Grub and Chainloaders [SOLVED]

Dan Thurman dant at cdkkt.com
Tue Oct 14 23:49:52 UTC 2008


Daniel B. Thurman wrote:
>
> I have successfully arranged Grubs in the following way:
>
> -Primary--Primary--Primary--Extended---------------------------------->
> [boot-sys] [boot-f8] [boot-f9] [ [root-f8] [root-f9] [f-App1] [swap] ]
>
> boot-sys:
> ================================================
> [...]
> #boot=/dev/sda
> timeout=10
> default=saved
> splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
> #hiddenmenu
> title Fedora 8
>     norootverify (hd0,1)
>     chainloader +1
> title Fedora 9
>     norootverify (hd0,2)
>     chainloader +1
> ================================================
>
> boot-sys has grub/grub.conf but no initrd/kernels installed
> and boot-f8/9 partitions has the normal initrd/kernel/grub.conf
> installed.  It all works great.
>
> But on a different system, I tried a different setup:
>
> -Primary--Primary--Primary--Extended---------------------------------->
> [    XP   ] [ Vista ] [boot-sys] [ [w-app1] [boot-f9] [boot-f10]
> [root-f9] [root-f10] [f-App1] [swap] ]
>
> boot-sys:
>  - I left the original f9 xinitrd/kermel/grub.conf in boot-sys and
>    modified boot-sys's grub.conf as follows:
>
> boot-sys:
> ================================================
> [...]
> #boot=/dev/sda
> timeout=10
> default=saved
> splashimage=(hd0,2)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
> #hiddenmenu
> title Fedora 9
>         norootverify (hd0,4)
>         chainloader +1
>         savedefault
> title Fedora (2.6.26.5-45.fc9.i686)
>         root (hd0,4)
>         kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.26.5-45.fc9.i686 ro root=LABEL=root-f9 rhgb
> quiet
>         initrd /initrd-2.6.26.5-45.fc9.i686.img
>         savedefault
> ================================================
>
> I can boot F9 via the second title definition, but when I attempt
> to boot using the first title definition (using chainloader +1),
> grub complains:
>
> Error 13: Invalid or unsupported  executable format
>
> Thinking that the chainloader +1 was not finding the right
> partition, I assumed that +1 means to locate the next partition,
> so I tried values of 2,3,4, and 5 and they all reported the same
> error.
>
> I wonder if perhaps grub is unable to reach the partition beyond
> a fixed size (my MB+BIOs is as new as 2 months ago, so I surmise
> it isn't a BIOS limitation), or grub cannot reach into extended
> partitions, or if it can, maybe I will need to move the boot-fX
> to the beginning of the extended partitions.  In any case, I know
> that moving boot-fX into it's own primary partitions works but
> then I won't be able to add XP or Vista into its own primary
> partitions and would have to get a second drive separating
> windows from Fedora which I know will work.
>
> But I'd prefer to not to buy a second drive at this time, so the
> question is, does anyone have any idea what is going on or
> have any suggestions how to get this to work?
>
Sigh.  I figured it out by reading through my notes from a previous
posting I made some time ago.  The step I forgot was to mark
each of boot partitions with grub's setup command.

Sorry for this posting,
Dan




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