Grub bootloader problem...

[c00L_3oy]

I use dual boot with win xp and redhat 8.0
i installed lilo as bootloader and i configured it and it works fine

If u cna't boot in redhat with floppy than check those amibios features and tell the amibios where to boot first

[problemchild]

After reading your post on repairing grub, I'm still unsure about how to mount my root partion from the prompt.

Just create a directory to use for a mount point and mount your root partition there like so:

mkdir /mnt/redhat
mount -t ext3 /dev/hda6 /mnt/redhat

Then you can cd into /mnt/redhat/boot/grub and edit your menu.lst.

[SolidPez]

I just reinstalled redhat and made sure grub was installed on the mbr.

The final loading bar (the total progress bar had already hit 100%, I'm not sure what this last small, fast moving bar was for) was about half way loaded and it went to a black screen, just like the last time.

After the 'installation' I got the same message I did last time, only this time I took note of it. Here is the jist of it:
(note that anaconda is the name of the redhat gui installation interface)


"(anaconda:95) : Gnome Canvas-CRITICAL **: file gnome-canvas-psth-def.c:line 1142
(gnome-canvas-path-def-any-closed) : assertion 'path !NULL' failed
install exited abnormally
recovery thread got woken up.
recovery thread finished.
disabling swap...
unmounting fiesystems....

it is now safe to reboot."


I reboot and grub never loads, just xp, same as last install.

I noticed however, that the redhat install disk had a rescue mode option, that I assume from the description lets you boot into linux (like windows safe mode) and fix problems. Would it be easier to edit the grub file from here then the command prompt?

Also for anyone that has installed redhat 8.0 how to do you exit out of the gui installation screen? Thanks

[problemchild]

There's your problem.... the install is aborting with an error and not finishing. Grub isn't getting installed.

Check the condition of your installation media and check the MD5 checksums of the ISO images you downloaded.

[SolidPez]

Problemchild, I still have all disks on my harddrive with the mdsum, however I ran the disk check before installing on all 5 disks and all were ok. How do I use the mdsum files to check the disks in xp? I googled this with no luck.

[alanj23]

Pez, FYI Gnome is one of the GUI`s for Linux, a failed install of this shouldnt stop you booting. couple of things to check

1. that you didnt run out of space during your install - sounds crazy but depending on how you allocated your disk space while installing and what packages you installed you could fill up your partition

2. from the redhat site http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/l...ARTITIONS-LILO

All the data GRUB and LILO need to access at boot time (including the Linux kernel) is located in the /boot directory. If you follow the partition layout recommended above or are performing a workstation or server install, the /boot directory will be in a small, separate partition. Otherwise, it may reside in the root partition (/). In either case, the partition in which /boot resides must conform to the following guidelines if you are going to use GRUB or LILO to boot your Red Hat Linux system:

3. I know Ive said this before but make sure youve got an XP bootdisc and that you make a REDHAT bootdisc during install that way when things like grub and lilo probs happen you can boot to either op system and fix the problem.

sorry my quote got cropped

GRUB and LILO are subject to some limitations imposed by the BIOS in most x86-based computers. Specifically, most BIOSes cannot access more than two hard drives, and they cannot access any data stored beyond cylinder 1023 of any drive. Note that some recent BIOSes do not have these limitations, but this is by no means universal.

On First Two IDE Drives
If you have 2 IDE (or EIDE) drives, /boot must be located on one of them. Note that this two-drive limit also includes any IDE CD-ROM drives on your primary IDE controller. So, if you have one IDE hard drive, and one IDE CD-ROM on your primary controller, /boot must be located on the first hard drive only, even if you have other hard drives on your secondary IDE controller.

[SolidPez]

Two different opinions from two different credible people.

Let me is if I get this, I should create boot partion and install it on first hd. It could be that grub has been getting installed below the 1024 cylinder and that is my problem. I should create my boot partion from space on my fist hd?(I use partion magic)


Maybe the gnome error is causing the installation to abort prematurely and the bootloader is never even installed, as problemchild suggests. I still need to find out how to use the mdsum in xp, as it isn't a recognized extension.

[Beryllium9]

To fix this, boot from the first deadrat 8.0 CD, then type linux rescue and press enter. You will get a prompt. Then type chroot /mnt/sysimage/ and press enter. Then type grub-install /dev/hda and press enter. All sorted

HTH

[problemchild]

It could be that grub has been getting installed below the 1024 cylinder and that is my problem. I should create my boot partion from space on my fist hd?(I use partion magic)

You can, but there's no reason to. The main reason people have historically created a /boot partition is to be sure the kernel stays below the first 1024 cylinders on the hard drive. The 1024 cylinder limit was overcome a couple of years ago by both grub and lilo, so there's no need for a /boot partition unless you just want one.

Maybe the gnome error is causing the installation to abort prematurely and the bootloader is never even installed

That's exactly what's happening. The question is why. If you don't see the screen that says "Congratulations, installation has completed. Click OK to reboot" or something like that, the installation hasn't finished.

This link will help you with the MD5sums.
http://www.openoffice.org/dev_docs/using_md5sums.html

[SolidPez]

I checked all the iso images with the md5sum, and all were ok. I even reburned all of the disks at the slowest burn speed and tried installing, same problem.

I tried installing the KDE interface instead of the Gnome, still got the gnomecanvas error.

Maybe I should do as Bery suggested, and install grub from the rescue mode, although I'm not sure redhat installed everything.

Switch Distro's?