How can I boot into GRUB2 from Grub4DOS? (SOLVED)

[Mike Walsh]

Evening, all.

I've just done an install of 64-bit Arch Linux to my secondary internal SSD. I disconnected both the main internal drive, and the external 1 TB Seagate USB drive, since I wanted this to be totally 'self-contained', along with its associated GRUB2 bootloader.

This is actually the second attempt. I didn't install Arch the traditional way; following a post on the BleepingComputer Forums by one of the Linux regulars, I installed it with the 'Revenge' Arch installer, which gives you a GUI installer, and is designed to make the traditional 'awkward' Arch install simple.....and it works extremely well, I must say.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEgW0xzLyEs

First time, I didn't install GRUB2, thinking Grub4DOS should 'pick it up'; it 'finds' 99% of other Linux distros. But not Arch, it seems!

So; I need a way to, I guess, 'chain-load' GRUB2 from Pup's Grub4DOS. Any tips as to how I can do this?

Any advice will, as always, be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

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EDIT:- I realise, of course, that having set the SSD up with its own bootloader, that all I need to do is to change drive priority in the BIOS.. I am, however, still curious as to whether chainloading will work.....and how easy (or otherwise) it would be to set up.

That's how lazy I'm getting..!


Mike.

[Mike Walsh]

A quick update.

Having done some digging around, I came across the Diddy-Bootland site.

http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/files/boot.htm#mbr

.....and it turned out the answer was surprisingly simple. It involves the 'chainloader' command. I merely modified their example, from

Code: Select all

title Boot MBR of First Hard Disk 
chainloader (hd0)+1
rootnoverify (hd0)

.....to

Code: Select all

title Arch Linux 64 (sdb1/boot)
  chainloader (hd1)+1
  rootnoverify (hd1)

.....and it works a treat.

So, there you are. A quick, simple method for booting a second, self-contained Linux install with its own already installed GRUB2 bootloader; all you're doing is 'chaining', or 'passing on' the command to the MBR of the second disk. Remember:-

hdo = sda
hd1 = sdb
hd2 = sdc, etc.



I'll mark this 'Solved'. That's something new I've learnt today..!


Mike.

[rcrsn51]

The more orthodox syntax would be

Code: Select all

title Arch Linux 64 (sdb1/boot)
rootnoverify (hd1)
chainloader +1

[Mike Walsh]

Quite possibly, Bill. I won't argue about syntax.

The above, however, seems to be working. And it's the same layout as the Diddy-Bootland site shows.

I don't care, frankly. As long as it does what I want it to.....that'll do me. And I now know how to do it again if I want to test out any other 'mainstream' distros. Which isn't very often, these days.

I hate GRUB2. Always have, always will. Unnecessarily overcomplicated for what it does.....especially when compared with the elegant simplicity of Grub4DOS.


Mike.