SSD migration boot option problem

[lazer100]

On 26-Feb-13 03:11:17 Nils Kassube wrote:
>Am Montag, 25. Februar 2013, 20:52:15 schrieb lazer100:
>> On 25-Feb-13 21:59:18 Nils Kassube wrote:
>> >Am Montag, 25. Februar 2013, 11:52:57 schrieb lazer100:
>> >> I just wonder if they could put all the boot partitions, with
>> >> the ones they dont want active commented out with #
>> >
>> >What do you mean with "they"? The automagic kernel list is generated
>> >by update-grub which is run by installation scripts e.g. for
>> >installing new kernel packages. Your problem seems to be that the
>> >update-grub script only finds a single Windows partition.
>> 
>> what I meant was the people who wrote the scripts that generate
>> /boot/grub/menu.lst

>Ah, OK - I suppose they just include every OS found. But as that old 
>grub version with menu.lst is obsolete, I wouldn't expect any future 
>changes to that script.

>> >> titleUbuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-7-generic
>> >
>> >I hope you are aware that this is an ancient Ubuntu version for which
>> >the support has ended nearly 3 years ago ...
>> 
>> yes, but I prefer it to later versions, and it has everything that I
>> need!
>> 
>> later versions are becoming more like Windows,

>:)

>Actually I think, Ubuntu tries to become more like MacOS than Windows. 
>Perhaps you should have a look at the other Ubuntu flavours: Kubuntu, 
>Lubuntu, Xubuntu.

>> By the way can I attach files on this list, or do they have to be
>> included in the text?

>Yes, it would work but there is a size limit of about 30k.

>> what happens now, is that the new boot option appears, but when
>> I boot from it, I get the following error:
>> 
>> Error 12: Invalid device requested
>> press any key to continue...
>> 
>> which then returns back to the boot options.
>>
>> I think the problem is that I have installed Windows XP to
>> a logical partition, and grub probably only recognizes
>> OS's in the 3 or 4 top level partitions.

>Hmm, maybe (the old) grub can't boot Windows from a logical partition? 
>That would at least explain why it wasn't included automatically. But 
>I'm no expert for grub, so maybe someone else has an idea?

>However grub knows how to boot Linux from any logical partition, not 
>only from a primary partition. In the past I had a machine with only 
>logical partitions for several Linux versions and it worked with the old 
>grub version.

>> But Windows XP installation accepted a logical volume for the
>> installation, and it booted fine from this.

>Sure, but that was not via grub but the original Windows boot loader. 
>Like I wrote above, maybe that grub version can't boot Windows from a 
>logical partition.

>> the reason I installed XP from a logical partition, is
>> that would allow me to have 3 Ubuntus and several XP's installed
>> from one drive. Ubuntu I think can only be installed
>> from a top level partition.
>> 
>> as there are a maximum of 4 top level partitions, and
>> a swap partition is necessary for Linux, if you
>> only use top level partitions you can only have at most
>> 3 OS's.

>Well, first you can install Linux into logical partitions (see above). 
>Second, a swap partition is not vital, 

what I have done now is just created 4 top level partitions on the solid state
drive:

1. Windows XP
2. Ubuntu 8.10
3. unused for future reinstalling XP
4. unused for future reinstalling Ubuntu


first I installed XP, and as before the original magnetic drive XP 
vanished as a boot option.

then I installed Ubuntu 8.10, without swap partition as suggested,

and this has created boot options for all 4:

magnetic XP
solid state XP
magnetic Ubuntu 8.10
solid state Ubuntu 8.10

and now that all 4 options are available, I have disconnected the
magnetic drive which I will probably rehouse as an external USB
drive.

I can now continue reinstalling all the XP stuff,


I guess one should avoid installing XP or Ubuntu to logical partitions,
as this can lead to problems elsewhere. 







>if you have a lot of RAM. The 
>installer may complain but if you tell it not to create a swap 
>partition, the it will happily continue without one.

>> I probably have to reinstall everything from scratch
>> with the OS's all to top level partitions, right now
>> I have lost the solid state logical drive XP installation

>You could repair Windows from the install disk (rewrite the MBR), but 
>then you would lose Linux - so yes, it looks like some work ahead. I 
>would suggest to install Windows in a primary partition and Linux in 
>logical partitions.