why Can't I install the grub on ubuntu 6.06?

[alex]

zhihang wang wrote:

> Thank you for your answer. I tried to install grub when I install 
> ubuntu. But there are some errors so that I can't install the grub 
> during the install session. So I have to boot to ubuntu from my 
> flash-disk. I can boot directly from my harddisk to xp. I don't want 
> to delete my xp. But is it possible for me to install the grub now?


If you had errors other than just GRUB during the installation of 
ubuntu, that's all the more reason for cleaning out your ubuntu 
partitions and doing a completely new reinstallation. 
Trying to correct errors that occured during installation with "fixes" 
and "patches" can be very frustrating.

THERE'S NO REASON TO DO ANYTHING TO YOUR WINDOWS INSTALLATION IN hda1.  
(I notice that you have the file system W95 FAT32 (LBA) in hda1 and you 
mention that you have Windows XP installed-------?????)

Save yourself a lot of frustration and just do a completely new 
installation of ubuntu and use care to prevent errors during the 
installation.


>
>
> On 12/28/06, *alex* <aradsky at ne.rr.com <mailto:aradsky at ne.rr.com>> wrote:
>
>     zhihang wang wrote:
>
>     >
>     > This is my disk partion table:
>     > sudo fdisk /dev/hda -l
>     >
>     > Disk /dev/hda: 60.0 GB, 60011642880 bytes
>     > 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 7296 cylinders
>     > Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
>     >
>     >    Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
>     > /dev/hda1   *           1        3825    30724281    c  W95
>     FAT32 (LBA)
>     > /dev/hda2            3826        7226    27318532+  83  Linux
>     > /dev/hda3            7227        7296      562275    5  Extended
>     > /dev/hda5            7227        7296      562243+  82  Linux swap /
>     > Solaris
>     >
>     > When I install grub as follows:
>     > sudo grub-install /dev/hda2 --modules=ext2
>     > An error message alway occures:
>     >
>     > cannot find a GRUB device for /boot/grub.
>     > grub-setup: error: Cannot guess the root device. Specify the option
>     > ``--root-device''.
>     >
>     >
>     > Could any one help me?
>     >
>     > Best regards
>     >
>     Wasn't there a point during the installation of ubuntu where you
>     had an
>     opportunity to install grub as the booter?
>
>     Since you seem to have no easy way to boot into ubuntu you could
>     avoid a
>     lot of trouble by simply clearing out everything except your Win95 and
>     starting over.  Correcting errors in installation can be a real
>     drag---and you're never sure if you didn't miss something.
>
>     If all you want (in addition to Win95) is ubuntu, you can use hda2
>     for /
>     and hda3 for swap.  You don't need to get involved with hda4, hda5 or
>     extended partitioning.
>
>     I usually use cfdisk to prepare the partitioning.  You could do this
>     while running ubuntu from the CD.
>
>     Watch carefully during the installation of ubuntu for the
>     opportunity to
>     select grub as the booter.  It's much easier than the apt-install
>     route
>     after ubuntu is installed.
>
>
>     alex
>
>
>
>
>     >
>     > --
>     > Best Regards
>     > zhihang wang
>     > --
>     > Best Regards
>     > zhihang wang
>     >
>     >------------------------------------------------------------------------
>     >
>     >No virus found in this incoming message.
>     >Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>     >Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.15.28/604 - Release Date:
>     12/26/2006 12:23 PM
>     >
>     >
>
>
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>
>
> -- 
> Best Regards
> zhihang wang
>
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>
>No virus found in this incoming message.
>Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.15.29/607 - Release Date: 12/28/2006 12:31 PM
>  
>