Dear list members - I've run into a problem trying to get grub working. I boot WinXP, SuSE 9.3, and Fedora 4. I have been using this and similar configurations for at least a year with no problem. I was trying out "suspend to disk" in SuSE 9.3. It worked ok a couple of times, but then one time when I turned my machine back on, the grub menu would not appear (there was a very brief message that flashed by before I could read it) and the machine would boot into WinXP. I have booted into SuSE with the rescue disk, but every attempt to get Grub installed fails. In Yast, everything seems to go ok until it tries to write the configuration, then it hangs and nothing more happens. I have to go to the console and kill the program. Any suggestions for how to get Grub installed again without wiping the disk and starting from scratch? I googled for similar problems, but could not find anything relevant. Thanks, Harry
On Monday 18 July 2005 12:33 pm, Harry Reinert wrote:
Dear list members -
I've run into a problem trying to get grub working. I boot WinXP, SuSE 9.3, and Fedora 4. I have been using this and similar configurations for at least a year with no problem. I was trying out "suspend to disk" in SuSE 9.3. It worked ok a couple of times, but then one time when I turned my machine back on, the grub menu would not appear (there was a very brief message that flashed by before I could read it) and the machine would boot into WinXP.
I have booted into SuSE with the rescue disk, but every attempt to get Grub installed fails. In Yast, everything seems to go ok until it tries to write the configuration, then it hangs and nothing more happens. I have to go to the console and kill the program.
Any suggestions for how to get Grub installed again without wiping the disk and starting from scratch? I googled for similar problems, but could not find anything relevant. Don't wipe anything out. Looks like something damaged your MBR. However, the configuration in the /boot directory should be unchanged.
The simplest way is to go to YaST/System/Boot Loader configuration This should show you your current boot loader configuration. Then click on Finish. This will rewrite your boot loader configuration even if you do not make any changes. -- Jerry Feldman <gaf@blu.org> Boston Linux and Unix user group http://www.blu.org PGP key id:C5061EA9 PGP Key fingerprint:053C 73EC 3AC1 5C44 3E14 9245 FB00 3ED5 C506 1EA9
Jerry Feldman wrote:
On Monday 18 July 2005 12:33 pm, Harry Reinert wrote:
Dear list members -
I've run into a problem trying to get grub working. I boot WinXP, SuSE 9.3, and Fedora 4. I have been using this and similar configurations for at least a year with no problem. I was trying out "suspend to disk" in SuSE 9.3. It worked ok a couple of times, but then one time when I turned my machine back on, the grub menu would not appear (there was a very brief message that flashed by before I could read it) and the machine would boot into WinXP.
I have booted into SuSE with the rescue disk, but every attempt to get Grub installed fails. In Yast, everything seems to go ok until it tries to write the configuration, then it hangs and nothing more happens. I have to go to the console and kill the program.
Any suggestions for how to get Grub installed again without wiping the disk and starting from scratch? I googled for similar problems, but could not find anything relevant.
Don't wipe anything out. Looks like something damaged your MBR. However, the configuration in the /boot directory should be unchanged.
The simplest way is to go to YaST/System/Boot Loader configuration This should show you your current boot loader configuration. Then click on Finish. This will rewrite your boot loader configuration even if you do not make any changes.
That's what I tried to do, but this is where things get hung up. The boot loader configuration process stalls and will not complete.
Dear list members -
I've run into a problem trying to get grub working. I boot WinXP, SuSE 9.3, and Fedora 4. I have been using this and similar configurations for at least a year with no problem. I was trying out "suspend to disk" in SuSE 9.3. It worked ok a couple of times, but then one time when I turned my machine back on, the grub menu would not appear (there was a very brief message that flashed by before I could read it) and the machine would boot into WinXP. One other problem that you could be having is with your /boot itself. If you have a separate /boot partition, both Fedora and SuSE want to put
On Monday 18 July 2005 12:33 pm, Harry Reinert wrote: their kernels in there. And, since GRUB is a subdirectory of /boot, then things can get complicated. I routinely build my home system with 2 versions of Linux (both are SuSE at the present time). In my case, I do not have a separate /boot partition. When installing the new OS, I let it configure GRUB, and I make sure to point an alternate boot at the old os. Example: /dev/hda: hda5 == root SuSE 9.2, contains /boot currently unused. /dev/hdc: hda5 == root SuSE 9.3 contains /boot. /boot/GRUB/menu.lst has entries to allow me to boot SuSE 9.2. -- Jerry Feldman <gerald.feldman@hp.com> Partner Technology Access Center (contractor) (PTAC-MA) Hewlett-Packard Co. 550 King Street LKG2a-X2 Littleton, Ma. 01460 (978)506-5243
Jerry Feldman wrote:
On Monday 18 July 2005 12:33 pm, Harry Reinert wrote:
Dear list members -
I've run into a problem trying to get grub working. I boot WinXP, SuSE 9.3, and Fedora 4. I have been using this and similar configurations for at least a year with no problem. I was trying out "suspend to disk" in SuSE 9.3. It worked ok a couple of times, but then one time when I turned my machine back on, the grub menu would not appear (there was a very brief message that flashed by before I could read it) and the machine would boot into WinXP.
One other problem that you could be having is with your /boot itself. If you have a separate /boot partition, both Fedora and SuSE want to put their kernels in there. And, since GRUB is a subdirectory of /boot, then things can get complicated.
I routinely build my home system with 2 versions of Linux (both are SuSE at the present time). In my case, I do not have a separate /boot partition. When installing the new OS, I let it configure GRUB, and I make sure to point an alternate boot at the old os. Example: /dev/hda: hda5 == root SuSE 9.2, contains /boot currently unused. /dev/hdc: hda5 == root SuSE 9.3 contains /boot. /boot/GRUB/menu.lst has entries to allow me to boot SuSE 9.2.
In my case, I do not have a separate boot partition. Each distribution has its own directory. In the past, I upgraded the SuSE /boot/GRUB/menu.lst when I make changes to the fedora system, for example by updating the kernel. That worked with no problems.
participants (3)
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Harry Reinert -
Jerry Feldman -
Jerry Feldman