can FC4 write a boot block to a SATA drive?

[Craig White]

On Sat, 2005-11-19 at 15:08 -0700, Reg Clemens wrote:
> > On Fri, 2005-11-18 at 14:55 -0700, Reg Clemens wrote:
> > > Im back to trying to install Fedora on a machine with an Intel 945
> > > motherboard.  This is a new motherboard (chipset), and anything
> > > less than FC4 doesnt know about the SATA controller on this board.
> > > 
> > > Now I get a clean install, but when I try to boot, there doesnt 
> > > seem to be a boot block (I get the message 'insert a boot disk')
> > > 
> > > So, is this a known problem?  FC4 seems to be able to write to this
> > > disk, and fdisk was able to format it, is there a possibility that
> > > FC4 cant write a (usable) boot block?
> > > 
> > > Puzzled, and not sure what to try next (OK I can add a non-SATA disk
> > > but that seems like a waste)
> > ----
> > boot disk 1
> > 
> > type 'linux rescue'
> > 
> > follow instructions...
> > 
> > # chroot /mnt/sysimage
> > 
> > # grub-install -v /dev/sda
> > 
> > the -v option will tell you what is going on and whether it writes a
> > usable boot block
> > 
> > Craig
> > 
> Well, 
>        grub-install -v /dev/sda
> only gives me the version number and (appears) to do nothing else.
> a simple
> 	grub-install /dev/sda
> does give a message saying that the install completed correctly, but
> when I go to boot, I see the two letter codes
>          5A
> 	(then it clears the 5A)
> 	 5A
> 	(then something that comes and goes too fast to read)
> 	 5A
> 	 B9
> then the message across the top of the screen
> 	no bootable device -- insert boot disk and press any key
> 
> strange, there seems to be a noise from the disk when I first do the
> grub-install that would make me think that its actually writing to
> the disk, but I cant think of any reason why it won't then boot 
> (yes the hard disk is in the boot sequence in the bios)
> 
> Guess Ill pull out the CD that came with the motherboard and see
> if it has anything interesting to say, but any other thoughts
> would be appreciated, Im puzzled.
> 
> Like I said I CAN add another non-sata disk to the machine, but
> having 1/2 TeraByte on a workstation seems a but much (sigh)
----
yeah - you're right... -v option for grub-install is version not verbose

I never checked this out myself...when you boot 'linux rescue' and get
command prompt...is there a file /etc/modprobe.conf ?

after you chroot...does /etc/modprobe.conf look similar/different to the
one that you had when you booted linux rescue?

after you do the chroot command, is there /initrd directory?

perhaps you need to do linux rescue and then modprobe -a and then
mkinitrd to make a new initrd file in /boot for your kernel...I just
don't know. To give you the exact commands, I would need to know what is
in /boot after you execute the chroot command.

Craig


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