Quad boot with 2 ide hard drives - help needed

**saikee** · 08-18-2011, 03:25 AM

The position of Grub is immaterial. Your problem is that when the operating systems were installed in each disk you have arranged it as 1st disk sda. You now put them together and the Bios must tell Linux one of them is called sdb.

Your Linux Mint can be booted "directly" from the first Grub if you adjust the sda information to sdb. What you do is in this process you do not alter the disk order, copy the booting instruction from Linux Mint into the Grub menu.lst, that control the MBR and amend the /etc/fstab of Linux Mint to boot from sdb instead of sda.

If you need help to boot up the Linux Mint in sdb, I can give you the steps to achieve the above. You need to provide (after booting up a Linux)

(1) output of

Code:

sudo fdisk -l

(2) mount the unbootable Linux Mint partition in sdb and post its two files here

/boot/grub/menu.lst
/etc/fstab
Make sure you post the unbootable version of the Linux Mint here.

**Chess007** · 08-18-2011, 10:08 PM

Results of:

sudo fdisk -l

(Ran on Ubuntu).

Code:

Disk /dev/sda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xea1aa9c7

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1        3187    25599546    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2            3188        3307      963900   83  Linux
/dev/sda3            9341        9728     3116610   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda4            3308        9340    48460072+   5  Extended
/dev/sda5            3308        9087    46427818+  83  Linux
/dev/sda6            9088        9340     2032191   82  Linux swap / Solaris

Partition table entries are not in disk order

Disk /dev/sdb: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00033663

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1   *           1        2655    21326256    c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sdb2            2656        9705    56628362+   f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sdb5            2656        7756    40973751    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb6            7757        9413    13309821   83  Linux
/dev/sdb7            9414        9705     2344726+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
neo007@neo-dsktp:~$

There is no menu.lst file on the linux mint partition, because it is running Grub 2. However, there is a "grub.cfg" file in the /boot/grub folder. Its output is as follows:

Code:

#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
  set have_grubenv=true
  load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ "${prev_saved_entry}" ]; then
  set saved_entry="${prev_saved_entry}"
  save_env saved_entry
  set prev_saved_entry=
  save_env prev_saved_entry
  set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
  if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then
    saved_entry="${chosen}"
    save_env saved_entry
  fi
}

function recordfail {
  set recordfail=1
  if [ -n "${have_grubenv}" ]; then if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi
}

function load_video {
  insmod vbe
  insmod vga
}

insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
  set gfxmode=640x480
  load_video
  insmod gfxterm
fi
terminal_output gfxterm
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
set locale_dir=($root)/boot/grub/locale
set lang=en
insmod gettext
if [ "${recordfail}" = 1 ]; then
  set timeout=-1
else
  set timeout=10
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/06_mint_theme ###
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
insmod png
if background_image /boot/grub/linuxmint.png ; then
  set color_normal=white/black
  set color_highlight=white/light-gray
else
  set menu_color_normal=white/black
  set menu_color_highlight=white/light-gray
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/06_mint_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'Linux Mint 10, 2.6.35-22-generic (/dev/sda6)' --class linuxmint --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
	recordfail
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ext2
	set root='(hd0,msdos6)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
	linux	/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-22-generic root=/dev/sda6 ro   quiet splash
	initrd	/boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-22-generic
}
menuentry 'Linux Mint 10, 2.6.35-22-generic (/dev/sda6) -- recovery mode' --class linuxmint --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
	recordfail
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ext2
	set root='(hd0,msdos6)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
	echo	'Loading Linux 2.6.35-22-generic ...'
	linux	/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-22-generic root=/dev/sda6 ro single 
	echo	'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
	initrd	/boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-22-generic
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_lupin ###
### END /etc/grub.d/10_lupin ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###
### END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ext2
	set root='(hd0,msdos6)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
	linux16	/boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ext2
	set root='(hd0,msdos6)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
	linux16	/boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry "Microsoft Windows XP Professional (on /dev/sda1)" {
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod fat
	set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 0755-1e03
	drivemap -s (hd0) ${root}
	chainloader +1
}
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries.  Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment.  Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
if [ -f  $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then
  source $prefix/custom.cfg;
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###

The following is the output of /etc/default/grub

Code:

# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
#GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

# Uncomment to enable BadRAM filtering, modify to suit your needs
# This works with Linux (no patch required) and with any kernel that obtains
# the memory map information from GRUB (GNU Mach, kernel of FreeBSD ...)
#GRUB_BADRAM="0x01234567,0xfefefefe,0x89abcdef,0xefefefef"

# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
#GRUB_TERMINAL=console

# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
#GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480

# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true

# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_RECOVERY="true"

# Uncomment to get a beep at grub start
#GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"

Here is the fstab file from the Linux Mint partition:

Code:

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid -o value -s UUID' to print the universally unique identifier
# for a device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name
# devices that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>
proc            /proc           proc    nodev,noexec,nosuid 0       0
/dev/sda6       /               ext3    errors=remount-ro 0       1
/dev/sda7       none            swap    sw              0       0

Let me know if you need anything else.

Thanks again for your help.

**saikee** · 08-19-2011, 03:42 AM

OK here are the original Grub2 entries of your unbootable Mint in sdb6

Code:

menuentry 'Linux Mint 10, 2.6.35-22-generic (/dev/sda6)' --class linuxmint --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
	recordfail
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ext2
	set root='(hd0,msdos6)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
	linux	/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-22-generic root=/dev/sda6 ro   quiet splash
	initrd	/boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-22-generic
}

You can convert them to Grub1 and revised the disk position from sda6 to sdb6 as follow (copy and paste this section into menu.lst)

Code:

        title Linux Mint 10, 2.6.35-22-generic installed in sda6 now booted from sdb6
	root (hd1,5)
	kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-22-generic root=/dev/sdb6 ro   quiet splash
	initrd	/boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-22-generic

In the unbootable Linux Mint's /etc/fstab edit it with the red bit as follow

Code:

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid -o value -s UUID' to print the universally unique identifier
# for a device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name
# devices that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>
proc            /proc           proc    nodev,noexec,nosuid 0       0
/dev/sdb6       /               ext3    errors=remount-ro 0       1
/dev/sda6       none            swap    sw              0       0

You need to tell this Linux Mint it has to mount /sdb6 as its root and use a different swap (it could use sdb7 if you want but keep to the same one is better.

Remember the partition number of Grub1 starts from 0 whereas Grub2 starts from 1. Disk number starts from 0 in both cases.
Your Linux Mint in sdb6 should now boot.

**Chess007** · 08-19-2011, 11:44 PM

Saikee,

You truely are
Lord of the Linux boot,
Master of the Grub,
Wizard of the MBR.

Thank you kindly. Everything works great!!

**saikee** · 08-20-2011, 04:23 AM

Glad you got everything sorted.

I am only passing the knowledge I learned from members and masters of this forum.

Thread: Quad boot with 2 ide hard drives - help needed

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