Re: Dual boot doesn't work properly

[Chris Hewitt <g0pae manordat demon co uk>]

Vaibhav Deshpande wrote:

> Contents of grub.conf file:
>
> # 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 (hd0,1)
> #          kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/hda3
> #          initrd /initrd-version.img
> #boot=/dev/hda
> default=1
> timeout=10
> splashimage=(hd0,1)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
> password --md5 $1$lMj.1jxk$pqSF2bFlt6asQSc/1BBU90
> title Red Hat Linux (2.4.20-8)
>        root (hd0,1)
>        kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.20-8 ro root=LABEL=/ hdc=ide-scsi
>        initrd /initrd-2.4.20-8.img
> title DOS
>        rootnoverify (hd0,0)
>        chainloader +1
>
> OUTPUT of 'fdisk -l' command:
>
> [root dhcp024-209-250-221 etc]# fdisk -l
>
> Disk /dev/hda: 30.7 GB, 30750031872 bytes
> 16 heads, 63 sectors/track, 59582 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 1008 * 512 = 516096 bytes
>
>   Device Boot    Start       End    Blocks   Id  System
> /dev/hda1   *         1     44704  22530784+   7  HPFS/NTFS
> /dev/hda2         44705     44907    102312   83  Linux
> /dev/hda3         44908     59192   7199640   83  Linux
> /dev/hda4         59193     59582    196560    f  Win95 Ext'd (LBA)
> /dev/hda5         59193     59582    196528+  82  Linux swap
>
>
> Thanks
> -Vaibhav
>
> --- Chris Hewitt <g0pae manordat demon co uk> wrote:
>
> > Vaibhav Deshpande wrote:
> >
> > > Hi,
> > >
> > > I'v installed RH 9 with WIN 2000 on my PC in dual boot mode. I've
> > > couple of issues:
> > >
> > > 1. When I boot my PC from hard disk, i'm not getting GUI menu for
> > boot
> >
> > > option. Why this may happen? I've configured GRUB but I'm only
> > getting
> >
> > > GRUB command line. Any help?
> > If grub cannot find its configuration file (/boot/grub/grub.conf and
> > the 
> > link from /etc/grub.conf) then it gives the command line not the GUI 
> > menu. Have you got this file? If so, it may be useful to post its 
> > contents here.
> >
> > > 2. My Windows 2000 doesn't boot. It just hangs after I get initial
> > > screen. Any help?
> > Again this will be a grub configuration issue. How it needs to be 
> > configured depends on which disc drives and partitions win2k is on.
> > If 
> > you post the output of "fdisk -l" (as root) then I'm sure we can
> > help. 
> > Your two problems are probably related.
> >
> > Regards
> >
> > Chris
With one exception, I admit both look fine to me. I'm going to have to 
ask others on the list to chip in on this one please. I'm assuming your 
win2k is at the beginning of your drive (hda1). The thing I don't 
understand is your /dev/hda4 and /dev/hda5, which seem to be occupying 
the same space on the disc (but with slightly differing block length). 
There can only be four primary partitions so I would expect one to be to 
make an extention partition (/dev/hda4), within which extended 
partitions can reside (/dev/hda5). The extension /dev/hda4 was made 
under dos/windows and I am not used to seeing that (Win95 Ext'd (LBA) 
but the linux "Extended" with an Id of 5. That does not mean there is 
anything wrong with it, just that I have not seen it before.

Presumably you loaded windows first (which booted corrrectly at the 
time?), then linux. /dev/hda2 looks like your /boot partition and 
/dev/hda3 your /.

Does linux boot correctly from the hard drive (except for not getting 
the graphical grub boot), or do you need to boot it with a boot floppy?

Did you install grub as part of the RH9 installation process, or did you 
install it separately afterwards? It sounds to me as though grub cannot 
find /boot/grub/grub.conf so this is why you only get the grub prompt 
and thus also why it cannot boot windows. I think you may need to 
install grub again. I 've not had to do this myself so make sure you 
have a boot floppy to boot into linux before doing this. You can also 
read the grub info page by doing "info grub" but as I see it as root do:
grub-install --root-directory=/boot /dev/hd0

Hope this helps.

Chris