Help with dual-boot setup

[Barry Pohlman]

Jake,

     Out of curiosity why did you use gparted after the install? In the 
final step of the setup for ubuntu you will get a report of the install 
configuration. In the bottom right you will see an advanced button. If 
you click that button you can choose where to install Grub (hd0 = main 
hard drive MBR). What seems to be happening with your configuration is 
that you targeted the linux partition as having the boot information. 
The BIOS cannot boot from anywhere outside of the MBR. The reason that 
the cd-rom works is that it can switch over to read the configuration 
outside of the MBR.

I know the question asked by most users is not how did my problem happen 
it is how do I fix it.... Here is a quick way to fix it....

If you boot into the Ubuntu test disc (not strait install) you should be 
presented with an ubuntu desktop. After the desktop boots up open up a 
terminal. The icon to launch it is under applications -> Accessories -> 
Terminal.

Here are the commands and what they do
    sudo grub                     =  Bring up the grub command line
    find /boot/grub/stage1   =  Finds where the boot information is stored
    root (hd?, ?)                 =  The hd numbers will come from the 
above command
    setup (hd0)                   =  hd0 signifies the MBR of your 
primary hard drive
    quit                               =  Exit Grub command line
    sudo reboot                  =  Reboot the system



If you are curious or need more explination this is the same steps 
needed to restore grub boot loader after you install windows. Windows 
will take out the MBR and replace it with its own boot loader...

Hope this helps.


Barry
   




J Bickhard wrote:
> I have an 80gigabyte hard drive with Windows XP professional SP3 on 
> it. I have installed Jaunty in a second, 40gigabyte partition. I went 
> into GPart on the livecd after installation, and set SDA or whatever 
> the main ubuntu partition it was to "boot" flag. Now, when I boot, my 
> computer does nothing. It runs all of the tests, but when it should be 
> loading GRUB, it is just sitting there where it would normally be 
> saying "Loading ISOLINUX" or whatever.
>  
> HOWEVER: If I boot with the livecd and select "boot from first hard 
> drive", it works.
>  
> What gives? Does the main boot partition of a hard drive (second 
> partition, ubuntu is on the second partition) have to have another 
> flag other than "boot"? I really want to get Jaunty working on my 
> computer! Then I can migrate my files from my old 5gig and install my 
> new 40gig.
>  
> Thank you,
> Jake, Editor of Micro 100 Magazine ( www.micro100mag.blogspot.com 
> <http://www.micro100mag.blogspot.com/> )