Knoppix3.8 Windows dual boot from HDD. To have a boot menu?

[deepak_abc]

More info. , any error codes or just what happens?

When I make the linux partition active it gives only 4 4 4 on screen when I try to boot from Knoppix 3.8. There is no other error message.Then I make the Windows partitin active and it boots from Windows.

So should I reinstall Knoppix and write the boot information in MBR instead of the Linux cd?

[kirol]

So should I reinstall Knoppix and write the boot information in MBR instead of the Linux cd?

Your partition list shows that linux is installed to a primary partition (hdc2). Te default (MS) MBR branches to the 1st primary partition marked active, just like it does for windows. Since this is not working, I suspect grub has not been properly installed. The knoppix installer is sadly only half-heartedly supported. OTOH, I once had 3.8 installed to HD and working. Anyway, you don't have to re-install the whole OS, just the boot loader(grub). I suggest you boot to command-line mode (knoppix 2), then:

# mount /dev/hdc2 /media/hdc2
# grub-install --root-directory=/media/hdc2/boot /dev/hdc2

This will install grub to your linux partition. (You may have to use /mnt instead of /media, I can't remember for sure with 3.8). There should now be a non-empty /media/hdc2/boot/grub/menu.lst file or something's wrong. You need to mark hdc2 as the unique active primary partition (e.g. with cfdisk), then you can reboot. If it still doesn't work, you may want to install to the MBR: simply use hdc instead of hdc2 at the end of the grub-install line above.

[deepak_abc]

This will install grub to your linux partition

The machine is at home and I have to try it at home whereas I am in office now. I feel grub may be installed on the Linux partition. I will mount it ans use the find command. I am a unix admin so am familiar with this stuff.

I will also have to configure grub by knowing where the kernel and the init files are located. e.g. If the location is as follows then the grub commands would be as shown in the quotes.

The partition containing the kernel = /dev/hda1, or (hd0,0) in grub-speak

Within that partition, the directory path and filename of the kernel = /vmlinuz-i686-up-4GB
(Remember, /dev/hda1 is mounted directly to /boot, so it contains the kernel directly)

The partition containing /sbin/init is /dev/hda9

In that case, here are the grub commands you would input to boot that system:


grub> root (hd0,0)
grub> kernel /vmlinuz-i686-up-4GB root=/dev/hda9
grub> boot

So I feel that I have to locate the relevant informationm like the kernel name, location of /sbin/init and the name of the root . Root name would be root (hd0,1) I guess.

[deepak_abc]

#mount /dev/hdc2 /mnt/hdc2
# grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/hdc2/boot /dev/hdc2

I ran the above commands and the result is as follows:-

I installed Grub on Knoppix 3.6. I got the following output.(took almost 20 mins to get this error)
grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/hdc2/boot /dev/hdc2Probing devices to guess BIOS drives. This may take along time.The file /mnt/hdc2/boot/boot/grub/stage1 not read correctly.

The file /mnt/hdc2/boot/boot/grub/stage1 exists. I checked it

Then I ran find command from /dev/hdc2 to search for grub. This is what I got. So I feel that grub is installed. But what next now?

root@ttyp0[hdc2]# find . -name "grub*" -print

./boot/boot/grub
./lib/grub
./sbin/grub
./sbin/grub-floppy
./sbin/grub-install
./sbin/grub-md5-crypt
./sbin/grub-reboot
./sbin/grub-terminfo
./usr/share/doc/grub
./usr/share/man/man8/grub.8.gz
./usr/share/man/man8/grub-floppy.8.gz
./usr/share/man/man8/grub-install.8.gz
./usr/share/man/man8/grub-md5-crypt.8.gz
./usr/share/man/man8/grub-reboot.8.gz
./usr/share/man/man8/grub-terminfo.8.gz
./usr/share/vim/vim63/syntax/grub.vim
./var/lib/dpkg/info/grub.list
./var/lib/dpkg/info/grub.md5sums

[kirol]

The file /mnt/hdc2/boot/boot/grub/stage1 exists. I checked it

Then I ran find command from /dev/hdc2 to search for grub. This is what I got. So I feel that grub is installed.

Yet it doesn't boot yet, does it? This is not a riddle, see, we can only help on the basis of information you provide.

Something's fishy if it took grub so much time to install - I've never seen this. Also, you should have /boot/grub, not/boot/boot/grub. Perhaps that's my fault and a result of the --root-directory argument; try omitting the "boot" suffix from it (just using the mount point) - or omit the argument entirely and pay attention to possible error messages. Review the /boot/grub/menu.lst file to see if it contains entries for windows and linux.

BTW, this shouldn't be a factor, but why is your disk connected to the secondary controller?

[deepak_abc]

Yet it doesn't boot yet, does it? This is not a riddle, see, we can only help on the basis of information you provide.

I am sorry that I didnt say that Knoppix did not boot. But there was no change and I again got a screen of 4 4 4 4 ....for half a screen. There was no change after installing grub. I have downloaded Knoppix 5.0 and will be formatting the present Knoppix partition and install 5.0 on th HDD. I shall also try with the following command as per kirol's suggestion.

# grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/hdc2/ /dev/hdc2

[deepak_abc]

I changed the configuration of the system.

My configuration is as follows:-
/dev/hda1 Windows xp
hda7 Knoppix version 5.0 partition 8 gb
hda8 swap 600 mb
hda9 fat32 600 mb so that it will be accsible both from Knoppix and Windows.

I installed boot loader in hda7 and not in mbr. I did not install grub in the mbr because windows also may stop booting if something goes wrong.knoppix-installer ran successfully. I saw a dialogue grub is being installed.
After installing I made hda7 active but knoppix does not boot.

I tried to install Knoppix 5.1 on the hdd but the knoppix-installer script did not run susccessfully. It gave error "can not mount /mnt/hdinstall" read only file system.

I feel the problem is this:-
First I need to make Knoppix bootable from hdd without bothering about boot menu for XP and Knoppix.

I have to configure grub so that it gives me a menu to boot Windows from hda1 or knoppix from hda7.
If I install boot loader in mbr, will there be any problems in booting xp? How to restore boot partition of xp in case something goes wrong and I need to revert back?[/b]

[TopFarmer]

I have to configure grub so that it gives me a menu to boot Windows from hda1 or knoppix from hda7

That can only be done if GRUB is installed into the MBR.

After installing I made hda7 active but knoppix does not boot

hda7 is an extended volume and is not bootable from the bios. To boot to an extended volume one must have a specially written MBR, GRUB's MBR boot code will along with some other third party boot managers, but Microsofts MBR code will not do so.

If I install boot loader in mbr, will there be any problems in booting xp?

if it is installed correct there will be no problems. (I can not tell you how, limited knowlege)

You can use a third party boot manager as posted by JohnnyH .

How to restore boot partition of xp in case something goes wrong and I need to revert back?

IF you have a MS XP cd (not a recovery cd) , you would boot into the Recovery Console and run FIXBOOT. FIXBOOT rewrites the MBR's boot code. Or if you have a floppy drive you can use MBRWORK and make a backup of MBR before installing GRUB, then restore the saved file. You can also use linux's DD command to do the same.

[deepak_abc]

What I did was simple just reinstalled Knoppix and let it write the boot record in the MBR. It didnt disturb the Windows booting and I am getting a boot menu as desired. I did not install boot record as per Johnny's advice and hence spent many hours at the screen with wife shouting . But the + point is I read all about grub, made my own menu, studied recovery process in case Windows MBR is disturbed. Really no gains withiut any pains.

Thanks to JohnnyH, topfarmer, kirol it is working. Thanks to all the Guys.

[deepak_abc]

The Kdm desktop does not come up when I boot from the disk. It says starting kdm and then the screen blinks and I get a login prompt. The m,essage is xdm is not default.


The Graphical desktop was coming up. But then I tried to lock the computer and the screen just went blank. Not knowing how
to come out, I switched off the machine. Since this time the above problem has started.