Re: [SLE] Grub and BIOS limitations

On 06/09/17 23:19 (GMT-0400) Paul Abrahams apparently typed:

I think the weird grub behavior I've encountered really is related to BIOS
limitations. Following the instructions in the grub manual, I built a boot
diskette and booted from it, getting a grub prompt. I then issued the
following commands, with these responses:

root (hd0,7)
Error 18: Selected cylinder exceeds maximum supported by BIOS

The >128G HD size makes this sound like a geometry mismatch problem,
even as new as the motherboard and BIOS are. Because it used to work, I
suspect no one's going to figure out how it got broken, but I'll bet
starting from scratch with a disk wipe and putting a /boot or / and Grub
on the first cylinder would fix it permanently.

In spite of all the recomendations you'll find elsewhere to install
windoz first at the start of the drive, I've found there is no problem
installing windoz anywhere you please as long as you provide it a first
disk FAT primary of about 40M (yes M, not G) or more to boot (and
install) from. I normally install XP on hda8 or higher (D:), after
logical Linux partitions beginning at hda5. I always do all my
partitioning prior to beginning any OS installation.

root (hd0,6)
Filesystem type is Reiserfs, partition type is 0x83

root (hd0,7)
Filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type is 0x83

I then issued the root (hd0,7) command repeatedly and about half the time I
got the Error 18 and about half the time I got the filesystem type.

As I mentioned earlier, my hard drive is a 200GB model and my motherboard is a
Biostar P4M800-M7A, with an Award Bios v6.00PG. I'm now trying to update the
BIOS, but I still don't know where to get information about the capacity of
the current BIOS. I cannot find it anywhere in the BIOS configuration
utility.

Is 10.0 the only Linux you ever installed on this system? Did the system
come with XP already installed on the 200G HD?
--
"Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you
have, get understanding. Esteem her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you." Proverbs 4:7-8 NIV

Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409

Felix Miata *** http://mrmazda.no-ip.com/partitioningindex.html

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