GRUB error in 10.2 and raid windows setup

[Din_OS]

Hi there I am trying to install opensuse 10.2 in a separate hard drive in my computer. In this computer I already have 2 hard disks with raid setup (stripe) which was set up through windows via software.. When GRUB tries to initialize in my computer I get an error message and it keeps the partitions already created so when I try to reinstall suse it gives new ones. Result is that it has dev/sdb7 and know it tries to create sdb8.. How can I make the partitions from the beginning (which also means that I must properly format my hard drive) and make the grub function properly? I do not care if Linux recognizes the other hard drives inside my computer...

[Din_OS]

Fixed the GRUB error but 2 problems came... Dual boot does not boot windows and suse has a problem with startx.. It gives this message:

(ΕΕ) AIGLX : DRI module not loaded
FATAL : Module evdev not found
Wacom unable to read first byte of request '~#' answer after 3 tries
No core pointer

Fatal server error :
Failed to initialize core devices
XIO : fatal IO error 104 (Connection reset by peer) on X server '':0.0''
after 0 requests (0 known processed) with 0 events remaining.

Any ideas?

[arnisandy]

I'm trying a very similar setup. The Dell came with a RAID0 (striped) array on which Windows XP was installed. I attached another SATA hard drive and am attempting to install SUSE.

Grub is failing like you are experiencing. I found a bit of advice here:

http://www.overclock3d.net/articles....dows_and_linux

that suggests using LILO instead of GRUB. I'm going to have it put LILO on the second hard drive and use the built-in dell BIOS boot utility to point it at the second drive whenever I want to run suse. We'll see if that works.

I think the problem is the RAID devices are supported in the Dell BIOS, but Linux ignores the BIOS settings and uses it's own drivers. By default I don't think suse loads the RAID drivers. I'm speaking out of my heehaw here. I'll let you know if it works.

[kamaeleon]

This probably won't help, but as I've had more or less similar problems, let it be noted for the ones that come after us.

I had the same problems with partitioning and multiple install tries because of GRUB. My final solution to avoid weird suggestions (sd6..7..8..) was to boot Windows and delete all partitions on the Linux disk, and have the SuSE installer work on a non-partitioned disk. That worked by creating only the necessary partitions.

I have 2 striped raid sets in the machine - set up on the Intel ICH8R controller. This is so called fake raid (bios assisted software raid). SuSE 10.2 is the only Linux distro I have tried that recognizes the sets by the name set up in the BIOS. It also installs ok on such a set and it reads the files from the set that has NTFS and Windows installed on it. It probably uses its own driver for some of this purpose, during install it loads a driver called dmraid.

To this day I have not had GRUB OR LILO install successfully during a normal installation process. I've tried virtually every bios setting, and I've tried to install on a single disk, as well as the intended raid set. Always returns an error with no explanation. The way I succeeded was to let GRUB fail and then boot the install disc, select the 'repair' option at the main menu. Then select 'expert options' - 'install new bootloader' and find the menu at the bottom right. Select 're-read configuration from disc', then accept its proposal and then suddenly Grub installed ok. It also boots SuSE ok, though it didn't include the Windows installation in the GRUB boot menu.

I have a board with a post menu that offers to boot detected devices, so for the time being this is how I switch between my OS installations. Grub's configuration file can be manually edited later.

Asus P5B Deluxe Wifi - 2GB Ram - 2 x 200GB Sata soft raid - 2 x 500GB Sata soft raid.

[arnisandy]

I left a big unpartitioned area on my second disk unpartitioned and let Suse divy it up as it saw fit. Grub still failed, like kamaeleon mentioned, even when I tried LILO.

I was able to boot up to linux and finishthe install, but only after first booting to the install CD and starting an installation, then choosing the "boot to hard disk" option.

I'm going to try kamaeleon's suggestion and see if it works. The Dell BIOS also offers a "boot" menu to allow selecting the hard drive to which to boot. if I can just get the boot loader installed on my second hard drive that should work just fine. I'll post back my results. Thanks for the insights!

[arnisandy]

I followed kamaeleon's advice and GRUB did report it installed OK, however that still didn't work. I'm going to try and temporarily unplug my raid drives and see if it has better luck with just the single drive installed.

Here was what I have tried so far (verbose detail of Kamaeleon's advice) (with Suse 10.2):
1. Booted install CD (this is after I completed a full installation)
2. Continue as if doing normal install
3. Under Installation Mode choose "Other Options" and then "Repair Installed System"
4. Choose "Expert Tools"
5. Select "Install New Boot Loader"
6. Select (if it isn't automatically) the "Boot Loader Installation" tab.
7. In "Type" frame choose "Grub" and accept "Propose New Configuration"
8. At bottom right of screen click "Other" menu drop down and then "Reread configuration from disk".
9. It had "Custom Boot Partition" selected with "nil" (very odd).
10. I then clicked "Finish" in bottom right and it applied the new configuration (it has always filed previously).
11. Lastly I clicked finish to exit out of tool and it reboots the computer.

I used my BIOS bootup menu to try and boot to my 2nd hard disk and it just sits there. I tried the above procedure, but then select the Master Boot Record instead of the "nil" device, but still no luck. We'll see if removing my main raid system has any affect.

[Jeshua]

I fixed the same problem by Yast>System>Boot Loader and then going into the Grub options and checking the box that says "Create Grub Partition on Master Drive.

[arnisandy]

I tried unplugging the other drives and repeating the aforementioned procedure, but not luck. I would even choose to install to the Master Boot Record of the drive that contains Suse, but it still wouldn't boot to it (I still have to first boot to the CD, start and Install, and then tell it to the already installed OS).

Here's what the partition tool displays for the Seagate 450G drive (I'm doing this from memory so I think it's right):

/sdc1/ HPFS/NT partition (350G) [Primary partition, I use it to ghost my XP install to]
/sdc2/ Linux swap (1.5G)
/sdc5/ Main OS
/sdc6/ Home ~

I've tried pointing GRUB at each of these partitions, but it didn't work.

I will try booting into the OS and running the configuration tool from there. Maybe I should move the NT partition to the end of the drive? I'm pretty sure I'm not out of partitions as I thought IDE allowed 4 primary partitions (each of which could house an extended partition). Maybe I need to make some space for a Grub partition?

Hmm, I just was playing around with Partition magic to try and make some room for a grub partition and it warned that the partition crosses the 1024 cylinder boundary and may not be bootable. I'm going to try putting the linux stuff at the beginning of the drive.

[arnisandy]

Got the install and boot to work by freeing the 2nd drive of everything (made it a big unpartitioned space), disconnected main drives, ran install and allocated partitions needed manually (via the install tool). The install added GRUB automatically to the Master Boot Record of the drive (the only one present). Finished install and it rebooted fine. Attached original RAID0 drives and use BIOS boot menu to select to which drive I want to boot.

Thanks again for all the pointers!