Re: Fedora Core 2/Windows XP dual boot: selecting Linux doesn't work

Peter T. Breuer wrote:
> g.devries@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> > When I run the installer,
>
> What is an "installer"? Please fix your boot loader, whatever it is ...

I meant the Fedora Core installation program, which I ran from the CD.
I had the idea that this installation program would install and
configure GRUB for me.

> Please be EXACT: state what is your
> boot loader, what is the config file, what you have done to it (before
> and after pics please), and why you think yur mds shuld be effective,
> and what yu have done to embed that ew config int the MBR, or whatever
> other BR is pertinent. I don't know what your boot sequence is and you
> are not describing it!

I'll give you an exact account of what I did.

* I have 4 CD's for installing Fedora Core 2. I insert the 1st one in
the CD drive, and boot from there. This takes me to a graphical
installation program.

* I choose to install Fedora on hdc, keeping hde for XP.

* I choose automatic partitioning, which gives the following result:
Device Mount point Type Size (MB)
/dev/hdc1 /boot ext3 100
/dev/hdc2 / ext3 18478
/dev/hdc3 swap 896

* I choose to have GRUB installed on hdc1 (the first sector of the boot
partition). The other option is to have it installed on the MBR, but I
don't want to mess with my XP installation.

* The default OS to be booted by GRUB is "Fedora Core" on hdc2. The
other OS is "Other" on hde1.

* I choose to install a minimum of components, and let the installation
program do its work.

* I then have to reboot. I boot from the CD again, and go to linux
rescue mode.

* When I give the command df, I see that, as I expected, /boot
corresponds to /dev/hdc1 and / corresponds to /dev/hdc2. I found
vmlinuz-2.6.5-1.358 and initrd-2.6.5-1.358.img in /boot.

* In /boot/grub/, the config file grub.conf looks as follows:
# (some comments)
# boot=/dev/hdc
default=0
timeout=10
splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
title Fedora Core (2.6.5-1.358)
root(hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.5-1.358 ro root=LABEL=/
initrd /initrd-2.6.5-1.358.img
title Other
rootnoverify(hd1,0)
chainloader +1

* I don't touch grub.conf, or any other files created during the
installation of Fedora.

* I restart my computer, and go to XP.

> IF you were to put a boot RECORD on the boot partition (and you can put it
> anywhere you have a fancy to), THEN you could copy it to msdos and use the win
> boot lader to chain to it via boot.ini.
> But why? DO you have the win boot loader in the MBR?

Yes, I have. I chose not to touch the MBR, so this will still contain
the Windows boot loader, whichever it may be. This means I have to tell
that boot loader about Fedora and/or GRUB, right?

>>From what I understand, I can do this with the program BootPart. This
copies the first 512 bytes of the /boot partition to a file, say
C:\linux.bin, and adds a line to boot.ini:
C:\linux.bin="Linux"
I checked boot.ini with a text editor, and it looks good.

Is this the same as creating a boot record? If not, how do I create
one? Or don't I need one at all? I have the idea that on the Linux side
everything is fine, but that my problem lies in getting GRUB to fire
up. But I have no clue where to go from here.

Thanks for your patience, I hope the info I've provided now is
sufficient.

--
Garmt de Vries.

.

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