Cannot multiboot Ubuntu10.04 from Windows XP bootloader

[jokus]

Hello Folks,

I am trying to install Ubuntu10.04 on my machine which already has on it, Win XP. Lemme lay down the setup of my machine first of all.

I got a new 320GB HDD of which I have taken 20GB as the primary partition and installed Win XP on it. Took another 220GB as an extended partition for my data storage. Around 63GB was remaining which I left it as unallocated. Decided to try Ubuntu, but preferred to boot it from the windows bootloader. Downloaded and burned the Ubuntu-10.04-desktop-amd64.iso(have a AMD x3 425 machine) and tried an install on 30GB of the 63 left.

I did not try any partition scheme. I chose the manual partition option, made a 28GB ext4 partition, made it primary, mounted the /, took another 2GB for the swap and proceeded. Chose advanced option and installed grub on the 28GB(/dev/sda6) and completed the installation.

Since no grub was installed, Ubuntu was not available. So then, used the bootpart utility to point grub to the windows bootloader, but it did not work, was giving me error when I chose Ubuntu from the bootmenu modified by the bootpart.

So tried booting with the same install cd, chose Live Ubuntu this time and mounted the 28GB, copied the first 512bytes using dd if=/dev/sda6 of=ubuntu bs=512 count=1 to a usb drive. Rebooted into windows and copied the file to C:\ and added it to the boot.ini. Rebooted and tried choosing Ubuntu from the boot menu but it does not work. I get a blank screen with the cursor blinking.

The machine is new and BIOS is LBA enabled by auto. Now where all am I going wrong ? How do I go about solving the situation ? Could you guys please shed some light over this.

Thanks.

[hatebreed]

easiest way i've found is to use grub4dos. since this won't change your boot record and delete the windows one. you just download the zip and put the folders in the c: drive. the web site has all the directions and it's pretty easy to do. Otherwise you can boot your live cd and install grub to your mbr and hope it loads windows. I've had bad luck with this, since it overrites your mbr it won't find your windows bootloader and won't add it to the boot loader. and even if you manually add it to your grub.cfg it won't load because it wants to do a chainloader which boots to the windows boot loader through the grub loader. I'm not sure why it can't just directly boot to windows through grub but it can't. So I wouldn't recommend the latter because of all the issues i've had in the past but maybe someone else can walk you through that.

[jokus]

Well it is possible to put the grub in the MBR and it would mostly take Windows and add it to the grub and have grub chainload to the windows. But what I require is windows bootloader chainload to the grub2 of Ubuntu that I have installed and it that way, at a point where I need to remove Ubuntu, I can simply remove that partition. Whereas, if the grub is made the bootloader, I would always need in hand the windows install media to recover the bootloader once Ubuntu is removed.

[Lostfarmer]

So then, used the bootpart utility to point grub to the windows bootloader, but it did not work, was giving me error

What was the error ? Post XP's boot.ini file, it is possibly wrong. I have never tried boot.ini with grub2 but would think it would work.

You can try using 'easybcd', google for it. I think it does what you are trying.
grub4dos should work for your needs also if done correctly.

[jokus]

What was the error ? Post XP's boot.ini file, it is possibly wrong. I have never tried boot.ini with grub2 but would think it would work.

You can try using 'easybcd', google for it. I think it does what you are trying.
grub4dos should work for your needs also if done correctly.

I do not think there is any error in the boot.ini since I only added an entry for the bin file which actually links to the bootloader(grub) of the Ubuntu partition. Anyhow below is the boot.ini

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
C:\ubuntu.bin="ubuntu"

[hatebreed]

grub4dos is the easiest way to do it if you don't want to change the mbr. all you have to do is edit the menu.lst and add the chainloader option. directions are on the site.

[Lostfarmer]

I tried the XP's boot.ini method with GRUB 2 and it worked, with the main difference I have XP is on sda1 and linux on sda2.

With the 'dd' command you named the file 'ubuntu' while boot.ini uses the file named ubuntu.bin. You did change the name on C:\ to 'ubuntu.bin' and did not leave it ' ubuntu' ?

Is your hdd connected on the motherboard as primary IDE Master ? if not try it.