General :: Setting Up A Multi Boot System With GRUB?
Aug 20, 2010
There are lots of OSs and Linux dists to install on your netbook, and I want to make it as easy as possible to install, remove and switch between them.
Just installing a dist and then another one after it will replace the GRUB boot screen every time, and some dists might override previous GRUB menus entirely.
On a previous machine I created a GRUB partition which chain-loads GRUB for each dist, but now I can't remember how I did it.
The hard drive is currently empty, since I started playing around with repartitioning. What is the easiest way to install GRUB to a partition? Links are welcome, but please no generic "install GRUB" guides because the ones I've found haven't been relevant to my particular situation (empty hard drive, multi boot environment, no CD/floppy)..
I have Lenny, and Jaunty Jackaope installed on the same hdd. Jaunty Jackaope was installed 2nd so it has control of grub (I don't know if that is the correct expression) I want to remove Jaunty Jackalope however I know from past experience that after I do this I will no longer be able to boot into Lenny as I will get a grub error at startup. How to I give boot/grub to Lenny so that I can remove the other operating system?
Problem: I have installed two Ubuntu servers, 10.04 32-bit and 10.10 64-bit, in a multi-boot environment (also have FDOS and WinXPsp3). The 64-bit will not boot because grub can't find the UUID for the disk with the 64-bit system.
Brief Background: Installed 10.04 LTS two months ago with no problems. 10.04 is in a primary partition on hda with FDOS.
Installed 10.10 (64-bit) in a new primary partition on the same hd. The install seemed to go ok, but the MBR and the fs on the 10.04 were corrupted; could not boot. Restored drive, and rebuilt grub.
Installed 10.10 on separate hd (hdb). In grub step all OS's were recognized so I pointed the grub to hda. Grub failed to boot.
Rebuilt grub from 10.04 on hda. All systems recognized but 10.10 will not boot because it says it cannot locate the UUID specified.
Compared the grub.cfg for both systems, the UUID specified for hdb is the same. Also, when I mount the drive for 10.10 on the 10.04 system the drive UUID is consistent.
I know I must be missing some thing, but I know not what. Have searched and can't find any clues. All other OS's boot ok.
Hardware: AMD64 4GB, 2 internal IDE drives (hda and hdb), 1 internal SATA (hdc WinXP), various USB and Firewire Drives (no bootable systems).
I'm trying to install Fedora onto a computer that has Windows XP on the first of two SATA drives. Windows 7 is on the second drive.
I installed Fedora no problems on a 14 gig free space I created on the first drive and told it where and what my other OS's were. Fine so far. I didn't tell it to overwrite the MBR on the XP (first) drive. I took the second option which I "think" put the boot loader on the fedora partition.
All good - till I rebooted and I just saw my Windows 7 loader with my options for XP and Windows 7 but no Fedora.
So, if I overwrite the MBR on the first drive, will that mean I can't access my Windows 7 installation?
I have 4 OS's on a publicly used pc. I want to hide the boot menu on GRUB2 and have it appear only when I press and hold the SHIFT key during boot. Will changing in /etc/default/grub GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT to 0 safely accomplish this goal? Also, what is the command for deleting all of the former kernel upgrades from the boot menu?
I just netinstalled Squeeze to a netbook with Windows7. The installation went well without any problem. Linux is also working OK. When I boot now, grub does not show Windows7. I took default settings during installation. I mean I did not do anything special. What should i do to fix it? Should I run osprober and grub-update?
There have been many postings on doing Raid 0 setups, and it seems the best way looks like softRaid, but there were some arguments for fakeRaid in dual boot situations. I've seen some posts on dual boot windows/linux in Raid 0, but I was hoping to do a multi-boot using a grub partition, with several Linux distros and Windows 7. There will also be a storage disk for data, but not in the array. From what I gather, I'll need a grub partition which can only reside on one of the two disks, one swap partition on each disk, then the rest I can stripe.
I've got two 73GB WD raptor drives to use for the OS's and programs. I'm just getting my feet wet with the terminal in linux (Ubuntu makes it way too easy to stay in GUI), and the inner workings of the OS, so I have several questions:
Is this going to be worth the effort? Obviously I'm trying to boost performance in boot and run times, but with Grub on a single drive, will I see much gain?
Does this sound like the right methodology (softRAID)? I only have two spare PCI slot's, which don't seem like they would be condusive to hardware raid, but someone who knows more could convince me otherwise.
I have a single hdd, on which I do not require windows OS, just (multiple) linux; it is just a dev mule, exploratory... Have read the saikee methods, and much more... almost there Initial installs were with mint linux 4, just used ml6
partitioned with parted magic partition table: Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/hda1 * 1 64 514048+ 6 FAT16 /dev/hda2 65 2614 20482875 83 Linux
I have a dual boot computer. I seem to be having a bit of a problem with Grub lately. Every time I do any kind of update in Debian Lenny AMD 64 it borks my Grub. The first time I had to change a few lines in menu.lst (hd1,1 to hd0,1), no problem. The second time, things went downhill fast and G-Parted was giving me errors on my NTFS partitions. I had to do an XP repair, fixboot, and I had to reinstall Grub completely to the MBR.
Now, I having a "Grub Loading stage1.5. Grub loading, please wait.... Error 22". All I did was update Debian Linux and shut down. From my initial searches this is an error relating to not finding the correct partition. I have booted with a G-Part CD and it shows all my partitions. I do have a Windows XP Home boot cd if I need it. Here is my partition outline if you need it:
/dev/sda1 NTFS (Windows) flags--boot /dev/sda2 Ext3 (Linux) /dev/sda3 FAT32 (shared space between Windows and Linux) /dev/sda4 extended /dev/sda5 linux-swap
I wrote a GRUB multi-boot configuration so I can boot multiple distributions and have storage space on one 32GB flash drive.
set imgdevpath="/dev/disk/by-label/multiboot"
Code: Select allmenuentry 'Debian Jessie amd64' { set isofile='/iso/debian-8.0.0-amd64-DVD-1.iso' loopback loop $isofile linux (loop)/install.amd/vmlinuz initrd (loop)/install.amd/initrd.gz }
This works in virt-manager when I boot the physical usb device a virtual disk with a usb bus and it works flawlessly, but when I plug it into a physical machine the cdrom detects fails to mount /dev/sdb1 as fstype=iso9660.
I've got a machine that I'd got 9.10 on, that I've now upgraded to Lucid Lynx - and I'm having the same problem with dual boot (or lack thereof) that I was having previously.
Rough scenario is:
(Original Vista machine had)
C: Windows Vista OS + Windows software, etc.: 500GB - single NTFS partition - SATA drive
D: General dumping ground for data. 500GB SATA drive. Was single NTFS partition, now shrunk to install Ubuntu.
So is now: - NTFS partition (containing general rubbish) - Ubuntu / partition - Ubuntu swap partition
... and then 3 x 1TB SATA drives making up an (Intel ICH9R) FakeRaid RAID5 array - that Windows can happily 'see' and use, but I don't care about Ubuntu having access to it or even seeing it.
Lucid Lynx is installed to /dev/sde6 (IIRC) - but when I boot the machine just boots straight into Vista.
I've done what I can to try and get GRUB correctly installed - to the point that right now I probably have it splattered just about anywhere and everywhere.
So - now - the machine boots and simply presents me with "GRUB Hard Disk Error" and stops...
I can fix this by running the Vista repair, with a fixmbr etc. and putting the MBR back to 'normal' on the first boot disk (/dev/sdd in this case). The machine then just boots straight into Vista.
...or I can boot into Ubuntu (or Vista) by booting off a Super Grub Disk (CD) and selecting "Boot Linux" (or whatever it is) - and it correctly boots Lucid Lynx from /dev/sde6
Ideally I want a proper GRUB dual boot menu - but I just seem to be getting into more and more of a mess!
Anyone successfully using VNC client on a Mac to control a Debian server?I have the vncserver setup on the Debian machine properly. But I'm having problems connecting to it from both a PowerMac running Tiger and a MacBookPro running leopard.I can connect no problem from a machine running Slack12.2, have not setup port forwarding on my router to connect remotely yet.My Debian machine is running the latest stable release of squeeze with KDE4.I originally tried this with RealVNC Enterprise for OSX but I'm not gonna buy it so I need another alternative after the 30 day trial ends as they have no free version for OSX. The situation is that I do freelance graphic design on the PowerMac with Cinema4D and Photoshop so I spend most of my time on that machine which is located in my home studio in my attic. Aside from the MacBook and a Dell desktop(family machine)all my other machines and network hardware are in the basement. So to go from the attic to the basement everytime I need to do something on another machine is not practical, and the only other machine I need to access on a regular basis is the Debian box in the basement, this makes the most sense.
I also have a 14 year old living in the house and he's fascinated by all this and will meddle in anything he gets the chance to so all the Linux machines and network hardware need to be behind lock and key.
I want to set up grub for a dual boot system of xp and vista. The thing is that I have vista installed and would have to install it ance again after setting up XP in order to use the microsoft bootloader. And secondly I slowly want to get into linux...
This is how I tried it: I have four partitions on my HD and want to install the Bootloader on /dev/sda3. I started up the ubuntu live cd, mounted partition3, opened the console and tried this command line which I found in a tutorial
grub-install --root-directory=/media/hda3 --recheck /dev/hda However I get the following error message:
mkdir: cannot create directory '/media/hda3/boot': No such file or directory
I have windows7 installed in my laptop. I tried installing Redhat linux in it, and I was successful. But then I logged in with windows7 and deleted the partition in which I had installed redhat through computer management. Now my system doesnt boot with windows instead it boots with GRUB. Also to inform that the deleted linux partition I merged with Windows.
I'm trying to configure GRUB to boot XP preferentially- my wife insists. Having looked up the GRUB manual I see that I can set this using the default command.
The problem is, when I go to my grub command line default is not a recognized command. If I hit TAB for a list of commands, it isn't there.
I think I'm using some 0.9x version of GRUB, since the partitions etc seem to be numbered starting at 0, not 1.
While I'm at it, I was just going to play around and figure this out, but: the menu interface lists five versions of Ubuntu (all those weird kernel variations) then XP. So would XP be default 1 or default 5?
I Just updated my 10.04 LTS system, which dual boots Windows XP. Prior to the update the default was to boot to XP, now it is to Memtest.
I tried to edit /etc/default/ grub and make the default be 14 instead of 12, which would be XP, but Ubuntu, (using gedit), refused to accept my change.
I don't have a problem scrolling around to pick XP, or the latest Linux kernel to boot, but my wife sure does. How can I make Ubuntu/Grub default to to XP ?
The root filesystem is the filesystem that is contained on the same partition on which the root directory is located, and it is the filesystem on which all the other filesystems are mounted.
In a multi-OS desktop, having Windows, Ubuntu and Fedora, what is the root filesystem as the root directory is located on at least 2 of the OS.
I've been using squeeze for a year or two now, on a PC dual booting with windows xp. Not long ago I thought that, as it's now become the stable release version, I'd do a fresh install, which I've been trying to do with the first two dvds. The installation proceeds as expected, up to and including setting grub. However, although grub saysthat it has detected windows xp, and I tell it to set up the dual boot, the computer on reboot goes straight into windows xp, with no on-scrteen option shown for choosing debian.
I started another thread about this to get help booting into openSUSE after Fedora rewrote my bootloader and deleted all other entries. I managed to fix it but I never did find out why the following commands caused my system to boot to the grub shell instead of the grub menu.
Code: grub root (hd0,3) setup (hd0) quit reboot
Can anyone explain to me why these commands caused my system to boot directly to a grub shell? It's as if there were no /boot/grub/menu.lst files for it to use, but after I got everything back to normal, the files were still there.
If it helps, this is how the drive was setup before and now, except Fedora was on /dev/sda4 and has since been deleted.
Code: Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/sda1 1 262 2104483+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris /dev/sda2 263 13316 104856255 83 Linux /dev/sda3 * 13317 14621 10482412+ 83 Linux
I have a debian system that's freezing in the boot sequence at "Setting system clock".Several sites I looked at recommended changing the init scripts to disallow hardware access to the clock. But, I can't boot! Is there a parameter I can pass to the kernel at boot so that it will skip init scripts?
I have installed a new Linux distro (just to test it) on my usb memory stick, and I'm trying to run it. I don't know if what I did is correct so far, anyways here's what I have:
Grub on sda (internal hard disk) sdb with no boot loader (memory stick)
In grub I've been doing: root (hd1,0) kernel /kernel-genkernel-x86_64-2.6.37-sabayon root=/dev/sdb1 vga=normal initrd /initramfs-genkernel-x86_64-2.6.37-sabayon boot
This seems to work (as opposed to when I forgot the root= parameter, which almost destroyed my linux on sda1 ), but during startup the system complains about no root bein found on /dev/sdb1. I also tried (hd1,0), but it didn't change much.
I'm sure I can boot an OS from usb on my computer, so doesn anyone know what I'm doing wrong?
I want to code some simple personal projects on the Unix-like partition while doing everything else on my XP partition. Can someone recommend the solution that takes up the smallest footprint in size and processing power that still delivers value? I want to learn how to code in a Unix environment.
I'm trying Cygwin but my first impression is its a bit clumsy. Would a dual boot with BeOS be better? And how would I do it? EDIT: I need to be able to run both OS'es at the same time. This is very important for me. my laptop is pretty crappy and that's why I ask for something that has a low CPU/RAM footprint.
I'm looking for a quick an dumbass noobies proof why of creating a multi boot dvd, the distro's that i want on the disc are;
mint 8 (custom 1gb iso created with remastersys as a live dist) knoppix v6.2cd (690.99mb) nimblex (custom 527.1mb build created on nimblex website) parted magic (49.9mb) puppy 4.3.1 (104.9mb)
i have done some googling and it's gone right over my head so if theres a dumbass noob based way please could someone share it or a gui based app similar to unetbootin-377
I have 4 computers in my house, all with different OS's. (XP, Vista, 7, and Ubuntu) They would all be on Linux but haven't found a way to get my wife to stop using Windows. Anyways, I'd like to set up a home network to connect all 4 computers that would provide filesharing and print server. Does anybody know if this is even possible?
A friend of mine is starting a school this school has computers. I'm assuming windows but that's not that point at the moment. He asked me about setting a main unit that held the kids info and their work complete on the computer. Effectivley what I am asking is how do I set up a server to allow many multiple (at least 50 user at a time) each with their own folder as their home (or desktop I guess is a better word). He also wants a person to be able to add themselves as an account similar to that of signing up for something (ie facebook twitter you know). Oh and ( I almost forgot the most important) how to setup the server to allow the other computer to boot to it via the network...
I have a laptop dual booting to Windows 7 and Opensuse 11.2. However, I'd like to switch to a different Linux distro (probably Ubuntu, that's what I'm used to)
Is there a way for me to do it without losing the Windows 7 setup/data?
I am currently booting 4 flavors of Linux - Ubuntu 10.04, Xubuntu 10.04, Linux Mint 9 KDE RC and Linux Mint 9 Gnome. There is so little difference between Ubuntu Gnome with the right packages installed and Linux Mint 9 it is redundant and I would like to replace it with Fedora 13 and try that out for a while. I understand that Fedora still uses a legacy Grub while the others are all using Grub2. I also understand that the two bootloaders do not get along. Is there a way to do that? How? If I have Fedora install its legacy Grub to the Fedora partition will Grub2 see Fedora and update itself properly? I'm open to starting clean if that would simplify things.
I have Linux Mint and Windows 7 installed on my laptop, and recently tried tinkering with EasyBCD, to use the Windows multi-boot loader instead of grub. Well, that didn't work out too well, because I ended up with the Windows boot loader with two options, Windows 7 and Linux Mint, however the Linux Mint entry just redirected me to grub, which wasn't what I intended.
I tried to put things the way they were, with grub as the only boot loader, and figured I'd do so by setting EasyBCD to skip the multi boot screen and going straight to the Linux Mint entry, which corresponds to grub.Well, now when I boot, I get the grub screen, but if I select the Windows 7 entry, it just redirects me back to grub, so I can't access Windows 7 right now. What can I do to fix this? Can I edit the Windows boot loader from within Linux?
