[LAU] kernel install problem redux

[TheOther]

Dave Phillips wrote:
>>> ********* start conditions on 64 Studio partition *****************
>>>
>>> from /boot/grub/menu.lst :
>>>
>>> title          Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.24-18-rt (on /dev/sda1)
>>> root            (hd0,0)
>>> kernel         /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-18-rt 
>>> root=UUID=9ff18eb0-4c84-41d3-bf5e-0c6f4b9c3c7d ro quiet splash
>>> initrd         /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-18-rt
>>> savedefault
>>> boot
>>>     
> I'll keep working at this problem. It appears that I have a nice new rt 
> kernel waiting for me in Ubuntu 8.10, I just can't boot it yet. :(


Hello Dave,

I also don't see the problem.  So this is when I go back to the basics.

I used to have an IDE drive and a SCSI drive in the same box with GRUB 
only on the SCSI drive and selecting which kernel to boot off of which 
drive.  When moving to Fedora 10, that became a problem because there 
wasn't enough time delay given to the SCSI drive for SCSI drive 
recognition during bootup, and so my GRUB files where never loaded and 
the system hung.  The only solution was to pull out the IDE drive and 
just run with the SCSI drive.

[Rant on.  Fedora 10 bootup programmers take note, and also take note 
that you didn't find the floppy drive correctly during bootup either. 
  You achieved a faster bootup time, but at the expense of failing to 
find drives.  I am *not* happy with that trade-off. Rant off.]

 From what you've shown, it looks like you only have the 1 drive in 
your box, correct?

In the /boot/grub/menu.lst file on the sda drive:

The title line is no problem.  (this is what I refer to as the "title" 
block description below.)

The root line is no problem.

The kernel line and the initrd line are not problems if you have those 
files where they are stated to be.  I'd check your /dev/sda1 boot 
directory just to be certain that the specified vmlinuz and initrd 
files are there.

On the kernel line, I have the option "rhgb" which I don't know what 
it means.  Might try a boot with "rhgb" as an option.

Rather than using the "splash" option on the kernel line, I use the 
"splashimage" GRUB command.  I wouldn't expect it to be a problem for 
you, but you might want to try a boot without the "splash" option in 
the kernel line.

My splashimage GRUB command looks like this:

splashimage=(hd0,0)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz

I don't use the "savedefault" or the "boot" parameters within the 
"title" block.  You could try removing them.  My primary suspect for 
your problem is the "savedefault" parameter, but I can't tell since 
you didn't show the "title" blocks for your other kernels.

In the GRUB commands section outside of a "title" block (where I use 
the above splashimage command), I comment out the hiddenmenu command 
so that I can see all of the kernels I wish to boot.

Also in the GRUB commands section I use the default command, rather 
than the "savedefault" option in a "title" block.  I use:
default=0
   where 0 is the first "title" block, 1 is the next "title block, and 
so on.

And it's a good idea to specify a timeout command in the GRUB command 
section.  I'm using:  timeout=4
  to allow one 4 seconds to select which kernel you wish to boot 
before GRUB will take the default=x "title" block to boot.

For what it's worth.  Good luck.
Stephen.