Fedora Core 2/XP boot issue


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Thread: Fedora Core 2/XP boot issue

  1. #1
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    Fedora Core 2/XP boot issue

    Hi

    I just installed FC2 and was careless enough to forget to inform the system during the install, that i have an XP i would like to boot (once every 50 years ) aswell. I have never used GRUB before, so i'm in trouble here. So far, I've been told to add the following to "/boot/grub/grub.conf"

    title Windows XP
    rootnoverify (hd0,0)
    chainloader +1

    but that alone doesn't do the trick. It would be great if someone here would step-by-step me through this.

  2. #2
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  3. #3
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    I tried:

    "sfdisk -d /dev/hda | sfdisk --no-reread -H255 /dev/hda"

    - as suggested on the fedorazine page. Didn't change a thing.

  4. #4
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    You'll have to supply your partition info., eg:How is your disk setup?
    "I was pulled over for speeding today. The officer said, "Don't you know
    the speed limit is 55 miles an hour?" And I said, "Yes, but I wasn't going
    to be out that long."

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  5. #5
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    Did you get any errors when you did "sfdisk -d /dev/hda"? If you did try "sfdisk -d /dev/hda > MyPartitionTable.txt" - edit the error messages out, and "cat MyPartitionTable.txt | sfdisk --no-reread -H255 /dev/hda"

    Just read it from the fedorazine. If you still cant get to XP, you can run "fdisk /mbr" from the XP boot CD, which will wipe the MBR. Then get to fedora through a boot CD and reinstall GRUB with XP & Fedora. Before doing that though, post your partition table and see if anyone knows how to "fix" it.

  6. #6
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    stringing the command with the pipe didn't work for me. but when this happened to me a few weeks back, the same steps myownsavior suggested worked just fine. just don't pipe them together.

    Code:
    title DOS
            rootnoverify (hd0,0)
            chainloader +1
    remember, hd0 refers to the first hard drive [/dev/hda in linux terms] and the ,0 refers to the partition I have windows on [/dev/hda1]

    you NEED to specify the right drive/partition in grub.

    aside: wtf was fedora thinking when it released a distro that was NOT friendly to a dual boot system with windows?? that could possible be the dumbest thing i've seen in linux-land
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  7. #7
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    What is the actual problem you are having while attempting to boot XP?

    I have XP on the second primary partition on the first bootable HD (hda) and use

    title Windows XP Professional
    rootnoverify (hd0,1)
    chainloader +1

    The first primary partition on hda would use

    title Windows XP Professional
    rootnoverify (hd0,0)
    chainloader +1
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  8. #8
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    mdwatts: It just hangs at a black screen.

    MyOwnSaviour: I just did exactly as you suggested, but i get the same message as in the first attempt: "BLKRRPART: Device or resource busy. The command to reread the partition table failed, reboot your system now, before using mkfs".
    Last edited by arioch; 06-30-2004 at 05:08 PM.

  9. #9
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    odd, but try this. fdisk -l /dev/hda and write down the number of heads, sectors, and cyllinders.

    then next time you install FC2 you type in
    # linux hda=cyllinders, heads, sectors
    (with cyllinders, heads, sectors being the number of each)

    then hopefully FC2 won't overwrite the geometry.

    this *should* work. it worked perfect for me, as did the other steps.

    btw, when i frst booted the FC2 kernel, it just sat there for about 6 minutes. I don't know what was going on but it just said "audit initialized" and then some random number. I compiled a stripped down vanilla 2.6.7 and have no problems anymore.

    travis

    FC2 with vanilla 2.6.7
    "You are not beaten until you admit it." --George S. Patton

    "Reading and learning, it's what linux users do"
    "Double clicking" doesn't work on Linux

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  10. #10
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    Honestly, right now, I just wanna dump GRUB like a bad habit. How complex is it to install LILO instead? Will I have to configure it manually, or does that happen as part of the installation process?

  11. #11
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    My XP partition did the same thing to me on FC2. Did you try putting "unhide (hd0,0)", or whatever hdd/partition your XP is on, right after the title section in the winXP part of your grub file or at bootup when it says you can edit the file? that fixed me right up, maybe i't'll help you out too.

  12. #12
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    That just gave me "unknown device string..."

    I have "MyPartitionTable.txt" generated earlier. Can't I just copy/paste that into the correct place, and wipe the defunct one?
    Last edited by arioch; 07-02-2004 at 11:10 AM.

  13. #13
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    How do i blast the MBR from within Linux? I was thinking about doing that, and then install LILO by booting up knoppix and run "apt-get install lilo" Any reasons why this might not work?

  14. #14
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    Originally posted by arioch
    How do i blast the MBR from within Linux? I was thinking about doing that, and then install LILO by booting up knoppix and run "apt-get install lilo" Any reasons why this might not work?
    Do you not have an install of Lilo on your drive now? Run the command
    Code:
    man lilo
    "I was pulled over for speeding today. The officer said, "Don't you know
    the speed limit is 55 miles an hour?" And I said, "Yes, but I wasn't going
    to be out that long."

    How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
    COME VISIT ME IN RUSSIA NOW!!

  15. #15
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    I used "Red Carpet" to remove GRUB and install LILO. But for some reason, GRUB remains as the loader. That damned thing just won't leave.

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