GRUB Reinstall

[Thomas Kaiser]

gm c wrote:
> I have a similar but different problem. My laptop has xp home on it.
> I installed linux on logical partition. I added a primary for "/boot"
> to put /grub on. looks like
> 
> hda2   1 -     572    xp restore partition    
> hda3   573-    635    "/boot/grub"
> hda1   636-    3591   xp ntfs
> 
> hda5   3592-   3653   lin swap
> hda6   3654-   4139   linux ext2
> yes, the MBR is on hda2 not hda1
No, your MBR is at the place where the MBR has to be -> MBR, just the 
very first 512 Bytes from your harddisk.
On hda2, you have the first part of the windoz XP bootloader.

A HD has a MBR (Master Boot Record at the beginning of the HD) and a 
boot record at the beginning of each partition. The partition table is 
stored in the MBR, too.

So, your BIOS is just looking at the MBR and starts the code in there. A 
windows MBR code looks for the first primary and active partition and 
executes its boot record code (or somehow similar).

I am not the expert on grub (experts are welcome to add there 
information), but I think you have still the windows boot code in the MBR.

I don't know how to install grub correct for your setup, but check the 
man pages and google on how to install grub.

I hope my info helps to dig at the right place :-)

Thomas