[clug] GRUBbing around

[steve jenkin]

Some more info & questions for the list.

I *think* this is grub2 in kubuntu 10.04, not 'classic grub'.
[Keith: is it a more recent version kubuntu?]

Keith uses a set of removable drives, IDE/ATA (not SATA) drive caddies
which are loaded into two drive bays.
He doesn't have a permanently mounted (fixed) drive in his system.

The constant seems to be the 'system drive' (IDE-primary) goes into the
top drive bay, and a 'data drive' (IDE-Secondary) into the lower drive bay.

To 'consolidate' drives, he's had to mount a 'system drive', then the
other drive(s) into the lower drive bay.

I suspect he's moved partitions & isntalled grub with his kubuntu-drive
as 'system'/IDE-primary and the other drive as the IDE secondary.

>From the post, I think he wants to make the consolidated drive multi-boot.

In 'classic grub', I know this sequence (removing IDE primary drive)
would be a little tricky:
  need to get an MBR + efs filesystem + /boot/grub/menu.conf on the
target drive AND then modify menu.conf for the new device numbers.

With 'grub2', I just don't know.
Anyone experienced in this sort of shuffle.

There is a SATA drive either in the system or that can be connected,
giving at least one permanent drive.

Or does Keith need to boot from a kubuntu LiveCD and install/setup grub
on the target drive (mounted as IDE 'primary', not secondary).
But where does the grub config get stored?
I'm thinking there needs to be a 'supported' filesystem in a partition
on the drive.

Questions:

 - Has anyone had experience setting up a grub/grub2 system with
    all removable drives?

 - Or multiple drives with a mix of Linux and Windows partitions,
     either fixed or removable?

 - How would you create a setup with a permanent SATA drive and
     a set of USB-attached bootable drives? (with ubuntu + grub2)

 - Anyone know how grub/grub2 deals with "missing drives" at boot time?
   [And have advice on what works well/best?]


cheers
steve

Keith Sayers wrote on 7/07/11 4:39 PM:
> 	I am consolidating hard drives and now have one which contains, in separate 
> partitions, Win98, Win2K and WinXP.  Before those three is a small boot partition into 
> which it is my aspiration to install GRUB so configured that it will offer me an opening 
> menu of those three and allow me to choose one to operate.
> 
> 	I have got GRUB loaded into the Master Boot Record (I think - but how do I check? - 
> can one view MBR contents?) and the 'normal' module loaded into that first partition.  But 
> when I boot I get 'error : no such device : 7972e0f3-4ae4-4c77-86bf-8d3580b6c221' and the 
> 'grub rescue' prompt.  That is correct - that UUID refers to the Kubuntu drive whence I 
> took the GRUB - the UUID for this composite drive is 552BF72105173483.  I have checked 
> grub.cfg and load.cfg and at all relevant points that latter number appears.  I downloaded 
> SuperGrub from the 'net but that has been no help.  Could anyone suggest where else I 
> might look for this recalcitrant 7972etc number, please?
> 
> 	And while I am typing, what commands are, or should be, available for the grub 
> rescue> prompt?  Obvious tries like help, info and ? all produced 'unknown command' and I 
> could not find anything on the 'net.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Keith Sayers                                                       keiths at apex.net.au
> 6 Clambe Place
> CHARNWOOD, ACT 2615,
> Australia                                            http://www/apex.net.au/~keiths
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


-- 
Steve Jenkin, Info Tech, Systems and Design Specialist.
0412 786 915 (+61 412 786 915)
PO Box 48, Kippax ACT 2615, AUSTRALIA

sjenkin at canb.auug.org.au http://members.tip.net.au/~sjenkin