On Sun, 2006-03-26 at 15:28 -0800, Dan Thurman wrote:
Folks,
Please bear with me, but it appears that if you plan
to install FC5 release as multi-boot, i.e. anything
outside of anaconda grub-install's default setup, you
may in in for a bit of a surprise... but your milage
may vary.
I have installed FC5 several times now and I find
these facts at least on my system:
1) NON Multi-boot, first time install of FC5
Results: Installation completes and all works.
2) Multi-boot partitions:
P#1: 10GB: FAT32 Win98SE
P#2: 10GB: NTFS Win2KPro
P#3: 75MB: ext3 /boot
P#$: 110GB Extended
20GB NTFS /App1
30GB NTFS /App2
30GB NTFS /App3
30GB ext3 /
Special Grub install instructions:
a) Add: /dev/hda3 (hd0,2) # for /boot - make this default
Delete: 'Other' - no use for it
Results:
a) Black screen - nothing appears, nothing is running
b) Reboot with rescue CD; chroot /mnt/sysimage
i) cd /boot
ii) All files are there: kernel, initd, grub directory
iii) cd grub
iv) Only one file appears: splash.xpm.gz
v) Rebuild grub:
1) cd ..; mv grub g1; grub-install /dev/hda3
2) Examine/Rebuild grub:
x) grub directory created and all stage
files are built, but missing are:
grub.conf & splash.xpm.gz
y) cp /boot/g1/splash* /boot/grub
vi /boot/grub/grub.conf
*** Add correct entries w/ hd0,2 as primary target
Save file (:wq!)
vi) Grub is rebuilt manually, remove rescue CD & reboot
vii) Multi-booted Fedora, splash appears, initrd runs BUT
1) Unable to open /etc/fstab
2) Unable to create swap: Unable to open: /etc/fstab
3) Since X11 cannot start, Anaconda based setup appears
requesting setup for Authentication and a MANY other
setup defaults.
ABORT (Control-Alt-Del)
Ah... so it seems that FC5 release results in a very good
release but it is not doing well for me :-(
What can I do with the problem with /etc/fstab? Is this
a SELinux issue or what?
Please advise,
Dan
Sorry to reply to my own post, but I needed to add a little tidbit
to the above reported information.
+ I have successfully installed FC5 onto my system and I now
understand what it was that caused me grief.
*** Do not use the 'Configure Now' radio button and install everything
in the list, but choose instead 'Configure later'. I installed
everything except language in my case but and attempting to
complete the installation resulted in an abrupt reboot somewhere
during the CD #4 disc. I did not realize this until I installed
FC5 the second time around and payed closer attention. This means
that post-installation will not completed nor will grub complete
either. This explains why grub is HOSED and fails to work when
rebooting!
+ It appears that when anaconda gets to the grub setup step, anaconda
(or grub) does not know that "/boot" and "/" in separate partitions
and simply assumes "/boot" and "/" are in the same partition and
proceeds to provide the "/" device. Since I now understand the
difference between "/" and "/boot" and where grub fits into this
picture - I now know how to define it during the first-time setup
phase. It was a hard lesson learned.
Kind regards,
Dan