Grub wont use the config i supply to it

[Istrebitel]

Greetings.

I am a newbie to linux and i decided to try kubuntu after reading over the webs. I got lastest 10.04 release of kubuntu installed (downloaded yesterday).

I have already had Vista installed on another drive and from what i've read on the webs you get to dualboot if you install ubuntu after vista. BUT when i did install it (i installed on a blank hdd with no partitions, choosing the "erase entire disk" option since for some reason default option was attempting to eat a part of my windows 1 gb drive instead of using disk i specially made for it) and the grub 2 loaded for the first time, there was NO option to run vista. only 2 linux (normal and recovery) and 2 memtests.

I've ran linux and went to google this. I found that i should add something to some config files in /etc/grub.d/
From reading the readme file i understood i could add my own files that are named like NUMBER_SOMENAME and insert code into them. Because it said:

For example, you can add an entry to boot another OS as
01_otheros, 11_otheros, etc, depending on the position you want it to occupy in
the menu; and then adjust the default setting via /etc/default/grub.
But then i found a file 40_custom that said:

#!/bin/sh
exec tail -n +3 $0
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.


so i added my code to launch windows i found in some russian wikibook on grub2 to look like this


#!/bin/sh
exec tail -n +3 $0
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
menuentry "Open Your Windows"{
set root=(hd0,1)
chainloader +1
boot
}

And when i rebooted the windows launching option indeed showed up! BUT! It wasnt the option i added since it reads "Windows Vista (on /dev/something)" and its code is different from what i wrote!

Then i found that after i do my changes to the files in /etc/default/grub.d i should run an utility to reconfigure grub so i did that with "sudo update-grub"

It said something about it found linux, it found windows, once again, it didnt use my custom menu entry i just created. So i tried to create a file that i named 11_******* (after the naming policy the readme suggested) but still it wont use my menu entry!

Where am i making a mistake? and second question - is there a way to make a default choice (i want windows to be that choice for the time being while i'm still getting on with linux) and to run that choice in some seconds after showing the choice list, without a need for me to press a button?

Thanks

[kansasnoob]

Please post the output of the Boot Info Script as described here:

http://bootinfoscript.sourceforge.net/

[Istrebitel]

Boot Info Script 0.55 dated February 15th, 2010

============================= Boot Info Summary: ==============================

=> Grub 2 is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda and looks on the same drive in
partition #1 for /boot/grub.
=> No boot loader is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb
=> No boot loader is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdc
=> Windows is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdd
=> Windows is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdi

sda1: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System: Windows Vista
Boot files/dirs: /bootmgr /Boot/BCD /Windows/System32/winload.exe

sdb1: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ext4
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
Operating System: Ubuntu 10.04 LTS
Boot files/dirs: /boot/grub/grub.cfg /etc/fstab /boot/grub/core.img

sdb2: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: Extended Partition
Boot sector type: Unknown
Boot sector info:

sdb5: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: swap
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:

sdc1: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs:

sdd1: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows XP
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs:

sdi1: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows XP
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs:

=========================== Drive/Partition Info: =============================

Drive: sda ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___

Disk /dev/sda: 250.1 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders, total 488397168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition Boot Start End Size Id System

/dev/sda1 * 63 488,392,064 488,392,002 7 HPFS/NTFS


Drive: sdb ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___

Disk /dev/sdb: 250.1 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders, total 488397168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition Boot Start End Size Id System

/dev/sdb1 2,048 468,738,047 468,736,000 83 Linux
/dev/sdb2 468,740,094 488,396,799 19,656,706 5 Extended
/dev/sdb5 468,740,096 488,396,799 19,656,704 82 Linux swap / Solaris


Drive: sdc ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___

Disk /dev/sdc: 250.1 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders, total 488397168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition Boot Start End Size Id System

/dev/sdc1 2,048 488,394,751 488,392,704 7 HPFS/NTFS


Drive: sdd ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___

Disk /dev/sdd: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders, total 1953525168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition Boot Start End Size Id System

/dev/sdd1 63 1,953,520,064 1,953,520,002 7 HPFS/NTFS


Drive: sdi ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___

Disk /dev/sdi: 1500.3 GB, 1500301910016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 182401 cylinders, total 2930277168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition Boot Start End Size Id System

/dev/sdi1 63 2,930,272,064 2,930,272,002 7 HPFS/NTFS


blkid -c /dev/null: __________________________________________________ __________

Device UUID TYPE LABEL

/dev/sda1 A42C6CD12C6C9FD2 ntfs
/dev/sda: PTTYPE="dos"
/dev/sdb1 35ec6054-3f59-4d91-a8f8-4cc0e3eee916 ext4
/dev/sdb2: PTTYPE="dos"
/dev/sdb5 67209fde-281a-4b32-acfb-44dfa9c5bf6e swap
/dev/sdb: PTTYPE="dos"
/dev/sdc1 32C47895C4785D53 ntfs Програмный Аферист
/dev/sdc: PTTYPE="dos"
/dev/sdd1 84983C23983C1660 ntfs Хуй Водовозный
/dev/sdd: PTTYPE="dos"
/dev/sdi1 7604309904305DF5 ntfs Съемный Мозгосос
/dev/sdi: PTTYPE="dos"
error: /dev/sde: No medium found
error: /dev/sdf: No medium found
error: /dev/sdg: No medium found
error: /dev/sdh: No medium found

============================ "mount | grep ^/dev output: ===========================

Device Mount_Point Type Options

/dev/sdb1 / ext4 (rw,errors=remount-ro)


=========================== sdb1/boot/grub/grub.cfg: ===========================

#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by /usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ ${prev_saved_entry} ]; then
set saved_entry=${prev_saved_entry}
save_env saved_entry
set prev_saved_entry=
save_env prev_saved_entry
set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
if [ -z ${boot_once} ]; then
saved_entry=${chosen}
save_env saved_entry
fi
}

function recordfail {
set recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then if [ -z ${boot_once} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi
}
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 35ec6054-3f59-4d91-a8f8-4cc0e3eee916
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
set gfxmode=640x480
insmod gfxterm
insmod vbe
if terminal_output gfxterm ; then true ; else
# For backward compatibility with versions of terminal.mod that don't
# understand terminal_output
terminal gfxterm
fi
fi
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 35ec6054-3f59-4d91-a8f8-4cc0e3eee916
set locale_dir=($root)/boot/grub/locale
set lang=en
insmod gettext
if [ ${recordfail} = 1 ]; then
set timeout=-1
else
set timeout=10
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 35ec6054-3f59-4d91-a8f8-4cc0e3eee916
insmod tga
if background_image /usr/share/images/grub/Sparkler.tga ; then
set color_normal=black/black
set color_highlight=magenta/black
else
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-22-generic-pae' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 35ec6054-3f59-4d91-a8f8-4cc0e3eee916
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-22-generic-pae root=UUID=35ec6054-3f59-4d91-a8f8-4cc0e3eee916 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-22-generic-pae
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-22-generic-pae (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 35ec6054-3f59-4d91-a8f8-4cc0e3eee916
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.32-22-generic-pae ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-22-generic-pae root=UUID=35ec6054-3f59-4d91-a8f8-4cc0e3eee916 ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-22-generic-pae
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 35ec6054-3f59-4d91-a8f8-4cc0e3eee916
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 35ec6054-3f59-4d91-a8f8-4cc0e3eee916
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry "Windows Vista (loader) (on /dev/sda1)" {
insmod ntfs
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set a42c6cd12c6c9fd2
chainloader +1
}
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

=============================== sdb1/etc/fstab: ===============================

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid -o value -s UUID' to print the universally unique identifier
# for a device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name
# devices that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
proc /proc proc nodev,noexec,nosuid 0 0
# / was on /dev/sdb1 during installation
UUID=35ec6054-3f59-4d91-a8f8-4cc0e3eee916 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# swap was on /dev/sdb5 during installation
UUID=67209fde-281a-4b32-acfb-44dfa9c5bf6e none swap sw 0 0
/dev/fd0 /media/floppy0 auto rw,user,noauto,exec,utf8 0 0

=================== sdb1: Location of files loaded by Grub: ===================


227.7GB: boot/grub/core.img
199.8GB: boot/grub/grub.cfg
227.9GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-22-generic-pae
227.7GB: boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-22-generic-pae
227.9GB: initrd.img
227.7GB: vmlinuz
=========================== Unknown MBRs/Boot Sectors/etc =======================

Unknown BootLoader on sdb2

00000000 bd 2c 0e 8c 4e a9 a5 42 3e 0b 4c f3 2a 25 55 3d |.,..N..B>.L.*%U=|
00000010 3c b9 10 00 d0 5f 62 e3 c6 67 dc a9 5f 03 98 5d |<...._b..g.._..]|
00000020 ff a1 0f ef e5 92 55 fd e5 4e 36 94 55 24 c9 b7 |......U..N6.U$..|
00000030 af 4f 43 3e b8 20 16 24 a0 f0 ba e7 ad fb 8d 0e |.OC>. .$........|
00000040 8b 98 1e d7 fb b8 79 45 96 1d eb 80 99 0b b9 64 |......yE.......d|
00000050 83 34 83 ed 7c f4 a2 da 5e dd f2 2f 52 85 6a 75 |.4..|...^../R.ju|
00000060 a3 2b 4d 10 a4 36 6d d4 56 7f ea 6b 4a bf ae 3f |.+M..6m.V..kJ..?|
00000070 a9 77 eb fe 97 0b bf d4 64 2b 1c a1 a1 67 f0 98 |.w......d+...g..|
00000080 1e ec e5 00 47 10 11 10 e1 25 cb dc 7d 42 0d fe |....G....%..}B..|
00000090 e5 ed da da 20 c1 f0 98 1f ff c8 6a 38 96 88 13 |.... ......j8...|
000000a0 e8 18 8b 2a 61 54 cb 8b 2e 4b da 79 bd cb bb d3 |...*aT...K.y....|
000000b0 0b f3 d5 68 e1 6f 8c ae b3 6e 64 30 47 bb 7a 98 |...h.o...nd0G.z.|
000000c0 af 06 96 df 18 88 62 58 cf 51 f0 d0 d6 9f 13 76 |......bX.Q.....v|
000000d0 7e 3e ed ff 2d c5 04 c6 b7 04 6a d0 42 20 91 7f |~>..-.....j.B ..|
000000e0 d2 2c 8c 97 3d d5 5a 02 3a 39 a7 33 df ef ab 88 |.,..=.Z.:9.3....|
000000f0 1c 93 b1 13 d0 e8 59 d4 77 92 a9 d9 4f 0a 97 b3 |......Y.w...O...|
00000100 2d d5 71 0d ca ee 5e 32 c5 10 41 5b ad 04 8e 5d |-.q...^2..A[...]|
00000110 a1 01 76 d5 f7 7a 03 01 bb 2b 7e 53 16 11 4b c5 |..v..z...+~S..K.|
00000120 68 d1 fa 49 e5 94 08 e0 eb 6e 4c e5 f8 de 89 f9 |h..I.....nL.....|
00000130 8c 90 ab cc 87 f6 7b b7 ff 36 9d f3 83 09 8b e8 |......{..6......|
00000140 1e ec f6 a0 47 10 11 11 6d 27 aa de 6e e4 59 23 |....G...m'..n.Y#|
00000150 da d3 67 29 9e ce 54 5b 6b 9c 67 99 19 87 fc ec |..g)..T[k.g.....|
00000160 64 7c 80 ce dd bd 1b 56 4c 31 4e 44 f8 b5 27 64 |d|.....VL1ND..'d|
00000170 b2 c7 cb c4 28 9a 29 4c de 2e 2f bc 4f d7 af 1b |....(.)L../.O...|
00000180 e4 fc 54 56 f7 de 31 9e c9 67 cd de f3 38 ad 48 |..TV..1..g...8.H|
00000190 b6 da a8 6c b3 3f 0e 10 b9 c1 cd 67 86 1e 45 de |...l.?.....g..E.|
000001a0 30 b7 fd 4a ac 09 0c bf 18 0a dc c8 d2 df 06 61 |0..J...........a|
000001b0 5e a7 09 a4 57 74 79 6b d0 1a 8a 50 39 da 00 fe |^...Wtyk...P9...|
000001c0 ff ff 82 fe ff ff 02 00 00 00 00 f0 2b 01 00 00 |............+...|
000001d0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 |................|
*
000001f0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 55 aa |..............U.|
00000200


=======Devices which don't seem to have a corresponding hard drive==============

sde sdf sdg sdh

[kansasnoob]

I don't really see anything wrong there. Does the entry for "Windows Vista (loader) (on /dev/sda1)" work?

As far as the custom entry not working grub 2 is very picky about even the smallest punctuation errors.

You can check to see if /etc/grub.d/40_custom is executable by running:


ls -l /etc/grub.d/40_custom

Example output:


lance@lance-desktop:~$ ls -l /etc/grub.d/40_custom
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 214 2010-04-13 08:59 /etc/grub.d/40_custom


If it's executable the /etc/grub.d/40_custom should appear in green (errm maybe, I haven't tried with that awful purple, I use white background).

To change from executable to non-executable and vice-versa you use "chmod -x" or "chmod +x", example:


lance@lance-desktop:~$ sudo chmod -x /etc/grub.d/40_custom
[sudo] password for lance:
lance@lance-desktop:~$ ls -l /etc/grub.d/40_custom
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 214 2010-04-13 08:59 /etc/grub.d/40_custom
lance@lance-desktop:~$ sudo chmod +x /etc/grub.d/40_custom
lance@lance-desktop:~$ ls -l /etc/grub.d/40_custom
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 214 2010-04-13 08:59 /etc/grub.d/40_custom


Notice the subtle changes from executable to non-executable?

[kansasnoob]

Oh, this is IMHO the simplest grub 2 guide:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1195275

[Istrebitel]

Yes the one thats made by grub works fine. But the one i add does not even appear (although when i made changes to 05 debian to change the skin it did work)

The green thing looks like it might have been the culprit. I changed, rebuilt and now i see the option in my grub.cfg, i'll see what happens after reboot

Thanks!

[kansasnoob]

Grub 2 is pretty cool once you get used to it, but at first all of the executable bits can drive you mad :)

[Istrebitel]

Well its pretty obvious actually, it just could've said it needs executive permissions. I now understand why it didnt work at first.

This is the least problems i'm getting with migration to ubuntu... like here http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=9378080#post9378080 i'm following instructions 100% and nothing works at all... or http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=9378043#post9378043 same thing, instructions lead nowhere... and having no luck with dvd playback (http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=9378378#post9378378)...

[kansasnoob]

I don't know about the first problem, but commented on the second:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=9378430#post9378430

I'll look at the third now.

[kansasnoob]

Also left a comment on the third:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=9378473#post9378473

Hope this helps.

[Istrebitel]

Thank you. I think i shoud mark this as solved as it is indeed.

If someone bumps upon this thread:

The problem was solved by two steps:

First, making the files that grub uses to make up its cfg executable (those XX_name files). If it is not executable it wont be incorporated into grub cfg file when update-grub is ran.

Second, i had an incorrect code typed in the file, this was the second reason for the option not to show. The code i had was

menuentry "Open Your Windows"{
set root=(hd0,1)
chainloader +1
boot
}
Which is the code to run the os on hd0,1 if i would do it manually from grub command line. That was the code suggested in a book about grub 2.0 to use in emergency situation or to manually launch windows from grub.

But in order to make a custom menu entry, the code should be different!


menuentry "Open Your Windows"
{
insmod ntfs
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set a42c6cd12c6c9fd2
chainloader +1
}

After both changing the code and making the file with it executable and running update-grub, the option showed in the boot list.