GRUB Installation error

[martinfromdublin]

Can anyone tell me what this means and if possible, how I resolve it?

[Minimal BASH-like line editing is supported. For the first word, TAB lists possible command completions. Anywhere else TAB lists the possible completions of a device/filename. ]

grub. setup --stage2=/boot/grub/stage2 --force-iba (hd0) (hd1,0)

Error 17: cannot mount selected partition

grub> quit


I've got Ubuntu 10.04 on its own on hda, hdb is home to Mandriva 2010 free and LinuxMint 9.Total partitions on hdb is 3, I'm trying to put put SuSE on hdb's first partition. I've tried the install DVD, the network install CD and install from the live CD and this message keeps appearing. I've tried un-mounting all USB and RAID drives before starting the install but no joy.

Can anyone help as I've no idea what it's telling me to do.

[dmk06]

Can anyone tell me what this means and if possible, how I resolve it?

[Minimal BASH-like line editing is supported. For the first word, TAB lists possible command completions. Anywhere else TAB lists the possible completions of a device/filename. ]

grub. setup --stage2=/boot/grub/stage2 --force-iba (hd0) (hd1,0)

Error 17: cannot mount selected partition

grub> quit


I've got Ubuntu 10.04 on its own on hda, hdb is home to Mandriva 2010 free and LinuxMint 9.Total partitions on hdb is 3, I'm trying to put put SuSE on hdb's first partition. I've tried the install DVD, the network install CD and install from the live CD and this message keeps appearing. I've tried un-mounting all USB and RAID drives before starting the install but no joy.

Can anyone help as I've no idea what it's telling me to do.

You can either boot whatever installed system still boots and edit the /boot/grub/menu.lst
here is a guide:
url= howtoforge.com/working_with_the_grub_menu

OR

Install a new bootloader from an install DVD (with SUSE DVD, rescue installed system option> expert tools> install bootloader) then manually add the other OS partitions with the 'Add' option.

OR

Post # 5 at the address below (also quoted below)
linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/error-of-grub-minimal-bash-like-line-editing-is-supported-660334/

find /grub/stage2
find /boot/grub/stage2

One should work, and return something like "(hd0,0)" or "(hd0,1)" ...
Use whatever is return in the following command - note the space before the bracket in each of the first 2 commands.
Code:

root (hd0,0) <<<=== inset returned value here
setup (hd0)
boot

^^^Goes in minimal bash-like shell^^^

I've got Ubuntu 10.04 on its own on hda, hdb is home to Mandriva 2010 free and LinuxMint 9.Total partitions on hdb is 3, I'm trying to put put SuSE on hdb's first partition. I've tried the install DVD, the network install CD and install from the live CD and this message keeps appearing. I've tried un-mounting all USB and RAID drives before starting the install but no joy.

___________________________________
About installing SuSE, I've found the easiest way to do it with other OSes is to boot from the GParted Live CD gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php -or- Ubuntu Live CD (and use the GParted app included on that) then delete the partition that you plan to install SuSE on (make free/empty space on drive) apply the changes, then when installing SuSE choose "create default layout on free space" option during the partitioning.

[martinfromdublin]

Thanks for replying, I tried the rescue option on the Suse disk & it told me some files were missing but gave no option to resolve. As for the other system trying to locate the boot loader files, that didn't work either.

I think the issue is OpenSuse itself, it's too buggy since Novell stopped handling it exclusively. I know there nothing wrong with my hard-drive configuration even though what is now hda was originally hdb before it was swapped over and has no swap space on it, I created the swap apace on the drive I installed as hdb and that drive has a few bad sectors meaning it can't function as a master drive, only a slave but again, if this were an issue, Mandriva and LinuxMint wouldn't have installed on it and sucessfully wrote a bootloader on what is now hda, but thay did. It's only OpenSuse that won't write to the now hda's mbr.

I'll leave it for now as I've had a lot of hassle with OpenSuse, not just this issue but even getting a clean download and burn became a bit of a nightmare, again the OS is just too buggy but I can run it as a live KDE CD and to be honest when I do, Mandriva looks a lot better and it's using the same release of KDE. But thanks again for trying to help, I do appreciate.

[gogalthorp]

Suse uses the old grub Ubuntu now uses Grub 2.

It is best to allow Ubuntu to control the boot since the legacy grub does not understand the new 2 version.

My experience with OpenSuse is that it is solid.

Bad drives and switching boot order just complicates things.

[linuxforever]

Yes, I agree that opensuse ain't buggy at all!
Installing on proper hardware never gives any problems.

But installing on bad hardware is a bad thing to do.
The fact that a live CD runs well proves a lot.

[whych]

I'll leave it for now as I've had a lot of hassle with OpenSuse, not just this issue but even getting a clean download and burn became a bit of a nightmare, again the OS is just too buggy but I can run it as a live KDE CD and to be honest when I do, Mandriva looks a lot better and it's using the same release of KDE. But thanks again for trying to help, I do appreciate.

I've never found any of the opensuse d/loads buggy. if you are having a problem, it's probably for another reason.
Mandriva uses kde4, but makes it look and feel like kde3. You can do the same yourself with any other distro and kde4. That's the beauty of linux!
The reason I choose a distro is for the 'value added items,. As a network user, suse's tolls are better for network management for ldap, nfs, etc. than the rest. (You can do the same with the others, but it requires you to manually edit the config files.)

[martinfromdublin]

Thanks Guys! I think the issue is hardware related after all but as I've no cash for a new drive at present I'll put this on hold. When the money situation improves I'll buy a new master drive and try again.

[martinfromdublin]

Update: I switched the master drive for another I have which, although has a few bad sectors, boots fine. I partitioned it using Gparted & installed Ubuntu 10.04 plus Suse 11.2 (from the live CD rather than the full DVD package which can take a while to install). The other two OS, Mint and Mandriva are on the slave drive which has a bad sector stopping it from being a boot drive.

What I was told about the bootloader is true, Suse's will boot Mandriva & itself, Mandiva's will do likewise. Ubuntu's will boot all except Mandriva. A work-around was to use a boot floppy for Mandriva & let Ubuntu's GRUB boot the rest.

OpenSuse 11.2 is good, but I still maintain there's bugs, I've already found one in WMV playback on the pre-installed Kaffeine Media Player, although Kaffeine itself may be to blame on that one.

It's a pity that the bootloader doesn't boot them all the way GRUB from Suse 10.0 did but I suppose I can't have everything.

Thanks to all for the help, that was being Linux users is all about, working together.

[whych]

It's a pity that the bootloader doesn't boot them all the way GRUB from Suse 10.0 did but I suppose I can't have everything.

Thanks to all for the help, that was being Linux users is all about, working together.

The problem is not with the distro but the use of grub version. As with all updates, they are backwards compatible but not forward!
Logically, then, grub2 is aware of its past, but older grub can't foresee the future grub 2!

But then ubuntu is a bit like window in that it expects to be the main linux distro and we shouldn't play with other distros and multiboot except with maybe windows.

[gogalthorp]

I don't think Ubuntu is as bad as that. LOL. It is just that there are version differences in grub and you must be aware and plan for it. In a year or two all will be using grub2 and the disto boot problems will disappear.

To the OP. Suse does not ship with ANY proprietary codecs. If you need or want to play proprietary formated media files you must add them but it is easy.

Multi-media and Restricted Format Installation Guide - openSUSE Forums

Also I recommend VLC as a media player over kaffeine player at the moment.