Re: Questions on GRUB and RH7.2

Re: Questions on GRUB and RH7.2

[Amin]

On Tue, 3 Jun 2003 09:02:57 +1200, cr wrote:
> Can any kind person give some info on the following:
> 
> I don't seem to have a 'initrd' file - does it matter?

It does if you load a SCSI module at boot time, according to
the Red Hat Linux Customization Guide.  You can browse this
and other manuals:
http://www.redhat.com/support/resources/howto/rhl72.html

If you decide you need one, look for mkinitrd(8).  The man
page says:

mkinitrd - creates initial ramdisk images for preloading
modules

> I'm not quite sure how to address DOS.   If anyone has a dual boot Linux/DOS 
> setup, the contents of their   /boot/grub/grub.conf  or    menu.lst  files 
> would maybe give a guide.

############################################################
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making
# changes to this file
# NOTICE:  You have a /boot partition.  This means that
#          all kernel and initrd paths are relative to
#          /boot/, eg.
#          root (hd0,2)
#          kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/hda6
#          initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/hda
default=1
timeout=10
splashimage=(hd0,2)/grub/splash.xpm.gz

title Red Hat Linux (2.4.18-14Apr06_2003)
 root (hd0,2)
 kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.18-14Apr06_2003 ro
 root=LABEL=/
 initrd /initrd-2.4.18-14Apr06_2003.img

title DOS
 rootnoverify (hd0,0)
 chainloader +1
############################################################

My partition layout is like this:

DOS/Windows C: is	hda1
Linux /boot is		hda3
DOS/Windows D: is	hda5
Linux / is		hda6

hda5 and hda6 are logical partitions within hda2, which is
an extended partition.  I know, a killer layout!  I was
desperate to get Linux on my computer then, somehow :-).

So, the gub.conf says to load DOS from (hd0,0), which is
hda1.  I'm a little foggy as to what the `rootnoverify'
does, but I'm sure it's all in the GRUB info file.

HTH,
Yawar Amin
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Questions on GRUB and RH7.2

[cr]

Can any kind person give some info on the following:

I don't seem to have a 'initrd' file - does it matter?
Should I use the   'syslinux.cfg'  off the backup boot floppy instead?
How do I boot DOS  usind GRUB?

Background is:

When I installed Red Hat 7.2, it wouldn't boot off the hard drive - it only 
ever got as far as 'LI' or 'GR' and there it would hang.   I've been booting 
successfully off floppy, but I decided to fix it.

So, following the GRUB manual and various HOWTOs, I've just reinstalled GRUB 
and created a (/hda1) /boot/grub partition in which I put a copy of vmlinuz 
off my boot floppy (there was no vmlinuz on my hard drive).   I also created 
a   grub.conf  file following the examples of menu.lst  and  grub.conf  in 
the GRUB-RESTORE and  Linux+Win9x+GRUB   HOWTOs, and now it seems to boot 
fine.

Those examples also include a mention of a  initrd   file thus:

title Red hat Linux
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz  ro   root=/dev/hda2
initrd  /initrd.img

I can't find a   'initrd' file anywhere.    Everything seems to work without 
it though.   Does it matter if I leave it off?

Next, there's also a  syslinux.cfg   file on the Linux boot floppy - should I 
copy that into   /boot/grub    and add line in grub.conf of:
initrd  syslinux.cfg       or similar?

Third, I'd like to also boot to a DOS partition (on drive /hdc)  - but I 
can't find the right command to invoke DOS.   So far I've got as far as

title  DOS
map (hd0) (hd2)
map (hd2) (hd0)

chainloader +1   

but I get a message   'invalid or unsupported executable format'.
I'm not quite sure how to address DOS.   If anyone has a dual boot Linux/DOS 
setup, the contents of their   /boot/grub/grub.conf  or    menu.lst  files 
would maybe give a guide.

Thanks

Chris


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Re: Questions on GRUB and RH7.2

[cr]

On Tuesday 03 Jun 2003 1:30 am, Amin wrote:
> On Tue, 3 Jun 2003 09:02:57 +1200, cr wrote:
> > Can any kind person give some info on the following:
> >
> > I don't seem to have a 'initrd' file - does it matter?
>
> It does if you load a SCSI module at boot time, according to
> the Red Hat Linux Customization Guide.  You can browse this
> and other manuals:
> http://www.redhat.com/support/resources/howto/rhl72.html

Thanks, I've looked.   I guess I do need it.

> If you decide you need one, look for mkinitrd(8).  The man
> page says:
>
> mkinitrd - creates initial ramdisk images for preloading
> modules

Thanks for the tip.   Now I can sit down and study the cryptic language of 
man mkinitrd - but at least I now know where to look.

> > I'm not quite sure how to address DOS.   If anyone has a dual boot
> > Linux/DOS setup, the contents of their   /boot/grub/grub.conf  or   
> > menu.lst  files would maybe give a guide.
>
> ############################################################
> # Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making
> # changes to this file
> # NOTICE:  You have a /boot partition.  This means that
> #          all kernel and initrd paths are relative to
> #          /boot/, eg.
> #          root (hd0,2)
> #          kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/hda6
> #          initrd /initrd-version.img
> #boot=/dev/hda
> default=1
> timeout=10
> splashimage=(hd0,2)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
>
> title Red Hat Linux (2.4.18-14Apr06_2003)
>  root (hd0,2)
>  kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.18-14Apr06_2003 ro
>  root=LABEL=/
>  initrd /initrd-2.4.18-14Apr06_2003.img
>
> title DOS
>  rootnoverify (hd0,0)
>  chainloader +1
> ############################################################
>
> My partition layout is like this:
>
> DOS/Windows C: is	hda1
> Linux /boot is		hda3
> DOS/Windows D: is	hda5
> Linux / is		hda6
>
> hda5 and hda6 are logical partitions within hda2, which is
> an extended partition.  I know, a killer layout!  I was
> desperate to get Linux on my computer then, somehow :-).

I've had partition layouts like that, more often than not.  

> So, the gub.conf says to load DOS from (hd0,0), which is
> hda1.  I'm a little foggy as to what the `rootnoverify'
> does, but I'm sure it's all in the GRUB info file.

It is.   'root' sets the current 'root device' to hd0,0  (hda1)   in your 
case.   'noverify' means don't attempt to mount the partition.   

The 'chainloader' command fails in my case, but at least your example has 
confirmed for me that it's the correct term to use - so the problem isn't in 
my  grub.conf  file, I'll need to look elsewhere.

Thanks

cr

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