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How to configure grub to boot Precise from hdd?

Posted: Mon 10 Mar 2014, 15:34
by neidorff
I've been using linux for years, and am a little embarrassed that this is causing me problems.

I have an older system. Precise Puppy 5.7.1 boots just fine from the CD I created. But, I want to boot from the 30Gb IDE drive. There is, and will be, no windows or anything else on the drive. So, I got the PuppyLinux Grub page.
I copied vmlinuz, stage1, stage2, ext2fs_stage_1_5 to /boot/grub as instructed.

This is menu.lst:
default=0
timeout=3
title Puppy Linux
root (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinux root = /dev/sda/

When I boot, I get:
Verifying DMI pool data.....

and then....nothing more.

Is this the problem? I try to install grub like this:
#grub-install /dev/sda
and get the error message:
"Could not find device for /boot: Not found or not a block device"

I know something is missing. Please help....

Thanks,
Mark

Posted: Mon 10 Mar 2014, 16:16
by Galbi
Hi, and welcome.

I think that you're just copying files, but that it's not and installation. (talking about Grub).

So boot from the CD and use the install icon on the desktop (or in the menu should be an item, sorry I'm not in Puppy now to check it) and let Puppy do it all, it's well trained :)
This method will install Grub the right way.
You'll be asked to choose to make a frugal or full installation. It's up to you the choice thou I would prefer a frugal one, since it's easier to make a back up of the system.

If you find troubles, ask here, we're to help.

Greetings

Posted: Mon 10 Mar 2014, 17:09
by Burn_IT
Mine looks like:


title Puppy Linux Precise 5.71 frugal
find --set-root /Precise57/vmlinuz
kernel /Precise57/vmlinuz pmedia=idehd psubdir=Precise57
initrd /Precise57/initrd.gz

title Puppy Linux Precise 5.6 frugal
find --set-root /Precise56/vmlinuz
kernel /Precise56/vmlinuz pmedia=idehd psubdir=Precise56
initrd /Precise56/initrd.gz

title Puppy Linux Lucid 528 frugal
find --set-root /lupu5000/vmlinuz
kernel /lupu5000/vmlinuz pmedia=idehd psubdir=lupu5000
initrd /lupu5000/initrd.gz

I have several Puppies each in their own subdirectory.
I try to avoid the hard coding of disk numbers so that the code is more portable. The find -- set-root will scan all available boot devices that are attached, so will work whether the files are on USB,DISk, floppy, whatever. The only possible strange thing there is the PMEDIA=IDEHD which tells Puppy how and when to save.

Posted: Mon 10 Mar 2014, 23:43
by mill0001
Neidorff: initrd line is missing in your menulist.

Posted: Tue 11 Mar 2014, 13:14
by mikeb
forum dying glitch :D

Posted: Tue 11 Mar 2014, 13:15
by mikeb
Looks to me like a full install but
kernel /vmlinux root = /dev/sda/
looks wrong...
I suggest it should be
kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/sda1

or wherever the install is no spaces
This would give the no device erroro message as the system could not find itself as it is.

If it IS a frugal install then yes its completely off the mark and an initrd line is required.

mike

Posted: Sat 15 Mar 2014, 12:52
by neidorff
Thanks for all the replies. Last time I booted, I got a bad sector read error on the drive, so, after booting from an old live knoppix CD I ran badblocks. Then I did a fresh install, and correctly installed grub. It worked. I'm not sure which was solved the problem--"fixing" a badblock or total reinstall, but now up and running.