Linux installation on a 2d hard drive.

[Perry F.]

Hello,

I have installed Linux Fedora on my newly installed 2nd hard drive. My Primary C: hard drive has Windows Vista OS.
I want to know how I can boot from the 2nd hard drive and use the Linux Fedora. Is it possible to make a floppy boot disk while installing that I could use at start up to run Linux? Or could I somehow have the option at startup to pick the Vista OS or LINUX OS?

Thanks very much,

Perry

[Perry F.]

Here is the grub.conf file

# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE: You have a /boot partition. This means that
# all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00
# initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/sda
default=0
timeout=5
splashimage=(hd0,1)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu
title Fedora Core (2.6.18-1.2798.fc6)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.18-1.2798.fc6 ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 rhgb quiet
initrd /initrd-2.6.18-1.2798.fc6.img

title Windows Vista
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
map (hd0) (hd1)
map (hd1) (hd0)
chainloader +

[Perry F.]

When i choose the Windows Vista to boot in startup. I get an error 21, selected disks do not exist.

Thanks for any help

[Jonathan183]

What is your current problem? Are you able to boot Linux but not able to boot Vista? Can you post the output of

su
fdisk -l

or

sudo fdisk -l

the l is a small L

Also do you know which disk BIOS tries to boot from first?

[devils casper]

Edit grub.conf file :

title Windows Vista
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

In case it doesn't work, post the output of fdisk -l command here.

su -
fdisk -l

[Perry F.]

Thanks, I will try the new code and post the other files. Much appreciated.

[Perry F.]

Here is the fdisk -l

[root@localhost ~]# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 12749 102400000 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 12750 12761 96390 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 12762 60801 385881300 8e Linux LVM

Disk /dev/sdb: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 6 48163+ de Dell Utility
/dev/sdb2 7 1312 10485760 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb3 * 1312 60802 477850624 7 HPFS/NTFS
[root@localhost ~]#

[Perry F.]

After adding the above code the grub.conf it looks like this:
grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE: You have a /boot partition. This means that
# all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00
# initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/sda
default=0
timeout=5
splashimage=(hd0,1)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu
title Fedora Core (2.6.18-1.2798.fc6)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.18-1.2798.fc6 ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 rhgb quiet
initrd /initrd-2.6.18-1.2798.fc6.img

title Windows Vista
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

The error I now get when I try to boot windows Vista is now different, it is now:

Bootmgr is missing

Thanks

[Lostfarmer]

Looking at your fdisk- is sdb3 your Vista ?
Try changing the bios boot order, will Vista boot ?

rootnoverify (hd1,0) ==sdb1 recovery partition
rootnoverify (hd1,1) ==sdb2 could be the Vista OS partition
rootnoverify (hd1,2) ==sdb3 likely the Vista OS partition

(hd0,0) ==sda1 is listed as a NTFS partition on your linux hdd, suspect it is a storage partition ?? Not your Vista OS partition.

Grub error 21 is "Unknown boot failure"
Grub error 2 is "Selected disk doesn't exist"
as stated at GRUB Error Messages

[Perry F.]

thanks

The boot sequence has sata 0 has the first choice, I don;t think there is another option for harddrives bot pata