how to add grub 2 distros to grub legacy menu.lst

[jozien]

Linux mint and ubuntu use grub 2 and install grub 2 in the MBR and wipe out
grub legacy menu.lst in the MBR.
I know you can install grub 2 in the partition you install mint and ubuntu but how can
you add grub 2 distros to the MBR menu.lst, grub 2 doesn't have a menu.lst.

jozien

[x]

You can simply add an entry in your menu.lst for the new distros.
All you need is kernel, initrd & root-partition, here's a sample:

title           Debian GNU/Linux a5, kernel 2.6.26-2-686
root            (hd0,1)
kernel          /vmlinuz-2.6.26-2-686 root=LABEL=Deb ro vga=791
initrd          /initrd.img-2.6.26-2-686

title           Linux Mint 
root            (hd0,1)
kernel          /vmlinuz-2.6.39-2-amd64 root=/dev/sda5 ro 
initrd          /initrd.img-2.6.39-2-amd64

This works if you have a separate boot-partition and copy kernel and initrd to it. If not, simply point to correct partition:

title           Linux Mint 
root  (hd0,4)
kernel          /vmlinuz-2.6.39-2-amd64 root=/dev/sda5 ro 
initrd          /initrd.img-2.6.39-2-amd64

[saikee]

I have locked the other thread on the same topic.

It is illegal to post multi-thread in any forum so please respect.

[saikee]

My answer the OP question:

Grub2 uses /boot/grub/grub.cfg instead of /boot/grub/menu.lst by Grub1 or Grub legacy.

The addition is no different to Grub legacy except you have to follow Grub2 syntax.

I have modified X's example as follow (red bits are for Grub2)

menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux a5, kernel 2.6.26-2-686' {
root            (hd0,2)
linux         /vmlinuz-2.6.26-2-686 root=LABEL=Deb ro vga=791
initrd          /initrd.img-2.6.26-2-686
}

menuentry 'Linux Mint'{
root            (hd0,2)
linux          /vmlinuz-2.6.39-2-amd64 root=/dev/sda5 ro 
initrd          /initrd.img-2.6.39-2-amd64
}

Grub2 counts partition number from 1 (Grub legacy counts from zero) but both still count disk number from zero.
Grub2 "menuentry"=Legacy title"
Grub2 "linux" = Legacy "kernel"

The "root" and "initrd" statements of Grub1 can be used in Grub2.

There are other bits and pieces of Grub2 that you can add to improve performance but the above will boot successfully. Adjust the statements to suit your case. The menu.lst has not been removed and can be used if you install legacy back. All Linux can be booted equally with either Grub1 or Grub2 but the latter can handle systems at the end of a large hard disk (say 2TB) as well as able to boot hard disk with a gpt (instead of the normal Msdos) partition table.