install grub on LVM

[Bob McClure Jr]

On Tue, Sep 18, 2007 at 04:10:37PM -0500, Fred Grant wrote:
> On Tue, 2007-09-18 at 10:02 -0500, Bob McClure Jr wrote:
> > On Tue, Sep 18, 2007 at 06:39:20AM -0500, Fred Grant wrote:
> > > I want to install grub on hd1 boot partition which is LVM.
> OK it's not LVM, it's ext3.  I must have been looking at swap.
> > 
> > hd1?  Do you mean hda?  Or hda1?
> > hda1
> > I didn't think you could boot LVM partitions.  Let's be clear on this.
> > An LVM partition is somewhat like an extended partition in that it
> > does not contain any kind of filesystem.  It does, however, contain
> > one or more logical volumes each of which which may contain a
> > filesystem.
> > 
> > Customarily, there is (at least) one plain linux partition with an
> > ext[23] filesystem on it, which is designated as the /boot partition.
> > You will likely have another partition, type LVM, which contains one
> > or more logical volumes containing filesystems for /, /home, etc.
> > Still, you would normally install grub on the MBR of that disk, e.g.,
> > for /dev/hda
> > 
> >   grub-install /dev/hda
> I did this and result is indicated below.

While booted to FC5?  If so, show us the grub.conf for that system.

> > Care to share a bit more information about your desired setup?
> ------------
> fdisk:
> Disk /dev/hda: 30.7 GB, 30750031872 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3738 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> 
>    Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
> /dev/hda1   *           1          13      104391   83  Linux
> /dev/hda2              14        3738    29921062+  8e  Linux LVM
> 
> Disk /dev/hdb: 61.4 GB, 61492838400 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 7476 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> 
>    Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
> /dev/hdb1   *           1        7288    58540828+  83  Linux
> /dev/hdb2            7289        7476     1510110    5  Extended
> /dev/hdb5            7289        7476     1510078+  82  Linux swap /
> Solaris
> 
> Disk /dev/dm-0: 29.5 GB, 29527900160 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3589 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> 
> Disk /dev/dm-0 doesn't contain a valid partition table
> 
> Disk /dev/dm-1: 1073 MB, 1073741824 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 130 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> 
> Disk /dev/dm-1 doesn't contain a valid partition table

The above two errors can be ignored.

> -------------------
> Per the above, I have F5 installed on hda and Ubuntu live cd on hdb.  In
> BIOS I select "boot from HDD1" and boot fails.  If I select "boot from
> HDD2", boot succeeds.  Is it possible that BIOS considers hda to be
> HDD2?

Could be.  The BIOS will tell you.

> Can it be toggled?

In most recent machines, yes.  Look in the BIOS under something like
Boot Order or drive swapping.  Rick has a lot more experience with
that and can probably tell you exactly.

> I don't play around with BIOS much because it
> scares me.
> > 
> > >
> -- 
> Fred

Cheers,
-- 
Bob McClure, Jr.             Bobcat Open Systems, Inc.
bob at bobcatos.com             http://www.bobcatos.com
When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is
wise.  Proverbs 10:19 (NIV)