[butterma]

I have a system with:

- windows 2000 pro
- windows xp pro
- windows vista business
- windows vista ultimate
- kubuntu 6.10
- fedora 6

After some help I managed to get a bootmenu with fedora and the windows options. But I can't get the kubuntu in it :'(

I have the following partitions:
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdb1 * 1 892 7164958+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hdb2 893 14945 112880722+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hdb5 893 7266 51199123+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hdb6 7267 9816 20480000 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hdb7 9816 13641 30720000 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hdb8 13642 14278 5116671 83 Linux
/dev/hdb9 14815 14945 1052226 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/hdb10 14279 14814 4305388+ 83 Linux


In the menu.lst of Fedora I got:
# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE: You do not have a /boot partition. This means that
# all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /, eg.
# root (hd0,9)
# kernel /boot/vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/hdb10
# initrd /boot/initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/hdb
default=1
timeout=5
splashimage=(hd0,9)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu
title Fedora Core (2.6.18-1.2798.fc6)
root (hd0,9)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.18-1.2798.fc6 ro root=LABEL=/ rhgb quiet
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.18-1.2798.fc6.img
title Kubuntu
root (hd0,7)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.18-1.2798.fc6 root=/dev/hda7
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.18-1.2798.fc6.img
boot
title Windows
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1


Anyone who can help me? I tried to mount Kubuntu in Fedora but somehow I see the Fedora files then... What do I need to add to make the bootmenu all working?

thanks...sander

[saikee]

If I look at your partition table it tells me there are only two Linux partition in hda8 and hda10.

The Red bits of your Fedora menu.lst tell me that

title Fedora Core (2.6.18-1.2798.fc6)
root (hd0,9)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.18-1.2798.fc6 ro root=LABEL=/ rhgb quiet
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.18-1.2798.fc6.img
title Kubuntu
root (hd0,7)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.18-1.2798.fc6 root=/dev/hda7
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.18-1.2798.fc6.img
boot 

Fedora is in hda10. There does not seem to be an error there and you confirm Fedora boots satisfactorily.

The blue section is a bit of a mess and I predict it is your own work because

(1) Grub count from 0 so if hda8 has Kubuntu then "root (hd0,7)" is correct but the later "root=/dev/hda7" is wrong because it points to a NTFS partition. Thus hda7 should have been hda8. (hd0,7) is a Grub notation but /dev/hda8 is Linux notation because in loading the kernel Grub passes the control to Linux and buggers off for its lunch break.

(2) You seem to be using Fedora's kernel and initrd.img to boot Kubuntu. That is unacceptable. You should be using the kernel and initrd from the Kubuntu partition.

In conclusion your blue section of the menu.lst should be scraped.

Here is my proposal to cure it.

(a) Replace the blue section above by

title Dude said my Kubuntu in hda8
root (hd0,7)
chainloader +1 

(b) Boot up Kubuntu CD but do not do any install, click terminal mode and issue the following command

sudo grub
root (hd0,7)
setup (hd0,7)
quit
reboot

Your Kubuntu should now boots.

The above commands Grub to regard (hd0,7) as the root of the Linux and set itself up in the root partition (i.e. inside the boot sector of hda8). Thereafter Kubuntu is chainloadable just like a Windows.

Piece of a cake, isn't it?

So is XP's NTLDR or the new Vista's new boot loader is booting the 4 MS systems for you?

[butterma]

Yes I understand the part about the wrong partition. But can't i edit the startup file and replace the right kernel in it and the other file of kubuntu? I dont know how i can find the right files to locate to.

I want a bootmenu with the choices:

- Fedora
- Kubuntu
- Windows

The first two i've got in it

And i want windows to be the standard to boot in....

[saikee]

What is your current situation?

You said you have a problem with booting Kubuntu. I offered a solution and also an explanation of why your original menu.lst didn't work.

Your last post said you had got the first two. Does this mean you can boot both Fedora and Kubuntu now?

Your last sentence suggests you are having some problem of booting Windows and want some sort of standard.

What do you really want ?

[butterma]

No I can boot windows and fedora now. But windows isn't the standard start up system.

And wilol your post just put kubuntu in the overview so the result will be:

windows
kubuntu
fedora?

[saikee]

Then just shift the booting systems in the menu.lst to the order you fancy,

Like this

# grub.conf generated by anaconda
 #
 # Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
 # NOTICE: You do not have a /boot partition. This means that
 # all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /, eg.
 # root (hd0,9)
 # kernel /boot/vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/hdb10
 # initrd /boot/initrd-version.img
 #boot=/dev/hdb
 default=0
 timeout=5
 splashimage=(hd0,9)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz
 hiddenmenu

 title Windows 
 rootnoverify (hd0,0)
 chainloader +1

title Dude said my Kubuntu in hda8
root (hd0,7)
chainloader +1

 title Fedora Core (2.6.18-1.2798.fc6)
 root (hd0,9)
 kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.18-1.2798.fc6 ro root=LABEL=/ rhgb quiet
 initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.18-1.2798.fc6.img 

[butterma]

Ok, I picked it up again to try to get it right. When I boot right now I get the following order of options:

- windows
- kubuntu
- fedora

Windows and feora both work well. Windows is the standard systems so that boots automatically. But I still cant get the Kubuntu right. If I choose to start it up I get the following error:

Booting 'Kubuntu'

Root (hd0,70
File system type is ext2fs, partition type 0x83
chainloader +1

error 13: invalid or unsupported executable format.

Pres any key to continue...

In my menu.lst in the /boot/grub directory of Fedora I now have:

# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE: You do not have a /boot partition. This means that
# all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /, eg.
# root (hd0,9)
# kernel /boot/vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/hdb10
# initrd /boot/initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/hdb
default=0
timeout=5
splashimage=(hd0,9)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu

title Windows
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

title Kubuntu
root (hd0,7)
chainloader +1

title Fedora Core (2.6.18-1.2798.fc6)
root (hd0,9)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.18-1.2798.fc6 ro root=LABEL=/ rhgb quiet
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.18-1.2798.fc6.img

[saikee]

Your Post #5 still did not disclosed any problem with Kubuntu and kept me in the dark.

The error tells me you have forgotten to implement the Step (b) in Post #2. Implement it and you Kubuntu will fire up.

[butterma]

Step b is not totally clear to me. I just boot normal with the cd and then open the terminal and type each line after eachother as a single command?

For some sort of reason my Kubuntu cd won't start up... it keep hanging...:S

[saikee]

Step B is to invoke Grub at the terminal mode. You then ask Grub to put itself inside the root partition of (hd0,7)

I notice your Kubuntu might have been moved since installation by one partition position suggesting you might have increase the NTFS partitions by one, based on the Fedora's grub.conf.

The booting instructions by FC6 also suggests you are using FC6 kernel to boot Kubuntu which is highly unusual. It appears to me the work is done by someone not very good in using Linux A's kernel to boot Linux B. I think Fedora installer is more capable and make less mistakes.

In view of no information on the Kubuntu's kernel I suggest you now booting Kubuntu directly by replacing the blue section of Post #6 with the following

title Kubuntu
root (hd0,7)
kernel (hd0,9)/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.18-1.2798.fc6  root=/dev/hda8  ro
initrd (hd0,9)/boot/initrd-2.6.18-1.2798.fc6.img 

[butterma]

Ok, I'm starting all over from the scrath hehehe

Here is the deal. I have got installed at this very moment:

windows 2000 pro
windows xp pro
windows vista business

now i want to make two partions extra
one for ubuntu
one for fedora

Im downloading ubuntu 6.10 to burn it

I want windows operating system to be the standard os

When I choose linux I want ubuntu as the standard os

Now can you please help me realizing it?

If you need some info just tell me, I will be very patient this time

thx

[saikee]

If you run 3 Windows now that means you are using either NTLDR or Vista's new boot loader to boot all three. That boot loader will occupy the MBR now.

You actually need 3 partitions for the 2 Linux as a common swap is required to be shared between Ubuntu and Fedora.

All boot loader has a "default" statement to let you pick a system to boot if no choice is made within a given time. Thus selecting a Window is just selecting a number in the default statement.

In your case I would just install each Linux in a single partition and instruct its installer to place the boot loader in the root partition. After installation only the 3 Winodws boot but the 2 Linux will not boot yet.

When ready I would use Ubuntu Live CD to restore its Grub in the MBR and use this Grub to boot all the systems.

For example if Ubuntu has been installed into hda7, which will be called (hd0,6) by Grub, you can invoke a Grub shell with a boot-up Live CD Ubuntu to transfer Grub into the MBR by command

sudo grub
root (hd0,6)
setup (hd0)

How to edit Ubuntu's menu.lst depends on your installation arrangement. You need to show the output of "fdisk -l" here and tell us which Windows partition boot the 3 Windows.

Basically if Ubuntu boots after the above implementation, say hda1 is your "C" drive and hda8 has fedora then

title 3 Windows booted from hda1
root (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

title Fedora in hda8 known to Grub as (hd0,7)
root (hd0,7)
chainloader +1

By telling each Linux installer to put the boot loader into the root partition both Ubuntu and Fedora are chainloadable.

-------------------------------

You can also use Windows boot loader to boot the two Linux. The method of using NTLDR to boot Linux is described as Task E4 in the last link of my signature. I haven't tried out Vista boot loader yet myself so couldn't advise on it.

You will find Grub a lot easier to work with.