When I tested Antix13 beta3 (with patch to RC1), I liked it so much I installed it and have been working with it. It is on an older HP AMD 64 3700 with 1GB ram. This computer had XP, Mepis 8.5, and Mepis 12 alpha already. After I installed Antix, only Antix would boot. I edited menu.lst and the XP entry boots but the others still do not. I do not have to get that working, they are not something I use. This box is for testing.
Antix is so fast using IceWM and I like the customization I have done. I installed another copy to test it with KDE. I choose root for grub.
What do I need to do to get my second Antix to boot? I already tried editing menu.lst and I ran #grub-update. Neither worked, but I am not good at working out this sort of issue. Maybe I should have gone ahead and installed grub to mbr on the second install?
Thanks for any help.
Karen
topic title: Boot problem - probably something I did
7 posts
• Page 1 of 1
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peregrinePosts: 13
- Joined: 14 Aug 2012
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anticapitalista
Posts: 5,955
- Site Admin
- Joined: 11 Sep 2007
#2
Post the contents of /boot/grub/menu.lst (for antiX on MBR) and post results of
#blkid
in antiX
#blkid
in antiX
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BitJamPosts: 1,308
- Joined: 31 Aug 2009
#3
I realize this does not help you now, but in the future, if you already have one version of Linux installed, DO NOT let any newer versions install to the MBR. Then you only have to add the one to the many instead of the many to the one.
I have a separate small partition (I use sda1 but it I don't know if this matters) that I reserve for booting. It contains my grub stuff and the initrd and kernel of all my installed versions of Linux. If I install a new Linux to, say, sda7 then I look in the /boot directory of sda7 and I look at the grub entry it created for itself. The entry verifies then names of the kernel and (if needed) initrd file. I copy these to /boot in my boot partition and I copy-and-paste the grub entry, usually changing the title.
Now for your problem. If everything else was booting fine, then you just need to find the partition where all that good stuff was happening. There should be a /boot/ directory on that partition and a /boot/grub/menu.lst that looks very familiar. You then just need to use Grub to make *that* the partition you boot from. Play the trick I outlined in the 2nd paragraph to add antiX-13 to your already working menu.lst.
I always install grub manually and I always forget the syntax so I use"info grub" and go to the"install" section to remind myself:The only tricky thing is to remember that to add 1 to the numbers in grub so:
WARNING: Make sure you have an alternative way to boot (LiveCD or LiveUSB) before playing with the MBR. This gives you an escape hatch in case things go all pear shaped.
The grub"find" command is great because you don't have to have the partitions mounted. You can use it to narrow down which partitions to look at more closely to find your previous working menu.lst.
If your memory is much better than mine then you can touch a file in your working boot directory that you can use to search for later on. The problem with this is that I will forget what I named that file so I'm back to square zero. But I can remember sda1 is my boot partition so I'm usually fine.
Bottom line: grub needs only two pieces of information:
If, like me, you have a known partition that you boot from, you can always run grub after a live install and install grub again to the mbr so it is pointing to your known good boot partition.
I have a separate small partition (I use sda1 but it I don't know if this matters) that I reserve for booting. It contains my grub stuff and the initrd and kernel of all my installed versions of Linux. If I install a new Linux to, say, sda7 then I look in the /boot directory of sda7 and I look at the grub entry it created for itself. The entry verifies then names of the kernel and (if needed) initrd file. I copy these to /boot in my boot partition and I copy-and-paste the grub entry, usually changing the title.
Now for your problem. If everything else was booting fine, then you just need to find the partition where all that good stuff was happening. There should be a /boot/ directory on that partition and a /boot/grub/menu.lst that looks very familiar. You then just need to use Grub to make *that* the partition you boot from. Play the trick I outlined in the 2nd paragraph to add antiX-13 to your already working menu.lst.
I always install grub manually and I always forget the syntax so I use"info grub" and go to the"install" section to remind myself:
Code: Select all
Once started, GRUB will show the command-line interface (⇒
Command-line interface). First, set the GRUB's"root device"(1)
(⇒Installing GRUB natively-Footnote-1) to the partition
containing the boot directory, like this:
grub> root (hd0,0)
If you are not sure which partition actually holds this directory,
use the command `find' (⇒find), like this:
grub> find /boot/grub/stage1
This will search for the file name `/boot/grub/stage1' and show the
devices which contain the file.
Once you've set the root device correctly, run the command `setup'
(⇒setup):
grub> setup (hd0)Code: Select all
(hd0,0) --> sda1
(hd0,1) --> sda2
(hd0,2) --> sda3
(hd1,0) --> sdb1
etcThe grub"find" command is great because you don't have to have the partitions mounted. You can use it to narrow down which partitions to look at more closely to find your previous working menu.lst.
If your memory is much better than mine then you can touch a file in your working boot directory that you can use to search for later on. The problem with this is that I will forget what I named that file so I'm back to square zero. But I can remember sda1 is my boot partition so I'm usually fine.
Bottom line: grub needs only two pieces of information:
- which partition to boot
- where to put this information
If, like me, you have a known partition that you boot from, you can always run grub after a live install and install grub again to the mbr so it is pointing to your known good boot partition.
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peregrinePosts: 13
- Joined: 14 Aug 2012
#4
My bootable Antix is on sda14
The one that does not boot is on sda12
Code: Select all
root@antiX13:/home/karen# blkid
/dev/sda1: LABEL="HP_RECOVERY" UUID="4390-8510" TYPE="vfat"
/dev/sda2: LABEL="HP_PAVILION" UUID="9C84D9AF84D98BE0" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda5: UUID="DB9D-3F91" TYPE="vfat"
/dev/sda6: UUID="a977e177-f58a-40d6-a697-935cf27e83fb" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/sda7: UUID="e40de41e-a174-40dc-a032-dd349f4f64f6" TYPE="swap"
/dev/sda8: UUID="666c10a9-da47-40d1-ba21-ab1188209ba9" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/sda9: UUID="cf88c5ec-f4db-4bc3-a0be-a676d126ab5b" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/sda10: UUID="9c58856f-1bb9-46aa-b6fd-a3ba140b8060" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/sda11: UUID="08089e75-b587-45d7-8b54-30337282194e" TYPE="swap"
/dev/sda12: UUID="e537e5d4-02d5-431f-9f78-2984fdf73525" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sda13: UUID="c81ca2dd-7346-4c76-ab2e-aa32edda3dc8" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sda14: UUID="d9164736-f292-464f-b2f6-db861627db3c" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sda15: UUID="8e8a4a36-f4bd-44b2-b41d-164029078903" TYPE="ext4"
The one that does not boot is on sda12
Code: Select all
timeout 5
color cyan/blue white/blue
foreground ffffff
background 0639a1
gfxmenu /boot/grub/message
title antiX at sda14, kernel 3.6.11-antix.1-486-smp
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.6.11-antix.1-486-smp root=/dev/sda14 nomodeset quiet
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.6.11-antix.1-486-smp
boot
title Windows NT/2000/XP at sda1
root (hd0, 0)
rootnoverify
chainloader +1
title Windows XP Media Center Edition at sda2
root (hd0,1)
rootnoverify
chainloader +1
title MEPIS at sda6, kernel 2.6.15-26-386
root (hd0,5)
rootnoverify
chainloader +1
title antiX at sda12, kernel 3.6.11-antix.1-486-smp
root (hd0,11)
rootnoverify
chainloader +1
### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below
## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs
## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=UUID=d9164736-f292-464f-b2f6-db861627db3c ro
# kopt_2_6=root=UUID=d9164736-f292-464f-b2f6-db861627db3c ro nosplash quiet
## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,13)
## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
## alternative=false
# alternative=true
## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
## lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false
## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=
## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
## lockold=true
# lockold=false
## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=
## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0
## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
## altoptions=(single-user) single
# altoptions=(init-3) 3
## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
## howmany=7
# howmany=all
## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
## memtest86=false
# memtest86=true
## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false
## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false
## ## End Default Options ##
title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 3.6.11-antix.1-486-smp
root (hd0,13)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.6.11-antix.1-486-smp root=UUID=d9164736-f292-464f-b2f6-db861627db3c ro
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.6.11-antix.1-486-smp
title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 3.6.11-antix.1-486-smp (init-3)
root (hd0,13)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.6.11-antix.1-486-smp root=UUID=d9164736-f292-464f-b2f6-db861627db3c ro 3
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.6.11-antix.1-486-smp
title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel memtest86+
root (hd0,13)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
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anticapitalista
Posts: 5,955
- Site Admin
- Joined: 11 Sep 2007
#5
Try this for antiX- sda12
title antiX at sda12
root (hd0,11)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.6.11-antix.1-486-smp root=UUID=e537e5d4-02d5-431f-9f78-2984fdf73525 nomodeset quiet
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.6.11-antix.1-486-smp
title antiX at sda12
root (hd0,11)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.6.11-antix.1-486-smp root=UUID=e537e5d4-02d5-431f-9f78-2984fdf73525 nomodeset quiet
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.6.11-antix.1-486-smp
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peregrinePosts: 13
- Joined: 14 Aug 2012
#6
That works, posting from it now. Thank you so much.
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anticapitalista
Posts: 5,955
- Site Admin
- Joined: 11 Sep 2007
#7
If you want to boot the other linux installs you have just follow the same pattern
title [whatever you like ie Mepis8.5]
root (x,y) [where the install lies ie hd0,5]
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-[kernel version] root=UUID=[uuid as shown by blkid for that partition] nomodeset quiet
initrd /boot/initrd.img-[kernel version]
Enjoy!
title [whatever you like ie Mepis8.5]
root (x,y) [where the install lies ie hd0,5]
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-[kernel version] root=UUID=[uuid as shown by blkid for that partition] nomodeset quiet
initrd /boot/initrd.img-[kernel version]
Enjoy!