[PLUG] GRUB not writing boot record

[Michael Leone <turgon@mike-leone.com>]

I've been having problems with GRUB; I was getting a "Error 15" during
stage 15. I run Win2K on /dev/hda, and Linux on /dev/hde. Since I needed
to get into Win2K for something, I booted with a DOS boot disk and did a
fdisk /mbr. This let me into Win2K, and I could use my Linux boot disk
to get to Linux.

Now I'm trying to fix my GRUB.

(/boot/grub is /dev/hde1; / is /dev/hde5)

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.           
default		0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout		5

# Pretty colours
color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line)  and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
#      password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title		Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root		(hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader	+1
#
# title		Linux
# root		(hd0,1)
# kernel	/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default optons below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
# kopt=root=/dev/hde5 ro hdd=ide-scsi ide2=0xd800,0xd402 ide3=0xd000,0xb802

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd4,0)

## should update-grub create alternative boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
##      alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
##      lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
##      altoptions=(recovery mode) single
# altoptions=(single user mode) single

## 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

## ## End Default Options ##

title		Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.4.16
root		(hd4,0)
kernel		/vmlinuz-2.4.16 root=/dev/hde5 ro hdd=ide-scsi ide2=0xd800,0xd402 ide3=0xd000,0xb802
savedefault

title		Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.4.16 (single user mode)
root		(hd4,0)
kernel		/vmlinuz-2.4.16 root=/dev/hde5 ro hdd=ide-scsi ide2=0xd800,0xd402 ide3=0xd000,0xb802 single
savedefault

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

title		Windows on /dev/hda1
root		(hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

I run update-grub; says it ran OK. But if I remove the Linux boot disk,
and reboot, it goes right into Win2K. It's like GRUB isn't being written
to the boot record of /dev/hda, as it should. What am I doing wrong? I
want a GRUB menu, letting me boot to Linux on /dev/hde, or Win2K on
/dev/hda?

Q: should "groot" point to /dev/hda, or to the partition where
/boot/grub is? I was told the latter.

-- 

PGP Fingerprint: 0AA8 DC47 CB63 AE3F C739 6BF9 9AB4 1EF6 5AA5 BCDF
PGP public key:
<http://www.mike-leone.com/~turgon/turgon-public-key.gpg>

The secret of flying is simple: Throw yourself at the ground and miss.


______________________________________________________________________
Philadelphia Linux Users Group       -      http://www.phillylinux.org
Announcements-http://lists.phillylinux.org/mail/listinfo/plug-announce
General Discussion  -  http://lists.phillylinux.org/mail/listinfo/plug