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scwcouk
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Joined: 25 Mar 2006
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 5:53 pm    Post subject: Bootloader problems (GRUB and LILO) Reply with quote

Ok, I tried the automated installer, then did it all again manually (so much nicer doing it manually), and I got the following problem on both occasions:

The system is installed fine, my problem is the bootloader will not boot!

Grub gives the following:

Quote:
GRUB loading stage1.5.
GRUB loading, please wait...
Error 5


Error 5 means a partition problem. I have checked & double checked my grub.conf file, but to no avail. So I thought I would try lilo. Lilo gets further, it actually starts to boot the kernel. The kernel then panics and gives the following:
Quote:
VFS: Cannot open root device "2143" or unknown block(33,67)
Please correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(33,67)


Here is my grub.conf file:
Code:
default 0
timeout 30
title=Gentoo Linux
root (hd1,0)
kernel /boot/linux-2.6.15-gentoo-r1 root=/dev/hdf3


And my /etc/lilo.conf file:
Code:
boot=/dev/hdf
prompt
timeout=50
default=gentoo

image=/boot/linux-2.6.15-gentoo-r1
  label=gentoo
  read-only
  root=/dev/hdf3


My computer is strange. I have IDE raid, meaning I have 3CD/DVD drives (hda,hdb,hdc) on the normal IDE channels. Then on the IDE raid I have three discs, hde, hdf, hdg. My RAID setup allows me to choose which device my BIOS chooses to boot from. Previously hdg contained the MBR (for Windows) and still does. I changed the RAID to look for the MBR on hdf, which it now does. hdf is the drive with gentoo installed on. hde is full of files. It is a mess I know!

my /boot/grub/device.map file contains the following (generated from grub-install)
Code:
(hd0) /dev/hde
(hd1) /dev/hdf
(hd2) /dev/hdg

I have also tried running the grub command and setting grub up myself.

If you need any other information please just let me know. I'm willing to try everything since I want to use gentoo, not XP (any more) or another linux distro!
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cyrillic
Watchman
Watchman


Joined: 19 Feb 2003
Posts: 7313
Location: Groton, Massachusetts USA

PostPosted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 11:28 pm    Post subject: Re: Bootloader problems (GRUB and LILO) Reply with quote

scwcouk wrote:
it actually starts to boot the kernel. The kernel then panics and gives the following:
Quote:
VFS: Cannot open root device "2143" or unknown block(33,67)
Please correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(33,67)

It looks like the kernel is missing the driver for your root filesystem.

scwcouk wrote:
My computer is strange. I have IDE raid, meaning I have 3CD/DVD drives (hda,hdb,hdc) on the normal IDE channels. Then on the IDE raid I have three discs, hde, hdf, hdg. My RAID setup allows me to choose which device my BIOS chooses to boot from.

Setting up GRUB (or any other bootloader) on a computer with multiple harddrives can be a bit tricky. The bootloader only finds out how the drives are ordered at boot time. The bootloader has to guess how the drives are ordered at installation time.

scwcouk wrote:
my /boot/grub/device.map file contains the following (generated from grub-install)
Code:
(hd0) /dev/hde
(hd1) /dev/hdf
(hd2) /dev/hdg

I have also tried running the grub command and setting grub up myself.

If you are booting from /dev/hdf , then this is an example of GRUB guessing the boot order incorrectly.
At boot time, the device.map is not consulted, and whatever harddrive you boot from becomes (hd0)

Because of this discrepancy, you would need to setup GRUB on (hd1)
Code:
# grub
grub> root (hd1,0)
grub> setup (hd1)
grub> quit

, but you would use (hd0) in your grub.conf
Code:
default 0
timeout 30
root (hd0,0)
splashimage /boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz

title Gentoo Linux
kernel /boot/linux-2.6.15-gentoo-r1 root=/dev/hdf3

title Windows
map (hd0) (hd2)
map (hd2) (hd0)
chainloader (hd2,0)+1



EDIT : Welcome to the Gentoo Forums, too :)
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scwcouk
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Joined: 25 Mar 2006
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 7:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tried this, with no luck. Grub still gives "Error 5".
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Bones McCracker
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Joined: 14 Mar 2006
Posts: 1611
Location: U.S.A.

PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 6:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Are you using DMRAID?
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cyrillic
Watchman
Watchman


Joined: 19 Feb 2003
Posts: 7313
Location: Groton, Massachusetts USA

PostPosted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 9:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

scwcouk wrote:
Tried this, with no luck.

What you can also try is :
Unplug all of your harddrives except for the Gentoo one, then setup GRUB in the MBR of that harddrive.
Code:
# grub
grub> root (hd0,0)
grub> setup (hd0)
grub> quit

That should work without too much trouble, and you should be able to boot Gentoo.

After that, try adding your other harddrives back into the system.


ps. You didn't mention what type of RAID controller you have, but if it is a Highpoint one, then there is a workaround that is needed to install GRUB on it.
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scwcouk
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Joined: 25 Mar 2006
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 5:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
You didn't mention what type of RAID controller you have, but if it is a Highpoint one, then there is a workaround that is needed to install GRUB on it.


My RAID controller is indeed a Highpoint one! Looks like we found the problem! Where might I find information about this work around?

Thanks
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cyrillic
Watchman
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Joined: 19 Feb 2003
Posts: 7313
Location: Groton, Massachusetts USA

PostPosted: Wed Mar 29, 2006 5:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The problem with Highpoint + GRUB is that the Highpoint BIOS stores its metadata in sector 9 of each harddrive. Normally this area is unused, so GRUB puts its stage1.5 file in that area too.

Since GRUB's stage1.5 is optional, the workaround is simple : don't use it :)
Code:
# cd /boot/grub
# rm *stage1_5
# grub
grub> root (hd0,0)
grub> setup (hd0)
grub> quit
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cappaberra
Tux's lil' helper
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Joined: 24 Aug 2003
Posts: 77
Location: California, USA

PostPosted: Sun Jun 18, 2006 4:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow! I just read through your thread, and I have pretty much the EXACTLY same problem.

See my thread here: https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-p-3377762.html

I still haven't figured it out but i'm going to try that "Highpoint" workaround.

I'll let you know!!!

EDIT: IT WORKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D :D :D

By skipping stage1.5 entirely, it goes right to stage2 and works flawlessly.

Thanks!

cappaberra
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FranZ
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Joined: 15 Feb 2004
Posts: 212
Location: Enschede, Holland

PostPosted: Sun Jun 18, 2006 7:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Put [solved] in the title, please.
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