Grub 2,EFI problem

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12-29-2012
Lostfarmer

Grub 2,EFI problem

Have a new loptop ASUS with Win 8 and duel boot with Ubuntu x64. Decided to put GRUB on a usb stick. Testing out various linux's and do not want to mess with the internal hdd boot method, with gpt partitioning.

Code:

sudo grub-install --boot-directory=/media/dad/Linux/ /dev/sdb

[/media/dad/Linux is a partition the the usb stick} that command works good but it requires a lot of rewrites to grub.cfg file and likely others on the usb stick. decided to redo grub install with:

Code:

sudo grub-install /dev/sdb

that put the grub into the MBR of the usb stick , with the rest of the grub files on the internal hdd.

now the problem:
With the last grub-install for some reason ,grub does not see the partitions on the USB stick but once booted into Ubuntu the partitions are visible. I have linux ISO's on the stick partitions and can not boot into them.

Is there a way to have grub in the usb stick MBR with the rest of the grub files on the internal hd and have grub see the usb stick partitions ? I do not understand why grub will not see the 2 partitions on the USB stick. in grub command the 'ls' only list (hd0) with no partition but all of (hd1) partitions '7'. [(hd0)=USB stick, (hd1)=internall hdd]

output of fdisk -l

Code:

Disk /dev/sda: 320.1 GB, 320072933376 bytes 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders, total 625142448 sectors Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes Disk identifier: 0xf97c441a Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/sda1 1 625142447 312571223+ ee GPT Disk /dev/sdb: 15.5 GB, 15535702016 bytes 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1888 cylinders, total 30343168 sectors Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes Disk identifier: 0x00031d2e Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/sdb1 137216 20103167 9982976 c W95 FAT32 (LBA) /dev/sdb2 20103168 30343167 5120000 83 Linux
12-29-2012
yancek

What I usually do to have Grub2 boot iso files from a flash drive is install Grub2 from a system which is running it with this command:

Quote:

sudo grub-install --root-directory=/media/test /dev/sdb

This is after creating the /media/test directory. This does not create a grub.cfg file as you mentioned so I then copy the first part of a grub.cfg file to /media/test/boot/grub and put in entries like this:

menuentry "Kubuntu-11.10" {
loopback loop (hd0,1)/kubuntu11.iso
linux (loop)/casper/vmlinuz boot=casper iso-scan/filename=/kubuntu11.iso quiet splash --
initrd (loop)/casper/initrd.gz
}

I usually only create one partition.
12-29-2012
Lostfarmer

yancek- HI- I have no problem with that grub-instll command . But if I run

Code:

sudo gurb-install /dev/sdb

then the partitions on sdb are not listed in grub's command prompt and can not boot to the ISO file on sdb1. Where the boot strap code is in the MBR of sdb but the grub boot folders are on the internal hdd., for some reason no partitions on sdb are accesible in grub, but once booted into an instlled linux they are.

For the time being do not want the grub boot strap code on the internal hdd and would prefer not have the grub folder on the USB drive due to rewrite at each boot of grub.cfg and other files. Till I find a linux that works good on my laptop, Ubuntu x64 that I am now useing has problems with a constant bad shutdown.

I am haveing problems with your listed menuentry with openSUSE and Mepis but think it is for some other reason that I will investagate later.
12-29-2012
yancek

Quote:

Testing out various linux's and do not want to mess with the internal hdd boot method, with gpt partitioning.

If you are testing varous Linux distros, you could just put a chainload entry in the Ubuntu grub.cfg file for whichever distro you have on the flash, sdb1:

Quote:

menuentry 'CHAINLOAD TEST' {
insmod ext2
set root=(hd1,0)
chainloader +1
}

The above entry won't work if you have an iso file rather than a regular installation. If you have an iso file, the loopback method should work. However, I've only been successful with using the loopback using Ubuntu derivatives as well as gparted and parted magic. I doubt a system that doesn't use Grub2 would work.
I'm not sure I understand what you mean by the partitions not being listed in grub command prompt on sdb. Is this running it from the Ubuntu Grub on the hard drive?

If you just want to test distributions, you could download the iso, loop mount it and copy the directories/files to a partition on the flash drive and put an entry in the Ubuntu grub.cfg file. For example, I downloaded Puppy Linux, loop mounted it an copied it to a directory named puppy in the / of sda8. I have Ubuntu 11.10 installed on sda5 and its grub.cfg entry for puppy (on sda8) is below, it boots fine:

Quote:

menuentry "Puppy-Lupu-511 (on /dev/sda8)" --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos8)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 2ae95530-a3d7-43e7-a160-3ef4da2a5904
linux /puppy/vmlinuz
initrd (hd0,8)/puppy/initrd.gz
}
12-30-2012
Lostfarmer

Quote:

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by the partitions not being listed in grub command prompt on sdb. Is this running it from the Ubuntu Grub on the hard drive?

I am running the "install-grub" Ubuntu 12.10 x64 on a ASUS X401A1 laptop with win8. If I run

Code:

install-grub /sdb

, where the MBR boot code is in sdb's MBR but the rest of grub is in the installed Ubuntu "/boot/gub//i386-pc " folder (sda7) .

When booting with the above install-grub, if I select an ISO on sdb1 or sdb2 an error is given 'invalid partition' and a 'ls' from the grub prompt list no partition for sdb(hd0).

But if I run ' grub-install --root-directory=/media/dad/Linux/ /dev/sdb ' where all of the grub files on on sdb (/dad/Linux/ is sdb1) ,then the partitions on sdb 'sdb1 & sdb2' are valid duing boot.

Quote:

However, I've only been successful with using the loopback using Ubuntu derivatives

that is what I am finding out, think I will have to use "dd" to write the ISO to sdb. It did work for debian and do not have to mess with grub for ISO installing.

Thanks for your assistance.
12-30-2012
yancek

Quote:

if I select an ISO on sdb1 or sdb2 an error is given 'invalid partition'

Select from the grub.cfg menu on the Ubuntu Grub on your hard drive? What drive/partition is it pointing to?

Quote:

But if I run ' grub-install --root-directory=/media/dad/Linux/ /dev/sdb ' where all of the grub files on on sdb

I would expect that to work as it does.

dd is another easy way if you only have one iso file on the flash drive. Good luck with it.
12-30-2012
Lostfarmer

1 Attachment(s)

I think the problem is with the bios or grub programing.

grub.cfg entries for the usb-sda(x) in the grub.cg on the installed Ubuntu.

Code:

menuentry "opensuse" { set root=(hd0,1) linux /openSUSE-64/boot/x86_64/loader/linux root=/dev/sdb1 debug initrd /openSUSE-64/boot/x86_64/loader/initrd } menuentry "mepis files"{ set root=(hd0,2) linux /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda2 apm=power-off vga=791 quiet initrd /boot/initrd.gz }

When booting from the USB stick, if I select ether one' the exact display is {error: no such partition }
if I then press 'c'-command line then type in :ls I get --(h0) (hd1) (hd1,pgt1) thro (hd1,pt8) no listing for (hd0,1) or (hd0,2)
Can boot to the instlled Ubuntu.

the above happens only if from the installed Ubuntu, i run 'grub-install /dev/sdb' . This is with grub-efi,will later see if the same things happens with my older laptop with grub2 if it can boot via usb device.

A edited version of bootinfscript -due to size limit

I have noticed some errors in the menuentries for (hd0,x) but they are not the problem for now.
12-31-2012
yancek

I've never tried installing Grub just to the mbr of a flash with the other grub files on a different drive so I don't know what to expect.
You might try editing the grub.cfg file on sda7 and changing the opensuse and mepis entries to: set root=(hd1,1) and set root=(hd1,2) and try booting them to see if it boots or if you get a different error message.

Quote:

Grub2 (v1.99) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb and looks at sector 1 of
the same hard drive for core.img. core.img is at this location and looks
in partition 72 for

I've seen that error before but am not sure what it means. You obviously don't have '72' partitions.
01-01-2013
Lostfarmer

Have tried several things and I am stumped for now. I ran ' grub-install --root-directory=/media/dad/Linux/ /dev/sdb ' and then made a correct entire for chainload+1 to the installed grub on Ubunut partition (use -force to install grub there). When that menuentry is selected and the internal install grub came up, the USB (sdb) partitions were unacceptable. I will give up on this for now and soon make a new theard on the problems I am having with the installed Ubuntu.

Thanks for your assistance.
01-01-2013
yancek

You might try running the bootinfoscript from the site below. It outputs a lot info on drives/partitions, boot files and UUIDs which might provide you with some insight.

Boot Info Script | Free System Administration software downloads at SourceForge.net