Dan Thurman wrote:
On Sun, 2006-03-26 at 15:28 -0800, Dan Thurman wrote:
Folks,
Please bear with me, but it appears that if you plan
to install FC5 release as multi-boot, i.e. anything
outside of anaconda grub-install's default setup, you
may in in for a bit of a surprise... but your milage
may vary.
I have installed FC5 several times now and I find
these facts at least on my system:
1) NON Multi-boot, first time install of FC5
Results: Installation completes and all works.
2) Multi-boot partitions:
P#1: 10GB: FAT32 Win98SE
P#2: 10GB: NTFS Win2KPro
P#3: 75MB: ext3 /boot
P#$: 110GB Extended
20GB NTFS /App1
30GB NTFS /App2
30GB NTFS /App3
30GB ext3 /
Special Grub install instructions:
a) Add: /dev/hda3 (hd0,2) # for /boot - make this default
Delete: 'Other' - no use for it
Results:
a) Black screen - nothing appears, nothing is running
b) Reboot with rescue CD; chroot /mnt/sysimage
i) cd /boot
ii) All files are there: kernel, initd, grub directory
iii) cd grub
iv) Only one file appears: splash.xpm.gz
v) Rebuild grub:
1) cd ..; mv grub g1; grub-install /dev/hda3
2) Examine/Rebuild grub:
x) grub directory created and all stage
files are built, but missing are:
grub.conf & splash.xpm.gz
y) cp /boot/g1/splash* /boot/grub
vi /boot/grub/grub.conf
*** Add correct entries w/ hd0,2 as primary target
Save file (:wq!)
vi) Grub is rebuilt manually, remove rescue CD & reboot
vii) Multi-booted Fedora, splash appears, initrd runs BUT
1) Unable to open /etc/fstab
2) Unable to create swap: Unable to open: /etc/fstab
3) Since X11 cannot start, Anaconda based setup appears
requesting setup for Authentication and a MANY other
setup defaults.
ABORT (Control-Alt-Del)
Ah... so it seems that FC5 release results in a very good
release but it is not doing well for me :-(
What can I do with the problem with /etc/fstab? Is this
a SELinux issue or what?
Please advise,
Dan
Sorry to reply to my own post, but I needed to add a little tidbit
to the above reported information.
+ I have successfully installed FC5 onto my system and I now
understand what it was that caused me grief.
*** Do not use the 'Configure Now' radio button and install everything
in the list, but choose instead 'Configure later'. I installed
everything except language in my case but and attempting to
complete the installation resulted in an abrupt reboot somewhere
during the CD #4 disc. I did not realize this until I installed
FC5 the second time around and payed closer attention. This means
that post-installation will not completed nor will grub complete
either. This explains why grub is HOSED and fails to work when
rebooting!
+ It appears that when anaconda gets to the grub setup step, anaconda
(or grub) does not know that "/boot" and "/" in separate partitions
and simply assumes "/boot" and "/" are in the same partition and
proceeds to provide the "/" device. Since I now understand the
difference between "/" and "/boot" and where grub fits into this
picture - I now know how to define it during the first-time setup
phase. It was a hard lesson learned.
Kind regards,
Dan
I don't believe it's a matter of anaconda not understanding it; It knows
where the boot partition will be, that's where the grub.conf file it is
configuring is going to be, and it is instead asking where the /
partition that it should boot from there will be. Also, the "Other"
entry is there for you to tell it to boot Windows. (Select whichever
Windows installation has the bootloader, probably whichever you
installed first)
-Dan
