GRUB bug? Or something wrong with Gentoo?

Message

ddnt · Post by **ddnt** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 7:52 am

I tried to install Gentoo on a INTEL branded 865 board and P4 system. Everything is well except GRUB. I installed GRUB successful, but each time it faied to boot Gentoo and before GRUB interface ready, it reboot the system. If I didn't stop it, it would reset the system continuously. Any one get the same problem?
I installed Lilo instead, it works. But I really want to know what happened to my GRUB. Thanks for any hints.

no idea · Post by **no idea** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 7:57 am

posto your grub.conf, it can be found in /boot/grub/

also write the partitioning of your drives, it will help us solve your problem:)

ddnt · Post by **ddnt** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 8:08 am

Thanks for your reply.

grub.conf:

default 0
timeout 30
splashimage=(hd0,0)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz

title=Gentoo Linux 2.6.15-r1
root (hd0,0)
kernel (hd0,0)/kernel-2.6.15-gentoo-r1 root=/dev/hda5

my partitions:

/dev/hda1 /boot ext2
/dev/hda5 / ext3
/dev/hda6 none swap

no idea · Post by **no idea** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 8:18 am

hm, looks ok......

type "df -h" and give us the output

also verify that the splash image for grub exists (/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz)

edit: shouldn't this part:

Code: Select all

splashimage=(hd0,0)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz

be like this?

Code: Select all

splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz

ddnt · Post by **ddnt** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 9:59 am

I had tried to change the path to splashimage, if it was wrong, there was a message to say grub error 1 file not found or something like this.
When I put hda1 as boot and mount it as /boot, so the path is in this way.

for df -h
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/hda5 4.6G 1.7G 2.8G 38% /
/dev/hda1 236M 6.6M 217M 3% /boot
udev 248M 2.5M 245M 2% /dev
shm 248M 0 248M 0% /dev/shm

mdeininger · Post by **mdeininger** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 10:27 am

actually, the path in (hd0,0) is relative to /boot, not relative to your root-partition ( / ), but typically in /boot a link gets created that points from boot to ., i.e. /boot/boot usually points to /boot, which is why this usually works.

you say your computer reboots indefinitely, even before grub starts displaying anything... why don't you just remove the splashimage= line altogether? you can comment it out with a hash sign like so:

Code: Select all

#splashimage=(hd0,0)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz

ddnt · Post by **ddnt** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 12:15 pm

Thanks for help.
I had tried.
When I put a wrong link for splashimage, there was an error 1, if that line commented, just rebooting, nothing happened.

jmbsvicetto · Post by **jmbsvicetto** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 12:29 pm

Hi.

What are your system specs? Post the output of cat /proc/cpuinfo.
Are you sure that you're not creating code that cannot run on your processor? Something like using -march=i686 on an Athlon or -march=pentium4 in a pentium mobile?

ddnt · Post by **ddnt** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 12:39 pm

Sorry, it is a PC at labs and I am at home now.
It is about a P4 2.4G with FSB 533 on a Intel branded 865 mainboard. The graphics card is GFMX4000 and one 512MB DDR400 on it.
The network card is a onboard INTEL PRO/100.

Hitachi 80G harddrive for the system.
Lilo's fine while GRUB not.

mdeininger · Post by **mdeininger** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 12:53 pm

well I do think the same as jmbsvicetto, it does seem like it's code that's compiled for the wrong architecture...
how did you configure your /etc/make.conf

aside from that... well, grub never worked on my dad's pc either, and he's using a p4 as well, might be connected somehow... if lilo works for you, stick with that.

ddnt · Post by **ddnt** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 2:11 pm

I have installed Gentoo on several PCs. So I can make sure there was no arch problems.
I used -O3 march=Pentium4 -pipe at the beginning, but I tried no -O and nothing better.

mdeininger · Post by **mdeininger** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 2:14 pm

ddnt wrote:I have installed Gentoo on several PCs. So I can make sure there was no arch problems.
I used -O3 march=Pentium4 -pipe at the beginning, but I tried no -O and nothing better.

several pcs with the exact same hardware and revisions? unlikely; and as I said, my dad uses p4s, has the same symptoms and I never felt like fixing it because...
so what if grub doesn't work, lilo is just fine as well, isn't it?

no idea · Post by **no idea** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 2:34 pm

jmbsvicetto wrote:Hi.

What are your system specs? Post the output of cat /proc/cpuinfo.
Are you sure that you're not creating code that cannot run on your processor? Something like using -march=i686 on an Athlon or -march=pentium4 in a pentium mobile?

Yeah, but he said that LILO works for hi so it probably isn't that....

ddnt, how did you try to install grub?

when you run the grub command, you should type something like

Code: Select all

root (hd0,0)
setup (hd0)
quit

jmbsvicetto · Post by **jmbsvicetto** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 11:34 pm

mdeininger wrote:well, grub never worked on my dad's pc either, and he's using a p4 as well, might be connected somehow... if lilo works for you, stick with that.

Actually, I've been using GRUB for years and I've never had a problem. I can also assure you that GRUB works flawlessly on P4s - I have it on several.

ddnt · Post by **ddnt** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 2:16 am

I have tried grub-install and GRUB prompt. Both resulted the same.

jmbsvicetto · Post by **jmbsvicetto** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 3:53 am

Well, do you have auto settings for the disk in the BIOS? Is the disk the first boot device in the BIOS?
Please post the exact steps you've taken to install GRUB in the MBR.

ddnt · Post by **ddnt** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 3:58 am

I do have BIOS AUTO for IDE drives and I going as following.
1. I wirte my grub.conf using nano -w /boot/grub/grub.conf
2. grub --no-floppy
3. root (hd0,0)
4. setup (hd0)
5. quit
reboot

jmbsvicetto · Post by **jmbsvicetto** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 1:34 pm

If you have disk auto settings in the BIOS, try changinng that for manual. I don't know why, but it seems GRUB has a few problems with auto settings in some BIOS.

ddnt · Post by **ddnt** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 2:08 pm

Thanks, I will try it.

mdeininger · Post by **mdeininger** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 2:31 pm

jmbsvicetto wrote:
mdeininger wrote:well, grub never worked on my dad's pc either, and he's using a p4 as well, might be connected somehow... if lilo works for you, stick with that.
Actually, I've been using GRUB for years and I've never had a problem. I can also assure you that GRUB works flawlessly on P4s - I have it on several.

well, I don't personally have any trouble with grub either, my dad's pc is the absolutely only one I've ever encountered with that problem. I always use grub too, but I see not much of a drawback attached to lilo in most circumstances, so... *shrugs*

ddnt · Post by **ddnt** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 2:19 am

I have tried, but still failed to boot. Sadly.