From wongalongtong at gmail.com Fri Feb 3 15:32:07 2006 From: wongalongtong at gmail.com (Walt Schlender) Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2006 15:32:07 -0800 Subject: [buug] GRUB dumb grub Message-ID: <87683d10602031532q55971deav619dbdb548a00b62@mail.gmail.com> Hey guys, I've enjoyed the past couple of meetings. And, I'm still having trouble with GRUB. Here's what my hardware configuration looks like: Here are my grub.conf and device.map files. I've checked in my bios and they point to the right drives. # grub.conf generated by anaconda # # Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file # NOTICE: You have a /boot partition. This means that # all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg. # root (hd2,0) # kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 # initrd /initrd-version.img #boot=/dev/sdb1 default=0 timeout=5 splashimage=(hd2,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz hiddenmenu title Fedora Core (2.6.11-1.1369_FC4smp) root (hd2,0) kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.11-1.1369_FC4smp ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 rhgb quiet initrd /initrd-2.6.11-1.1369_FC4smp.img title Fedora Core-up (2.6.11-1.1369_FC4) root (hd2,0) kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.11-1.1369_FC4 ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 rhgb quiet initrd /initrd-2.6.11-1.1369_FC4.img title WindowsXP rootnoverify (hd1,0) chainloader +1 device.map (fd0) /dev/fd0 (hd0) /dev/sda (hd1) /dev/sdb (hd2) /dev/hdb All I get when I boot is: GRUB and then a bunch of random characters that are impossible to type. By the way, there is no fd0, but I don't think that should matter should it? Let me know what I'm doing wrong. Thanks, -Walt -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Michael.Paoli at cal.berkeley.edu Fri Feb 3 19:46:12 2006 From: Michael.Paoli at cal.berkeley.edu (Michael Paoli) Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2006 19:46:12 -0800 Subject: [buug] GRUB dumb grub In-Reply-To: <87683d10602031532q55971deav619dbdb548a00b62@mail.gmail.com> References: <87683d10602031532q55971deav619dbdb548a00b62@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <1139024772.43e4238445d2b@webmail.rawbw.com> A few random hints/points that jump to mind, that might possibly point or help point to the answer. One exceedingly annoying thing I've run into with Red Hat (and Fedora/anaconda may share in the mess), is when installing Red Hat on a system that has access to multiple drives (e.g. local hard drive and SAN drive(s)), the installation process can get very screwed up around the point where it gets to installing and configuring grub, and, e.g., want to install grub on the wrong drive! So, ... I'd be highly suspicious of Red Hat (and quite possibly also Fedora/anaconda) grub installation process (short of doing most all the grub stuff manually) giving a rather to quite messed up grub configuration/installation. Doing all the grub stuff manually should work suitably. ( e.g. when installing Red Hat on local hard drive, when system also has access to SAN drives, but should not be touching data on the SAN drives at all through the installation process ... when it gets to the point of installing grub in the installation process, Red Hat wanted to install grub on the first SAN drive (which would've probably hopelessly corrupted its data, as the filesystem was a type not at all understood by grub), and it offered no alternative installation location in the installation process (I ended up blocking the host's access to the SAN and repeating the installation ... then, and only then, would it offer to install grub on the correct drive - in both cases, it didn't offer a choice of target drives for the grub installation)) ) So, ... anyway, it may be quite prudent to pour over the grub installation/ configuration with a fine tooth comb, and don't trust what Fedora/anaconda may have done. Quoting Walt Schlender: > I've enjoyed the past couple of meetings. And, I'm still having trouble > with > GRUB. Here's what my hardware configuration looks like: > # grub.conf generated by anaconda > title Fedora Core (2.6.11-1.1369_FC4smp) > All I get when I boot is: > GRUB and then a bunch of random characters that are impossible to type. > By the way, there is no fd0, but I don't think that should matter should > it? It may suffice that an enabled floppy controller exists (or something that can emulate one, such as USB boot support) for grub to show an fd0. Anyway, I may poke around my boot configurations (and what I can see of yours), and come up with some more useful information ... or perhaps you'll get it all figured out and working before that (with or without other folks also providing more useful information). Also, in addition to the configuration file, there are all the issues of what grub and grub related data has (and/or hasn't) been written where, and how. That's a bit of the messier part to get it set up right initially, ... but once that's done it's much easier to maintain (and much less prone to error) than LILO. From webmaster at hawaiidakine.com Sat Feb 25 17:19:22 2006 From: webmaster at hawaiidakine.com (Al Plant) Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2006 15:19:22 -1000 Subject: [buug] Bios wont see HD Message-ID: <4401021A.3000300@hawaiidakine.com> My friend has a Dell Precision 420 with bios A-07. He wants to load DOS in a 2.x gig drive and use this box to replace an old 486 SX box he has with a program he needs for his business on it. I looked at it and tried to get a 2.X gig drive to be recognized but this Pentium 3 800 mz Dell box won't find it and the user bios settings won't stick above a 1000 MB drive. Anyone know if a bios upgrade would fix this or is there a trick to force it to see the drive? I had a similar problem trying to get a Dell Lap top to take a bigger HD and didn't have any luck. Thanks, Al Plant -- Webmaster- http://hawaiidakine.com Admin- http://freebsdinfo.org -- Supporting Open Source Computing - - FreeBSD 4.11/6.* -- Debian Linux 3* "All that's really worth doing is what we do for others."- Lewis Carroll From togo at of.net Tue Feb 28 11:21:00 2006 From: togo at of.net (Tony Godshall) Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 11:21:00 -0800 Subject: [buug] Bios wont see HD In-Reply-To: <4401021A.3000300@hawaiidakine.com> References: <4401021A.3000300@hawaiidakine.com> Message-ID: <20060228192100.GA27489@of.net> Takes me back, but if I recall (general technique, not this specific motherboard)... 1. lie to BIOS. Tell it the drive is within limit, and LBA. LBA disregards geometry, IIRC. 2. boot Linux (liveCD or install CD or intall floppy). 3. Linux bypasses BIOS limits and inquires directly to disk drive. All is well once Linux boots. 4. when you install to hard drive, make sure first partition contains kernel and initrd (if any) and is small (typically /boot). 5. rest of disk may be single or multiple partition. Let us know if this works or you solve it some other way. According to Al Plant, > My friend has a Dell Precision 420 with bios A-07. He wants to load DOS > in a 2.x gig drive and use this box to replace an old 486 SX box he has > with a program he needs for his business on it. > I looked at it and tried to get a 2.X gig drive to be recognized but > this Pentium 3 800 mz Dell box won't find it and the user bios settings > won't stick above a 1000 MB drive. > Anyone know if a bios upgrade would fix this or is there a trick to > force it to see the drive? > > I had a similar problem trying to get a Dell Lap top to take a bigger HD > and didn't have any luck. > > Thanks, > > Al Plant > > -- Webmaster- http://hawaiidakine.com Admin- http://freebsdinfo.org -- > Supporting Open Source Computing - - FreeBSD 4.11/6.* -- Debian Linux 3* > "All that's really worth doing is what we do for others."- Lewis Carroll > > _______________________________________________ > Buug mailing list > Buug at weak.org > http://www.weak.org/mailman/listinfo/buug -- Best Regards, Tony From togo at of.net Tue Feb 28 11:23:08 2006 From: togo at of.net (Tony Godshall) Date: Tue, 28 Feb 2006 11:23:08 -0800 Subject: [buug] Bios wont see HD In-Reply-To: <20060228192100.GA27489@of.net> References: <4401021A.3000300@hawaiidakine.com> <20060228192100.GA27489@of.net> Message-ID: <20060228192308.GA27832@of.net> Oops. Sorry. Presumed Linux. However I think general technique still applies- keep the kernel in the area the BIOS can see and when the kernel loads, it should bypass the BIOS and see the rest. According to Tony Godshall, > > Takes me back, but if I recall (general technique, not this > specific motherboard)... > > 1. lie to BIOS. Tell it the drive is within limit, and LBA. > LBA disregards geometry, IIRC. > 2. boot Linux (liveCD or install CD or intall floppy). > 3. Linux bypasses BIOS limits and inquires directly to disk > drive. All is well once Linux boots. > 4. when you install to hard drive, make sure first partition > contains kernel and initrd (if any) and is small (typically > /boot). > 5. rest of disk may be single or multiple partition. > > Let us know if this works or you solve it some other way. > > According to Al Plant, > > My friend has a Dell Precision 420 with bios A-07. He wants to load DOS > > in a 2.x gig drive and use this box to replace an old 486 SX box he has > > with a program he needs for his business on it. > > I looked at it and tried to get a 2.X gig drive to be recognized but > > this Pentium 3 800 mz Dell box won't find it and the user bios settings > > won't stick above a 1000 MB drive. > > Anyone know if a bios upgrade would fix this or is there a trick to > > force it to see the drive? > > > > I had a similar problem trying to get a Dell Lap top to take a bigger HD > > and didn't have any luck. > > > > Thanks, > > > > Al Plant > > > > -- Webmaster- http://hawaiidakine.com Admin- http://freebsdinfo.org -- > > Supporting Open Source Computing - - FreeBSD 4.11/6.* -- Debian Linux 3* > > "All that's really worth doing is what we do for others."- Lewis Carroll > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Buug mailing list > > Buug at weak.org > > http://www.weak.org/mailman/listinfo/buug > > -- > > Best Regards, > > Tony > -- Best Regards, Tony