When exactly do you get this message??

Cheers

Henrik Morsing
Certified AIX 4.3 Systems Administration
& p690 Technical Support

 

[AP81]

I fixed it. I copied the /boot files from Slackware into the /boot partition. I then adjusted the entries in the menu.lst and it worked fine.

 

[perrymans]

AP81, I am going through the same thing right now. Can you be more specific on what you did?

cp /dev/hda7/boot /dev/hda1/boot ?????

Or did you use mv? I am a newbie and am not that good on moving things around. Could you please put up the command used and also what the GRUB line looked like after you were finished?

Thanks. Sean.

 

[AP81]

I'd be glad to help. In order to make sure everything goes smoothly can you please:

1. Give me your parition info
2. Give me the contents of your menu.lst file
3. Tell me what distributions your are using

 

[AP81]

1. Mount the parition with the distro you want to add to GRUB

e.g mount /dev/hdaX /mnt/Slackware

2. Make a directory in the boot directory to copy the files from the other distro to

e.g.mkdir /boot/Slackware

3. Copy the files over to the /boot partion of the distro

e.g cp -a /mnt/Slackware/boot/* /boot/Slackware/ (use -a to preserve timestamps)

4. Add an entry to your menu.lst

e.g
title Red Hat
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.20-8 ro root=LABEL=/ hdc=ide-scsi
initrd /initrd-2.4.20-8.img
title Slackware
root (hd0,1)
kernel /Slackware/vmliuz ro root=/dev/hdaX

5. Reboot and should work

 

[perrymans]

Sorry I haven't been here in awhile. Here are my partitions:
I ended up with:

hda1 Primary Ext3 /boot 100MB
hda2 Primary Linux Blank 500MB (plan for SunBoot)
hda3 Primary Linux Blank 8GB (plan for Solaris)
hda5 Logical swap /swap 1GB
hda6 Logical Ext3 / Red Hat 8GB
hda7 Logical Ext2 / Debian 5GB
hda8 Logical reif / Slackware 5GB
Free Space remaining 10.39 GB
hda9 Logical FAT32 (LBA) 2GB (for movingfiles, not for a windows install).

According to above, I will copy all files within Slackware's /boot directory to hda1?

How come I can't load the OS from hda8? Shouldn't GRUB be able to find the correct directory so I don't have to move boot files around? No matter what I tried, I could not get it to work from hda8 (hd0,7).

Thanks for the info. I'll try it tonight.


Thanks. Sean.

 

[AP81]

Make a directory within your boot directory. So your boot directory (/dev/hda1) will have another directory inside it called /Slackware, which will contain all the files that are located in the boot directory of Slackware. Just make the adjustments with your grub file to point to /Slackware/vmlinuz and it should work. Make sure you have the ro before the root=, otherwise you may get errors when booting.

I don't why it doesn't like booting from it's own directory. I tried for a couple of days with about 15 different configurations. It seemed to boot first go when it was located on the /boot parition. Maybe next time I will let it install LILO on the MBR and see if it boots.

One more thing, why so many distros? Are you doing some sort of comparison? Did you mananage to get Debian installed? It is quite tricky, and still catches me out at times

 

[perrymans]

I am learning Linux and Unix right now, I have a 40GB HD for just that purpose, so I put different versions to 1) select a favorite and 2) make sure nothing is left out.

Red Hat was chosen because it is the most widely used and would be good to know my way around.

Debian and Slackware were chosen because of their "hardcore" user base, and the most UNIX like of the distro's.

Solaris is for learning Solaris and it's environment. Even though my actual use will be on SPARC machines, x86 versions is the only way to learn for cheap.

I had to download new iso for Debian Disc1. Mine was 204MB instead of 500+MB file I should have had.

Thanks, I'll try moving the files.

Sean.