Dualbooting Problem

[presence1960]

I just thought I would add what I had a problem with when I first tried dual booting.When you insert the disc..and it asks you to install...it will go to the partion editor section of the install....I had a problem in that it showed an orange section to format or partion on the right side..the ******* partion was blue and on the left.
The section of the partition showing on the right had a 3GB partition..which I tried to expand or resize.This was unsuccesful.The install showed all I had was a 3GB partition.But when I allowed the partitioner program to use the whole GRAY AREA on the right and I chose it as an install area..It worked!!Damn guessing is COOL sometimes.It was not intui8tive to a moron likje me!
While a GUI is the best option to get people like me into Ubuntu..it does have it's problems.1st being the loss of security.The 2nd being the people who do write this are such BRAINIACS...and that is a compliment..really!But they fail to realize that to get more people into the system they have to dumb down (and I mean to me also) the retorict or explinations that we noobies (or dummy's like me)documetation with step by step and incriment by incriment and key stroke to follow through.
Sorry for the long reply...I guess I just started and had to say what I had to say.
Thanks to all who have helped me!!

Did you read any of the abundance of documentation on installation and partitioning? Before going to install Ubuntu one should really do some major prep to make sure all ducks are in a row. Although partitioning usually goes well there is always the chance for data loss. Here are a few links :
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GraphicalInstall

http://apcmag.com/how_to_dual_boot_w...lled_first.htm

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/partitioning

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/dualboot

I prefer to plan and lay out my partitions prior to installation and then use manual option for partitioning on the install process to choose which partitions get what I want them to be. One can use the Ubuntu Live CD (gparted) or the gparted Live CD to create partitions first.

[presence1960]

I thought savedefault just makes one partition the default in the actual GRUB menu? Taken from menu.lst:

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not use 'savedefault' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.

makeactive has always been a necessity for me, how odd :shrugs:

That is referring to the number of entries beginning with the first kernel in the kernel list. "savedefault" in the windows OS entry in other Operating systems is not referring to that. In the section to which you refer my default is set to http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/dualboot (number 0) so the first entry in my kernel list is the default.

[presence1960]

I thought savedefault just makes one partition the default in the actual GRUB menu? Taken from menu.lst:

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not use 'savedefault' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.

makeactive has always been a necessity for me, how odd :shrugs:

That section of menu.lst above is referring to the number of entries beginning with the first kernel in the kernel list. Numbering starts with 0. That number will be the default OS. "savedefault" in the windows OS entry in other Operating systems is not referring to that because "saved" is not set in the default section. In the section to which you refer my default is set to (number 0) so the first entry in my kernel list is the default.

[presence1960]

I thought savedefault just makes one partition the default in the actual GRUB menu? Taken from menu.lst:

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not use 'savedefault' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.

makeactive has always been a necessity for me, how odd :shrugs:

That section of menu.lst above is referring to the number of entries beginning with the first kernel in the kernel list. Numbering starts with 0. That number will be the default OS. "savedefault" in the windows OS entry in other Operating systems is not referring to that unless "saved" is used in the section you refer to. In the section to which you refer my default is set to (number 0) so the first entry in my kernel list is the default.

check below to see:

# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
#            grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
#            grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
#            and /usr/share/doc/grub-legacy-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not change this entry to 'saved' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default		0

gfxmenu=/etc/grub/message.elyssa

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout		10

# Pretty colours
color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line)  and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
#      password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title		Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root		(hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader	+1
#
# title		Linux
# root		(hd0,1)
# kernel	/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
##      kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
##      kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=/dev/sdb2 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd1,1)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
##      alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
##      lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
##      lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
##      altoptions=(recovery mode) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
##      howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
##      memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title		Linux Mint x64, kernel 2.6.24-23-generic
root		(hd0,1)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-23-generic root=/dev/sdb2 ro quiet splash
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-23-generic

title		Linux Mint x64, kernel 2.6.24-23-generic (recovery mode)
root		(hd0,1)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-23-generic root=/dev/sdb2 ro single
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-23-generic

title		Linux Mint x64, kernel 2.6.24-16-generic
root		(hd0,1)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-16-generic root=/dev/sdb2 ro quiet splash
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic

title		Linux Mint x64, kernel 2.6.24-16-generic (recovery mode)
root		(hd0,1)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-16-generic root=/dev/sdb2 ro single
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic

title		Ubuntu 8.04.2, kernel 2.6.24-23-generic
root		(hd1,1)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-23-generic root=UUID=a3291e1b-426d-4a99-ac7e-17f615900c1a ro quiet splash
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-23-generic
quiet

title		Ubuntu 8.04.2, kernel 2.6.24-23-generic (recovery mode)
root		(hd1,1)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-23-generic root=UUID=a3291e1b-426d-4a99-ac7e-17f615900c1a ro single
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-23-generic

title		Ubuntu 8.04.2, kernel 2.6.24-19-generic
root		(hd1,1)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-19-generic root=UUID=a3291e1b-426d-4a99-ac7e-17f615900c1a ro quiet splash
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-19-generic
quiet

title		Ubuntu 8.04.2, kernel 2.6.24-19-generic (recovery mode)
root		(hd1,1)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-19-generic root=UUID=a3291e1b-426d-4a99-ac7e-17f615900c1a ro single
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-19-generic


title		Linux Mint x64, kernel memtest86+
root		(hd0,1)
kernel		/boot/memtest86+.bin

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title		Other operating systems:
root


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sdb1
title		Microsoft Windows XP Professional
root		(hd0,0)
savedefault
chainloader	+1

[presence1960]

either way we solved his menu.lst entry for windows, now he has to fix the other issue with his windows CD.

BTW I substituted makeactive for savedefault in my windows entry and it worked. I remember initially it didn't work and someone suggested savedefault in it's place. I have been using that ever since...LOL

[meierfra.]

What savedefault does:

Say you boot the fifth item on menu.lst and that item contains a "savedefault" line. Then the number "4" (grubs starts counting at zero) will be written to the file /boot/grub/default".

How is /boot/grub/default used?

This depends on the "default" line in menu.lst

Case 1) default 5 (or any other number in place of 5)

In this case "/boot/grub/default" is ignored and the sixth item on menu.lst will be the default boot.


Case 2) default saved

In this case grub will use the number stored in /boot/grub/default to determine the default item to boot.


So unless one uses "default saved" the "savedefault" lines in menu.lst are unnecessary.



What "makeactive" does

Say you boot an item on menu.lst and that item has the lines "root (hd0,2)" and "makeactive". Then grub will set the boot flag to the third partition of the boot drive (and remove all other boot flags from the boot drive)

So if the third partition already has the boot flag, the "makeactive" is unnecessary. Together with the fact that boot flags are (almost) irrelevant if grub is used for booting, there really is no reason to use "makeactive" in menu.lst

Both makeactive and savedefault can cause problems in some situations, so in my opinion the best item to use for Windows is

title Windows
rootnoverify (hd0,Y)
chainloader +1

or

title Windows
rootnoverify (hdX,Y)
map (hd0) (hdX)
map (hdX) (hd0)
chainloader +1

the first item needs to be used if Windows is on the boot drive, the second item if Windows is not on the boot drive.

[presence1960]

as always seems to be the case thank you meirfra. Not only have you directly posted in response to my posts a few times that really helped me understand something, but also reading your posts to others has helped me. Sometimes it is ok to know something works, but it is way better to know how & why it works. Thanks.

[TRouBLe32]

Guys, thank you all for your help. Problem is solved!!!

Hereis the guide that i used. It's from the same guys that made tha utility for configuring Vista's bootloader.
Turns out the Vista Install DVD has a boot repair option, and after running it 3-4 times (it does one step at a time like, mbr, boot sector...) i'm up and running again!!

[presence1960]

Guys, thank you all for your help. Problem is solved!!!

Hereis the guide that i used. It's from the same guys that made tha utility for configuring Vista's bootloader.
Turns out the Vista Install DVD has a boot repair option, and after running it 3-4 times (it does one step at a time like, mbr, boot sector...) i'm up and running again!!

Great!!