Redhat 9 Install

[Highjo]

Hello guys! I'm COMPLETELY new to Linux so be patient with me.I've had problem on RedHAt 9.0 installation and i've tried 2 other forums and it was quite deceiving cos nobody replied and i felt ....Hope i can find anwsers here and fell like being part of a real Linux community.

I was having a KErnel Panic:attemped to kill init each time I did dual booting installation with windows xp Sp2 on a 2.4 ghz,512Mb of RAm and 120GB HDD(40 GB, 3 partitions with xp and 80GB,4 partitions with RH9.0).I do reinstall RH 3times but same thing.I formated everything reinstall xp and then RH and i'm seeing GRub at the startup.

I have read some stuffs on the grub loader and have notices somes mistakes on my pc but i'm too afraid to make changes.

I wanted to see if linux is seeing my drives so i typed

root (hd +TAB
possible disks are: hd0 hd1

root (hd0, +TAB
possible partitions are:
Partition num:0, File System unknown, Partition type 0x7
Partition num:4, File System unknown, Partition type 0x7
Partition num:5, File System fat, Partition type 0xb

root (hd1,+TAB
possible partitions are:

Partition num:4, File System unknown, Partition type 0x7
Partition num:5, File System is ext2fs, Partition type 0x83
Partition num:6, File System unknown, Partition type 0x82
Partition num:7, File System unknown, Partition type 0x7
Partition num:8, File System unknown, Partition type 0x7

my quetions are: why there is 2 partition num 4 on hd0 and hd1,and 2 partition num5?
Why i can't see the ntfs file system coz a part from the fat and the extfs all the rest are ntfs?


root (hd1,5) +enter
File system type is ext2fs,partition type 0x83


Find /boot/vmlinuz +enter
(hd1,5)

find /boot/kernel.gz +enter
Error 15:File not found


Kernel /boot/ +TAB
Possible files are:grub message.ja message config-2.4.20-8 boot.b chain.b
os2_d.b module-info-2.4.20-8 system.map-2.4.20-8 vmlinuz system.map
vmlinux-2.4.20-8 vmlinuz-2.4.20-8 module-info kernel.h initrd-2.4.20-8.img

Find /boot/grub/menu.lst +enter
(hd1,5)


cat /boot/grub/menu.lst +enter

#grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
#Note that you do no have to rerun grub after making change to this d=file
#NOTICE:You dont have a /boot partition this means that
# all kerneland initrd path are reltive to/,eg
# root(hd1,7)
# kernel /boot/vmlinuz.version ro root=/dev/hdb8
# initrd /boot/initrd version.img
#boot=/dev/hda
default=1
timeout=10
Splashimage =(hd1,7)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz
title Red Hat Linux(2.4.20-8 )
root(hd1,7)
kernel/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.20-8 ro root =LABEL=/hdc=ide-scsi
initrd /boot/initrd-2.4.20-8

title DOS
rootnoverify(hd0,0)
chainloader+1

My questions are why it seems that i don't have a boot partition that i located on (hd1,5)earlier?
why it have been directed to (hd1,7) which is empty.
why the /boot/kernel is not found but still is under kernel /boot command?
How to slove this mess?

I know there are a lot of questions but i know guys are really good and they'll guide me get through this mess.Thanks

[devils casper]

hi Highjo !

Welcome to the LinuxForums.
boot up from any LiveCD and post the contents of /boot/grub/device.map file ( mount RedHat /boot partition first ) and output of 'fdisk -l' here.
OR
boot up from RedHat Installation CD/DVD and type 'linux rescue' at boot: prompt. execute this at shell prompt

chroot /mnt/sysimage
fdisk -l
less /boot/grub/device,map

post output here.




Casper

[antidrugue]

RedHat Linux 9 is very much outdated by today's standards : it's about 4 years old and isn't supported anymore by Red Hat.

Obviously, you are bound to have troubles trying to install it on less-then-4-years-old hardware.

Why not try something newer ? CentOS (4.4) ? Fedora Core (6) ?

[Highjo]

ok i'll try to boot with the cd and then let you know.If it's not working i'll go for the FC6,but the best is to learn through this trouble

[Highjo]

once in the shell with linux rescue, i saw:


When finished please exit from the shell and your system will reboot.


sh-2.05b# chroot /mnt/sysimage
sh-2.05b# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda:40,0GB ,40020664320 bytes 255heads, 63sectors/tracks, 4865 cylindres
Units=cylindres of 16065*512=8225280 bytes.


Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System

/dev/hda1 * 1 2000 16064968+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda2 2001 4865 23013112+ 7 Win95 Ext'd(LBA)
/dev/hda5 2001 3717 13791771 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda6 3718 4865 9221278+ b Win95 FAT32



Disk /dev/hdb:80,0GB ,80026361856 bytes 255heads, 63sectors/tracks, 9729 cylindres
Units=cylindres of 16065*512=8225280 bytes.


Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System

/dev/hda1 2 9729 78140160 7 Win95 Ext'd(LBA)
/dev/hda5 2552 5101 20482843+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda6 * 2 1913 15358077 83 Linux
/dev/hda7 1914 2550 5116671 82 Linux/Swap
/dev/hda8 5102 7651 20482843+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda9 7652 9729 16691503+ 7 HPFS/NTFS


less /boot/grub/device.map

(fd0) /dev/fd0
(hd0) /dev/hda
(hd1) /dev/hdb
/boot/grub/device.map (END)

[Highjo]

my reply is in the txt forma that i've attached

[devils casper]

everything is correct theoretically but in most cases, if you install GRUB in MBR of harddisk that doesn't have Linux Installed, GRUB doesn't work properly.
is it possible for you to plug-in Linux Harddisk as Primary Master and Windows HDD as Secondary (slave)?






Casper

[Highjo]

i'm afraid this could not be possible.let's say i'll do it.so what am i suppose to do later on?
by a way anoter question.is redhat turned in Fedora core? if it is right would i see redhat features in Fedora core coz my book is about redHat9.0?

[devils casper]

Fedora Core is supported by RedHat and it has all the features of RedHat. as already mentioned by antidrugue, RH 9 is no longer supported by RedHat itself and its very old. Latest version is Fedora Core 6.

if you install Fedora Core 6, you will have same GRUB problem. best way is, plug-in Linux harddisk as Primary Master and un-plug Windows Harddisk during Linux Installation. after install completes, plug-in Windows Harddisk as Secondry and add an entry of Windows in Linux' GRUB.





Casper

[Highjo]

ok.

I rather understood what antidrugue said that since fedora s recent it should be compatible with new hardwares.

to put an entry for window i should edit the /boot/grub/menu.lst right? how?
when i put the linux HDD as primary ,should i overwrite the linux?