[tryptophan]

I have Ubuntu, PCLinuxOS, and XPPro, each on it's own HD.

My primary IDE master and slave are ODD's. I have Ubuntu on the secondary master, XP on the secondary slave, and PCLinux on PCI/IDE controller card.

I edited menu.lst to show XP and PCLinuxOS, but neither will boot if selected. If I plug each into the secondary master cable, each will boot no problem.

What have I got wrong?

Thanks...................................

[lotuseclat79]

Hi tryptophan,

What are the contents of your menu.lst file?

-- Tom

[tryptophan]

menu.lst file:

Thanks for taking a look here...

# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
# grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
# grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
# and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## 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'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not use 'savedefault' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default 0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 3

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
#hiddenmenu

# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactitle
# 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
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### 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=601da4e5-6554-48d0-bdc7-c43ddcc5f4d3 ro

## Setup crashdump menu entries
## e.g. crashdump=1
# crashdump=0

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,2)

## 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=quiet splash

## 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=(recovery) single
# altoptions=(recovery 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

## 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 Ubuntu 8.04, kernel 2.6.24-19-generic
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-19-generic root=UUID=601da4e5-6554-48d0-bdc7-c43ddcc5f4d3 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-19-generic

title Ubuntu 8.04, kernel 2.6.24-19-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-19-generic root=UUID=601da4e5-6554-48d0-bdc7-c43ddcc5f4d3 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-19-generic

title Ubuntu 8.04, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic root=UUID=601da4e5-6554-48d0-bdc7-c43ddcc5f4d3 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 8.04, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic root=UUID=601da4e5-6554-48d0-bdc7-c43ddcc5f4d3 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic

title Ubuntu 8.04, memtest86+
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin

title Windows XP
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
chainloader +1

title PCLinuxOS
root (hd2,2)
chainloader +1

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

I'm thinking that since I've switched around the disks, and since they are not showing up as sda, sdb, and sdc respectively, that might be the problem? (2nd slave, with XP, is 'sdc', and 2nd master is 'sdb')

[lotuseclat79]

What do you get when you run the command:
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -l
or
root@ubuntu:~# fdisk -l

It will tell you what partitions you have.

-- Tom

[tryptophan]

disks/partitions...

cpt@cpt-desktop:~$ sudo fdisk -l
[sudo] password for cpt:

Disk /dev/sda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00045b5c

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 1019 8185086 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 1020 9729 69963075 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 1020 1528 4088511 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 1529 9729 65874501 83 Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00022288

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 25 200781 83 Linux
/dev/sdb2 26 4828 38580097+ 8e Linux LVM
/dev/sdb3 * 4829 9522 37704555 83 Linux
/dev/sdb4 9523 9729 1662727+ 5 Extended
/dev/sdb5 9523 9729 1662696 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/sdc: 30.7 GB, 30735581184 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3736 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0006ca0a

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 * 1 3736 30009388+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
cpt@cpt-desktop:~$

[lotuseclat79]

Hi tryptophan,

To give you an idea is my dual-boot WinXP/Linux menu.lst (very clean setup), here is my menu.lst file. The default is setup to boot my Linux by default, and please Note the timeout setting, i.e. your timeout is to little:
# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE: You have a /boot partition. This means that
# all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.
# root (hd1,0)
# kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/sdb2
# initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/sda
default=0
timeout=15
splashimage=(hd1,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu
title Fedora Core (2.6.10-1.770_FC3smp)
root (hd1,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.10-1.770_FC3smp ro root=/dev/sdb2 rhgb quiet
initrd /initrd-2.6.10-1.770_FC3smp.img
#title Fedora Core (2.6.10-1.770_FC3)
# root (hd1,0)
# kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.10-1.770_FC3 ro root=/dev/sdb2 rhgb quiet
# initrd /initrd-2.6.10-1.770_FC3.img
#title Fedora Core (2.6.9-1.667smp)
# root (hd1,0)
# kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-1.667smp ro root=/dev/sdb2 rhgb quiet
# initrd /initrd-2.6.9-1.667smp.img
#title Fedora Core-up (2.6.9-1.667)
# root (hd1,0)
# kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-1.667 ro root=/dev/sdb2 rhgb quiet
# initrd /initrd-2.6.9-1.667.img
title WindowsXP
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

Can you live with each plugged into your secondary master cable? If not, switch them back.

-- Tom

[saikee]

You need to give us more information on the disk ordering system as Grub sees them.

My advice is stick with your original scheme so that Ubuntu is the first bootable disk known to Grub as (hd0).

Inside Ubuntu do the following terminal command

sudo fdisk -l
grub
geometry (hd0)
geometry (hd1)
geometry (hd2)
quit

If your Ubuntu boots from (hd0,2) which is the 3rd partition of the 1st disk then it is in sdb because sda and sdc have no 3rd partition. With the Grub's geometry commands you can find out which is the 1st, 2nd and 3rd disks as actually seen by Grub. You do this by comparing the partition layout as reported by the "fdisk -l" bash command in Linux.

My guess is your XP is in (hd1) or sdc which should show up with only one partition of Type ID 7.

It is quite possible that sda was your (hd2) due to the detection sequence of your mobo and the way Ubuntu assigns sda for your add-on PCI/IDE card.

If my prediction is correct then your XP will boot with these commands in Ubuntu's menu.lst

title Windows XP 
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
chainloader +1

Your PCLinuxOS will boot if you make it "chainloadable" while in Ubuntu by terminal command

sudo grub
root (hd2,0)
setup (hd2,0)
quit

Thereafter it will boot if you have these lines in Ubuntu's menu.lst

title PCLinuxOS
root (hd2,0)
chainloader +1

Explanations

(1) You have installed XP as the 1st bootable disk so it can only boot up being the master of the IDE cable. When relocating it to a slave position you have to swap the disk order on-the-fly temporarily by the two map statements. Xp will buy it.

(2) You need to make a Linux chainloadable first before you can boot it up indorectly with the "chainloader +1" command.

Post the output of geometry (hd0) to (hd1) if you still have a problem. One of your Linux uses a LVM so you must know which distro is in sdb.

Hint : Any line preceeding with a # in menu.lst is ignored by Grub which counts everything from zero.

[xAndehx]

title Ubuntu 8.04, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic root=UUID=601da4e5-6554-48d0-bdc7-c43ddcc5f4d3 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic

title Ubuntu 8.04, memtest86+
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin

title Windows XP
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
chainloader +1

title PCLinuxOS
root (hd2,2)
chainloader +1

If xp is sdc wouldn't that make it hd(2,0)