Date: Tue, 22 Aug 2006 11:12:59 -0700 (PDT) From: backyard <backyard1454-bsd@yahoo.com> To: Garrett Cooper <youshi10@u.washington.edu>, freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: GRUB Problems with Dell Optiplex GX1 Message-ID: <20060822181259.57114.qmail@web83109.mail.mud.yahoo.com> In-Reply-To: <38C6D786-3E36-45CC-9E43-FA25F05CFF7F@u.washington.edu>
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--- Garrett Cooper <youshi10@u.washington.edu> wrote: > On Aug 21, 2006, at 6:41 PM, backyard wrote: > > > > > > > --- Garrett Cooper <youshi10@u.washington.edu> > wrote: > > > >> backyard wrote: > >>> I'm having problems installing GRUB on my Dell > >>> Optiplex GX1 pentium3 500 BIOS A10. I'm setting > >> this > >>> server up for a friend and not having GRUB isn't > >> the > >>> biggest deal; I just wanted to have a nice > >>> inappropriate boot image when they turn it on... > >>> > >>> It will boot from a floppy, but installing it to > >> the > >>> hard drive seems to corrupt the root filesystem. > >> It > >>> claims to install fine and during boot will load > >>> grub_stage1.5 from the disk, but instead of > >> loading > >>> stage2 it begins to boot the system, but the > >> console > >>> font has become completely corrupted, and I'm > not > >>> certain if anything else has. It will boot, and > >>> appears to function but the font is messed up. > >>> > >>> Has anyone else had issues with the particular > >> Dell > >>> and GRUB? I've never had problems with GRUB > before > >>> this machine. I'm at a loss, any help would be > >>> appreciated. It would be nice to get GRUB on > this > >>> thing, but if I can't oh well. > >>> > >>> -brian > >>> > >> FreeBSD folks tend not to use Grub, but some of > us > >> do use it as opposed > >> to FreeBSD's bootmanager. > >> > >> Please post the steps you use to install grub and > >> the output those steps > >> give you, and your grub.conf. > >> > >> -Garrett > > > > #menu.lst > > default 0 > > timeout 7 > > fallback 1 > > #password --md5 some kind of password that is > encypted > > splashimage (fd0)/boot/grub/opt/smurffed.xpm.gz > > > > title BSD > > root (hd0,0,a) > > kernel /boot/loader > > > > title Hold the Phone > > halt > > > > title Reset me > > reboot > > > > title Floppy Boot > > lock > > root (fd0) > > chainloader > > #EOF menu.lst > > > > here is my menu.lst off my grub install floppy. > this > > was created by building grub 0.97 from ports on my > HP > > Kayak. the floppy was then prepared as below: > > > > fdformat /dev/fd0 > > newfs -O1 -n /dev/fd0 > > mount /dev/fd0 /mnt > > mkdir -p /mnt/boot/grub/opt > > > > I then copied the grub files from the > > /usr/local/share/grub/i386-freebsd if memory > serves me > > correct to the /mnt/boot/grub folder. then copied > in > > my splashimages, then prepared menu.lst as > described. > > I then ran grub and setup the floppy to boot grub. > > > > now to install on a system I: > > mkdir -p /boot/grub/opt > > mount /dev/fd0 /mnt; cp -R /mnt/boot/grub > /boot/grub > > > > change menu.lst as required to reference hardrives > or > > different boot options like a windows partition or > > linux or whatever needs to be started up. > > > > boot the system with the floppy and go to grub > > console. > > make sure I can > > find /boot/grub/menu.lst > > then... > > root (hd0,0,a) # or whatever > > setup (hd0) # again depends > > > > and usually I take the floppy out, reboot, and > grub > > asks me what I want to boot up. > > > > > > as far as the exact output from grub I don't know, > but > > it didn't give any errors. it just said: > > checking for /boot/grub/menu.lst.... found > > installing stage1.... success > > installing stage1_5.... success > > installing stage2..... success > > > > the typical everything is ok message. I have heard > in > > later reading that a missing splashimage can mess > > things up, I will have to make sure I remembered > to > > change the root for the image to the harddrive. > But I > > have also read that this just happens sometimes > with > > grub and certain machines. this is the only time > I've > > seen it happen. > > > > I personally love me some grub. it just makes > things > > easier in my world; at least usually. > > > > -brian > > Ok, it seems like your installation process at least > is ok; perhaps > the location of the installed grub is incorrect > though. Could you do > the following? > > 1. Run fdisk and verify that the partition you > actually have your > root installed on is the first one. > 2. Replace all references to just "/" (root) in all > partition names > to the proper device name, plus root, e.g.: > root (hd0,0,a) > kernel (hd0,0,a)/boot/loader > I know it seems a bit redundant, but it's saved me > from some issues > with installing grub on my linux box. > 3. Remove the splashedimage reference. It's > referring to your floppy > and if the floppy isn't there I could see some > possible issues > occurring with booting grub, as you mentioned > earlier in the email. > > -Garrett I'll give this a whirl and report back as to what happens, but I think I just have one of the machines that grub just doesn't like very much. Its just a good thing it happened to be the one machine I have that will never see anything but BSD on it. Like I said GRUB was just to put an inappropriate splash screen up to tick off my friends should they ever turn the thing on with a monitor plugged into it... That being said it's still annoying when things don't work out the way you want. -brian
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