boot loader not installed

[Tom H]

On Sat, Oct 24, 2009 at 12:43 PM,  <fyrbrds at netscape.net> wrote:

> I tried to install ubuntu 9.10 beta. It completes the install but does not
> install grub. I boot with other boot cds or with easy bcd and these can find
> grub no where. Why would ubuntu think it made a proper install without a
> boot loader?

> I have tried installing it 5 times on different drives and different
> partition schemes with the same result.

> I want a dual boot config. I have Windows Vista on a 500GB drive (hd0)
> 300GB NTFS (hd1)
> 300GB Nvidia SW RAID w/ 3x WD Raptor 150 (hd2)

> Tried installing on hd2 3 times. Finally read pages with information leading
> every which way.

> Tried hd0 twice. hd0 has 160G Vista partition. I set up a 40G /home, 12G
> swp, 4G /tmp, and 80G / (sda8)

> All attempts to boot this config after install have failed. The Vista boot
> loader remains intact.

> I tried NeoGrub and the Super grub Boot cd. No grub install found anywhere.

> Last question: Is there a way to boot to a command prompt with the live cd
> for repairs? The live cd gnome terminal is practically blind-mute.

I am not surprised that (hd2) failed. I am not sure that Grub 2 and
FakeRAID play well together.

Boot from the Live CD and run "file -s /dev/sda" (if sda = (hd0) and
Karmic was installed last on (hd0)). You should get, if Grub is
installed in the MBR, "GRand Unified Bootloader" in the output. You
will have to run "file -s /dev/sda*" if you chose a PBR (I have never
tried it with Grub 2 but I assume that it is possible). But I doubt
that it is not installed because Ubuntu (frustratingly) installs Grub
whether you want it or not.

You could do a further check by mounting your (hd0) root partition,
chrooting, and running "dpkg -l grub-pc" and/or "dpkg -l grub-common".

I can send you Live CD Grub 2 installation instructions if Grub 2 is
not installed or is installed on the wrong disk/partition.