Could somebody please check/ ammend my grub.conf?

**unobtanium** · 08-11-2005

I am not sure what to put in for a video statement - I used the genkernel (gentoo-sources) and had no noticeable option for selecting vesafb-tng as stated below.
At this point I am completely confused I have made it to this point 5 times now and after this when I reboot I just get the 'blinking curser'
Also having typed 'ls /boot/initrd* I get no such file! Is the initrmfs used instead?
To be quite honest I don't think I really have a clue what I am doing - however now that I have started I will not let it beat me - there can only be so many combinations you could achieve with a keyboard

I am beginning to think that on a muppet scale of 1-10 I am coming very close to the 10! Oh and by the way, it is a stage 3 install that I am attempting.
One other question that has occured to me is should I emerge KDE as I do not seem to have seen any reference to a desktop setup?

Quote from Gentoo Handbook

First of all you need to know what type of framebuffer device you're using. If you use a Gentoo patched kernel tree (such as gentoo-sources) you will have had the possibility of selecting vesafb-tng as the VESA driver type (which is default for these kernel sources). If this is the case, you are using vesafb-tng and do not need to set a vga statement. Otherwise you are using the vesafb driver and need to set the vga statement.

Code:

default 0
timeout 30
#splashimage=&#40;sd0,0&#41;/grub/splash.xpm.gz

title=Gentoo Linux 2.6.12-r6
root &#40;sd0,0&#41;
kernel /kernel-genkernel-x86-2.6.12-gentoo-r6 root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc ramdisk=8192 real_root=/dev/sda3 udev
initrd /initramfs-genkernel-x86-2.6.12-gentoo-r6

This is what I am trying to install in on;

Athlon 2000xp
Maxtor SATA 120gig HDD
Chaintech CT-7NJS Ultra MoBo
512Mb Ram
Panasonic 109 DVD writer
GE Force MX400/64Mb Graphics
LCD Monitor (Philips 170C 1280 x 1024 @ 60hz 16M colours)[/code]

**whisker** · 08-11-2005

Code:

splashimage=&#40;sd0,0&#41;/grub/splash.xpm.gz

root &#40;sd0,0&#41;

i might be wrong, but shouldn't sd0,0 be hd0,0?

i ran an install on an sata drive too. the setup has to be /dev/sda but i think on grub it doesnt matter. try changine sd0,0 to hd0,0. If the purple splash image works then you were right, otherwise change it.

you have the choice of emerging kde, gnome, and xfce4 after the install.
once you get gentoo up, post back and we'll help you if u need help installing a desktop enviroment.

***Cabhan*** · 08-11-2005

About a Desktop Environment:

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/gnome-config.xml - Gnome Guide
http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/kde-config.xml - KDE Guide
http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/fluxbox-config.xml - Fluxbox Guide

And to install XFCE, you just do "emerge xfce4".

**unobtanium** · 08-11-2005

I am sure it should be SD0,0 as I have physically checked this when previously installing Suse thinking that was the cure to my problem

oz · 08-12-2005

A couple of quick questions to make sure I'm understanding your situation...

Are you able to boot into Gentoo at all?

Did you make a separate /boot partition?

If you can't boot at all, you might try commenting out the splashimage line for now by using a # in front of it. It's better to work on making Gentoo bootable before trying for a boot splashimage.

Also having typed 'ls /boot/initrd* I get no such file!

You won't find the initrd file until the /boot partition is mounted. Like I said earlier, though, I'm not sure I'm properly understanding your situation.

Did you look at the Gentoo GRUB and fbsplash wiki? Lots of good info there:

http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Quick_GRUB

http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_fbsplash

**unobtanium** · 08-12-2005

I have yet to write grub.conf as this where I seem to go wrong each time. I thought I would post it to see if I got any feedback as to any obvious mistakes.
I have created a boot partition I have followed the Gentoo Handbook to the letter I have not even created a home partition.
I am quite happy to lose the splash screen so I will comment that out and give it a go.
If it fails again is ther a wayI canget back to the grub.conf file to edit it as all I have on screen is a blinking curser? (I mentioned the muppet bit in my first post on this subject) because all I have been doing is re starting the whole procedure again

**unobtanium** · 08-12-2005

OK I think I may have sorted my own problem - could someone please varify the following - my HDD is formatted as follows
sda1=boot
sda2=swap
sda3=root
So therefore the manual is suggesting that for grub.conf, root (sd0,0) when this should read root (sd0,2)
Am I correct? I really hope so (if so this would be the second error I have come accross)

**drakebasher** · 08-12-2005

The grub.conf statement (under a "title") that reads 'root (LLN,N)' refers to the partition where the kernel and (if used) initrd will be found. It defines the reference point for all other statements. These two expressions are equivalent:

Code:

root &#40;hd0,1&#41;
kernel /vmlinuz

...compare...

kernel &#40;hd0,1&#41;/vmlinuz

The root statement in Grub answers the question "where do we go from here?". It should not be confused with the root parameter which takes the form of 'root=/dev/hdb2' which, instead of answering the question "where do we go from here?", it answers the question (for the kernel) "where do we go after that?"

So, with your partitions as you described them, you should have statements kind of like:

Code:

root &#40;sd0,0&#41;
kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/sda3

Now, I gotta say that I'm bothered by the 'root (sd0,0)' instead of 'root (hd0,0)', just as whisker mentioned. If you had a Grub boot floppy, you could check that by booting with it to a Grub command line and then doing: 'root ( <tab>' and see what you get. If you don't get "sd..." in the output, you may have found the problem (The "sd" in the parameter 'root=/dev/sd...' is no doubt correct). I'm also a little bothered by the "=" in "title=Gentoo Linux 2.6.12-r6". I don't think it belongs.

**unobtanium** · 08-12-2005

OK grub works now many thanks - but the following seems to cause an error

Code:

kernel /kernel-genkernel-x86-2.6.12-gentoo-r6 root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc ramdisk=8192 real_root=/dev/sda3 udev

The reference to ramdisk=8192 causes an error that reads;

Code:

The superblock could not be read or does not describe a correct ext2 filesystem. If the device is valid and it really contains an ext2 filesystem &#40;and not swap or something else&#41;, then the superblock is corrupt and you might try running e2fsck with an alternative superblock;
   e2fsck -b 8193 <device>

I know that I do not have any bad blocks on my HDD.

The root filesystem was defined as being ext3 as per the manual and the command mke2fs -j /dev/sda3 was used. The manual also stated that;

Warning: Due to a bug in the e2fsprogs package, you need to explicitly use the mount -t ext3 option if you are using an ext3 filesystem.

So this is what I put in - this may be where the error lies;

Code:

# mount -t ext3
# mount /dev/sda3 /mnt/gentoo
# mkdir /mnt/gentoo/boot
# mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/gentoo/boot

I seem to be getting further along than I have before it almost works!
I hope this makes sense to somebody.
Many thanks to all who have helped so far.

**budman7** · 08-12-2005

Drakebasher wrote:

I'm also a little bothered by the "=" in "title=Gentoo Linux 2.6.12-r6". I don't think it belongs.

I agree with this.
When I first wrote the line for Gentoo, I had
title=Gentoo This gave me an error.
I changed it to
title =Gentoo Now it boots fine.

Putting that space in between title and = makes the = are part of the name. At least the way I have it.

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Could somebody please check/ ammend my grub.conf?

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