Gary Rickert wrote:
Thanks again Jeff. I will have to go through the install one more time to/etc/passwd is the password file that lists users accounts and controls access.
verify the attributes of boot.ini, but I do know that recovery does run if I
just allow the installer to do the work and make no manual edits, or if I do
the edits I described. I am sure that I did have to make boot.ini editable
and I did set the permissions back to read only after the edits. I would
love to know what triggers recovery to run. It tells you to exit recovery
and save your files before recovery runs, but it won't let you in without
recovery running. I did check the /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow files and they
look OK. What is the /etc/passwd- file? I assume it is a copy of passwd for
recovery, before the changes were made, users added. It looks as I would
expect without any added user accounts. The root line in passwd =
"root:x:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash". The root line in shadow =
"root:(encrypted password):12539:0:99999:7:::".
/etc/shadow is a hidden adjunct ot passwd that actually contains the passwords and account activation parameters. Read the man pages on these 2 files for more details.
These files in linux have nothing to do with the problem of XPlease forcing a recovery, but may be related to the inability for linux users to log in.
What I have done and it works seamlessly is similar to what your listed steps were.
1. install windows on hda
2. install linux on hdb using the steps below.
From here it gets critical. You have 2 options. Use the NTLDR to boot or use GRUB to boot.
I chose NTLDR since the earlier version of NT (NT 4.0) would not boot if its boot loader was not used.
The following steps are for the NTLDR option.
3. install linux, and when it asks where to install the boot loader (GRUB) select the boot sector of the root partition (whereever you put / ). complete the install and create a boot floppy so you can boot back to linux.
4. boot into linux
5. mount a dos formatted floppy
6. use this command to create the boot image. #dd if=/dev/<your boot partition> of=/mnt/floppy/linux.img bs=512 count=1
After the boot image file is created boot into XP
(The next step may solve your problem with XP doing the restore of the boot.ini file)
7. login as an adminitrative user
a. start - run - command (to get a dos window open)
b. copy a:\linux.img c:\
c. edit boot.ini (I use the dos editor and the command is literally "edit boot.ini")
add the line ' c:\linux.img = "Fedora" ' in the [operating systems] section of the boot.ini file then save it.
NOTE: the boot.ini file is hidden and a system file, but can be edited this way without touching the attributes.
d. log off and reboot
8. you now should see the options for XP and Fedora in the list for the NTLDR menu and should be able to select either to boot
I have never had XP attempt a restore using this method and the 2 files BOOT.INI and linux.img just work.
-
As far as Fedora not allowing user login; I usually use the system tool for user admin from the menu and as long as I create the user account and put in the password for that user they always can log in.
I did use all defaults for the installation of FC1 all 3 times, and willSwapping drive locations will cause other problems. easy configuration of booting for one.
again. Any idea of how to turn recovery off, or how to escape it when it
wants to run? What do you think about swapping the primary XP drive and the
new slave FC1 drive and then installing FC1?
In order for the boot record and initrd.img to be written correctly for your current install linux should be installed while the drive is the slave (hdb). If not there will be changes needed in order to boot when you put it back into the slave position.
-----Original Message----- From: fedora-list-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:fedora-list-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jeff Vian Sent: Sunday, May 02, 2004 10:30 PM To: For users of Fedora Core releases Subject: Re: Boot/login problems after installation
Gary Rickert wrote:
I get the boot options screen fine as long as I only select Fedora. Howeverboot
I cannot login. Authentication failures /var/log/messages look good except
for the "couldn't set account for root", or ditto my user. As soon as I
XP, it goes into recovery and wipes (fixes) BOOT.ini so I no longer see theOk, then this is (at least partially) an XP issue.
options.
Are you sure the boot.ini has the same attributes it was installed as. IIRC it should be hidden - system (at lest it is on my system). At a command prompt "attrib \boot.ini" should give the attributes and mine is 'A SH'
Was the boot.ini edited and saved by an administrative user?
If it sees the file incorrectly it may restore it to default because it thinks it is corrupt or has been modified. If the boot.ini file is left with the default attributes it should not force a recovery of that file.
See below for ideas on the problem with fedora
-----Original Message-----[mailto:fedora-list-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx]
From: fedora-list-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx
On Behalf Of Jeff Vian Sent: Sunday, May 02, 2004 12:25 PM To: For users of Fedora Core releases Subject: Re: Boot/login problems after installation
Gary Rickert wrote:
I installed Fedora, default server on a new slave drive on my HP pavilion
a320n XP system. When booting after the install, the fedora boot will not
accept my user or root password. Under "linux single" I can see that the
user and root accounts exist. I can create a user, and that works OK. I
cannot login.
What options did you select for password/login on the FC install? I always just select the defaults and it works perfectly.
When you boot to single user mode, have you checked /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow to see if the user is there and is using a shadowed password?
Have you tried changing the user password and verified it gets changed in /etc/shadow ?
I suspect that since the login problem occurs with different users and even creating a new user does not allow login, that something may be wrong in the way it was setup for authentication.
OnceWhen I try to boot XP, the HP box goes into recovery and wipes out the boot.ini modifications when I:
If you wish to use the NT Loader to dual boot the system you will need to
do
the following:
When you get to the point that Anaconda asks where you wish to install the bootloader, make certain you chose your FC boot partition, e.g. /dev/hda2, and NOT the MBR. You can use either GRUB or LILO, it doesn't matter. After the install and before you re-boot make sure you make a bootdisk.
Now, when you re-boot do so with the bootdisk so you can boot into FC.
orThis must be added in the section labeled [OPERATING SYSTEMS] and normally after the line related to loading XP.booted, log in as 'root' and insert a blank floppy then copy out the boot sector like so:
mount /dev/fd0
dd if=/dev/hda2 of=/mnt/floppy/bootsect.lnx bs=512 count=1
(hda2 may not be the actual partition you need to copy, I use this as an example)
You can now ls /mnt/floppy to verify you have a 512 byte file named "bootsect.lnx" and then:
umount /dev/fd0
Next, boot into XP and copy the bootsect.lnx file to the root directory of the C: drive. Edit your BOOT.INI file and add a line:
C:\bootsect.lnx = "Fedora Core"
NOTE: the first OS in the boot.ini file selects which is default, so put the one you want as default first.
Save the file and re-boot. You will see the NT Loader menu offering you
either Windows XP or FC. If you choose FC it will jump you into the GRUB
theLILO bootloader. If you added your Windows partition in your Linux bootloader during the install you will see a choice for FC or DOS/Windows. If you scroll and choose Windows, it will put you back into the NT Loader menu screen.
It also went into recovery the first time I loaded Fedora, but I am not
sure
what it did. The end result was that after I booted XP, I no longer got
boot options screen, had to boot from boot floppy to get to Fedora. I am a raw newbie and could sure use some help.
All of your steps above look fine
What do you mean you no longer got the boot options screen?
Using this procedure you are using the ntldr boot options and it should come up with the menu under that for selecting Windows or Fedora. If that is not happening then the boot.ini file did not get changed correctly.
