[Wylug-help] Re-installing GRUB - was Re: Restoring /boot and MBR

Gary Stainburn gary.stainburn at ringways.co.uk
Thu, 16 Jan 2003 14:04:47 +0000


Hi folks,

I'm just about ready to attempt repairing my HD.

I recon that from the /proc/partitions info I can rebuild the partition tab=
le
using fdisk.
Then I can

mkfs /boot

and

rpm -i --force kerne*rpm grub*rpm

to rebuild my /boot partition.

My question is, which chickens do I need to sacrifice to get grub working
again.  Whe I did this on a testbed system, I just got the to GRUB prompt a=
nd
nothing else happened.

I assume I've got to call grub-install with some secret pagan chants while =
the
sun is just showing over the horizon.  Does anyone know exactly how it goes=
?

On Thursday 16 Jan 2003 1:27 am, Robert P. J. Day wrote:
> On 15 Jan 2003, Bret Hughes wrote:
> > from the hexdump showing the beginning of the first partition
> >
> > 00001c0 001  \0 203   =FE   ? 003   ?  \0  \0  \0   =C5   =FA  \0  \0 2=
00  \0
> > 00001d0 001 004  \f   =FE 177 002 004   =FB  \0  \0   ? 202   >  \0  \0=
  \0
> > 00001e0   A 003 005   =FE   =FF   =FF   C   }   ?  \0   =FB   =DE   # 0=
02  \0  \0
> > 00001f0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0   U   =
=AA
> > 0000200  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0
> > *
> > 0008000   M   S   -   D   O   S       6   .   2       P   C   M   N  \0
> > 0008010  \0  \0  \0  \0   D   C   C   C 003   C   :   \   D   O   S  \0
> > 0008020  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0  \0
> > *
> >
> >
> > well now that I look at it the first partition according to fdisk is
> > linux but if the stuff at byte x8000 is some sort of partition
> > identifier it is showing MS-DOS 6.2  hmmm.
> >
> > This machine had windows on it at one time otherwise I don't know.  I
> > thought I was beginning to understand this.
>
> not surprising.  in addition to boot code being in the MBR, every
> partition (IIRC) has a boot sector as well for additional boot code
> that might be necessary to boot just that partition.
>
> what you're seeing is undoubtedly MS-DOS boot code left over
> from when, as you say, this used to be a DOS machine.  when you
> installed linux and made this a linux partition, because
> you installed your loader in the MBR (i'm guessing), the
> boot sector in this partition was left untouched.  it's
> still DOS boot code, it's just being ignored.
>
> this is all speculation, but i'm feeling pretty confident.
>
> rday

--
Gary Stainburn

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