(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Posted: **Wed 02 Feb 2011, 09:13**

I've lost the 1st (main) HDD on a 2 HDD system.
Tthe system has always been a MS configured system with an XP built MBR. All HDDs and I/O devices are IDE class.

Drive 1 - The main drive's MBR pointed to Partition 1 (a hidden parttiton) containing a samll Windows bootable backup partiton with the PC's boot.ini file for all bootable OS. Now that this drive1 is dead, theere is no valid MBR + boot.ini to get the system booted.

Drive 2 is a larger drive with freespace (enough to accommodate all of drive 1's partitions). And drive 2 has all of the running OSes in their own partitions here.

The way the system used to work before drive 1 crashed, today, is the system would boot, the boot.ini on drive 1-partition 1 would be invoked and the MS Boot Manager would display. If no selection was made, the system would proceed to boot a Windows which physically is on drive 2.

Here's my question as I think GRUB4DOS may be a blessing in this situation. Assuming I remove Drive 1 from the system.

Can I use GRUB4DOS, either via your CD or via a boot diskette to start the OS on the remaining system drive (drive2)?
Can I instruct GRUB4DOS to search the remaining drives for OSs? I know I can use a running QuickSEt to see the partitions by mounting drive2.
If I get QuickSet or GRUB4DOS diskette to get to the GRUB4DOS menu, can I hit esc, type "e" or "c" and enter a couple of commands to manually kick the system to boot? This assumes I know the partition number(s) I want to boot
.
Do you have an example somewhere?

All OSs on the HDDs in this system are XP class OSes.

Thanks in advance for your insights

Posted: **Wed 02 Feb 2011, 10:52**

gcmartin wrote:[*]Can I instruct GRUB4DOS to search the remaining drives for OSs? I know I can use a running QuickSEt to see the partitions by mounting drive2.

Then, you cannot mount or look inside the drive1 now, right?

If so, remove the drive 1 and set the drive 2 as the master.
Then run some live CD which contains the Grub4Dos (most of all Puppy 5.x).
Run the Grub4Dos config and reply 'OK' for all the dialog. That is all.

If you can mount the drive1 and look inside the partitions, there is a chance to rescue it with the LupQ-511 live CD or Wary-500m06.

Posted: **Wed 02 Feb 2011, 20:02**

Double post: User (me) error.

Posted: **Wed 02 Feb 2011, 21:48**

shinobar wrote:Then, you cannot mount or look inside the drive1 now, right?

Correct. The drive is dead and removed from the PC.

shinobar wrote:If so, remove the drive 1 and set the drive 2 as the master. Then run some live CD which contains the Grub4Dos (most of all Puppy 5.x). Run the Grub4Dos config and reply 'OK' for all the dialog. That is all. ...

By doing this, it wil install GRUB$DOS onto the existing harddrive, Right? Why is there a need to do this if I just use the startup QuicSET LiveCD wiich has an operational running GRUB4DOS all ready when started. Is this a reasonalble approach or am I missing something?

P.S. @Shinobar, See your PM

Posted: **Thu 03 Feb 2011, 00:42**

gcmartin wrote:
shinobar wrote:If so, remove the drive 1 and set the drive 2 as the master. Then run some live CD which contains the Grub4Dos (most of all Puppy 5.x). Run the Grub4Dos config and reply 'OK' for all the dialog. That is all. ...
By doing this, it wil install GRUB4DOS onto the existing harddrive, Right? Why is there a need to do this if I just use the startup QuicSET LiveCD wiich has an operational running GRUB4DOS all ready when started. Is this a reasonalble approach or am I missing something?

Why not install new gurub4dos on the new HDD? It must be easier.

Well, all the files which was on the damaged HDD is backed up on the new HDD?
If so, the Quickset Live CD can directly boot up the windows.

The new quickset, multilingual wary-500m06 Live CD can boot up also another OS if there used be installed any of grub(legacy, grub4dos or grub2).
But you get success only if the partition layout is the same as before. Otherwise, you need to edit the old menu.list.
Grub4Dos and grub2 can manage the partition UID's. If the old system was using the partition UID, using the old menu.list must fail because the partition UID must be different from the old ones.

If you install new gurub4dos, the correction is made automatically.

Posted: **Thu 10 Feb 2011, 02:02**

UPDATE: Grub4DosConfig v1.7
# 10feb11 v1.7: sort the probepart result, install on internal or removable drives, fix typo at checking boot_part

Must be more stable

Posted: **Tue 15 Feb 2011, 07:06**

I am not seeing V1.7 on the download site.
http://182.164.208.91/puppy/pup4/opt/pets/

Posted: **Tue 15 Feb 2011, 07:25**

[quote="bigpup"]I am not seeing V1.7 on the download site.
Ops, sorry. Now it is there:
http://shino.pos.to/linux/puppy/

Posted: **Tue 15 Feb 2011, 18:56**

Not sure if you know about this:
Grub24dos
http://grub24dos.sourceforge.net/

Posted: **Tue 15 Feb 2011, 19:55**

BigPup that was a good find. Hope someone do a pet or sfs of that one.

They tell so little but the good thing would be that one get the features of grub2 in a well known grub4dos format of how to set it all up?

Thanks indeed for telling us. I longed for something this for a long time but I know too little to handle scripts.

here is a link to screenshots of how it works?
http://sourceforge.net/project/screensh ... _id=379924

Posted: **Tue 15 Feb 2011, 23:10**

bigpup wrote:Not sure if you know about this:
Grub24dos
http://grub24dos.sourceforge.net/

Thanks bigpup for the interesting information.

It is quite interesting, seems sophiscated and so large (same as the original grub2 it self) that i do not follow up for now.

Posted: **Wed 16 Mar 2011, 04:05**

Hope you are safe!!!!!

Could this be done with Grub4dos?
How to give your Grub menu a password
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=58860

Posted: **Wed 23 Mar 2011, 01:42**

Thanks bigpup, me and my family are all safe and fine.

bigpup wrote:How to give your Grub menu a password

Grub4Dos config > Grub4Dos Guide > Password Protecting Boot Options

Posted: **Fri 29 Apr 2011, 01:06**

Are there any similar instructions for GRUB4DOS to boot an ISO?

Thanks in advance

Posted: **Fri 29 Apr 2011, 01:08**

gcmartin wrote:Are there any similar instructions for GRUB4DOS to boot an ISO?
Is there a GRUB4DOS config that can be posted?

Thanks in advance

Posted: **Fri 29 Apr 2011, 01:22**

gcmartin:

Add this to your menu.lst:

Code: Select all

find --set-root --ignore-floppies /path/to/file.iso
map /path/to/file.iso (hd32)
map --hook
root (hd32)
chainloader (hd32)
boot

More info here: http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/files/map.htm#hd32

EDIT:
Just read the thread you linked.
1) Install GRUB4DOS to the USB
2) Create/edit menu.lst in the root(?) of the drive with the above code
3) Set boot flag.
4) Reboot and start from the USB.

Posted: **Fri 29 Apr 2011, 02:26**

Yes such code works on USB but it fail to boot iso on internal HDD that are formatted in NTFS unless you make a partition with ext2 or such or go the USB route while Grub2 using the loop thing can boot from hdd if one have grub2 on the usb but the iso on the internal hdd I am on such now Peppermint-Ice-10012010.iso

Posted: **Sat 30 Apr 2011, 01:24**

This is my works. It may be good on others systems? Please test it and give me more informations!

How to boot an .iso from grub
1. I'd make an iso file with this code

Code: Select all

mkisofs -R -b grldr -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -o grldr.iso iso_root

*** The grldr.iso contains these files: ..., vmlinuz, initrd.gz, pup-432.sfs, ... and others appropriates stuffs

2. Copy the made "grldr.iso" to C: (C: is an Windows' partition - fat 32). This is an partition is managed by grub loader.
3. Start Windows and run "WinContig" to defrag C: partition
4. Now restart the machine. Then I can boot the made "grldr.iso". This is the menu entry to boot the .iso file:

Code: Select all

title TEST 1 BOOT PUPPY ISO ON C AND RUN IN RAM
find --set-root --ignore-floppies /grldr.iso
map /grldr.iso (hd32)
map --hook
root (hd32)
chainloader (hd32)
boot

*** If I don't use "WinContig" -> Boot this "grldr.iso", I will meet this error: "Error 60: File for drive emulator must be in one contiguous disk area".
NB: Before test this, I'd renamed all the pup-432.sfs in hard disk (in all partitions). This is sure to know that the system boot "grldr.iso"
This will help me to test new puppy's .iso (without need virtualbox or other emulator ... may be?)

Thank

Posted: **Sat 30 Apr 2011, 07:40**

vanchutr , yes thanks, the reason it works are that you have Fat32 while AFAIK all new computers sold in Sweden with Windows on them have format NTFS that was so on the latest 5 computers that I bought since 2003 and I don't plan to buy another one.

Sure you can wipe out all the Ms or you can take away the warranty from the OEM by resizing the whole thing. I am not into such things. I want true Dual boot with total compatibility and grub2 on the usb stick gives me that.

It start booting from the usb but take the iso from the HDD. No change to the Ms Windows is needed.

Posted: **Tue 06 Sep 2011, 02:26**

Using v1.7 on a frugal install ext4 flashdrive. several times on different boxes it would not recognize puppy frugal installs on the hdd. either on ext3 or ext4 would not recognize the os.

have not read all pages but this is probable known bug. I reverted to v1.6ish and did recognizes those previously lost pups. hope helps.

(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Grub4DosConfig

Drive 1 is dead. Can GRUB4DOS bail me out?

Re: Drive 1 is dead. Can GRUB4DOS bail me out?

Re: Drive 1 is dead. Can GRUB4DOS bail me out?

Re: Drive 1 is dead. Can GRUB4DOS bail me out?

Grub4DosConfig v1.7

Downloads

Grub24dos

How to give your Grub menu a password