Howto : GfxBoot ( Grub like suse )

[lepre]

grub> grub-install /dev/hda

Error 27: Unrecognized command

grub> grub-install hd0

Error 27: Unrecognized command

grub> grub-install /dev/dha9

Error 27: Unrecognized command

grub> grub-install /dev/dha2

Error 27: Unrecognized command

grub> grub-install /dev/dha1

Error 27: Unrecognized command

if you change the parameters to an Unrecognized command it still remains an Unrecognized command. try setup instead.

[Malac]

if you change the parameters to an Unrecognized command it still remains an Unrecognized command. try setup instead.

I think he misread my post:
Back at Normal Prompt do this as well.

grub-install /dev/hda2

[Sprite1990]

Downloaded the file to my desktop, then:

dan@DanLinux:~$ sudo dpkg -i grub-gfxboot_0.97-5_i386.deb
dpkg: error processing grub-gfxboot_0.97-5_i386.deb (--install):
 cannot access archive: No such file or directory
Errors were encountered while processing:
 grub-gfxboot_0.97-5_i386.deb

[WishMaster]

Downloaded the file to my desktop, then:

dan@DanLinux:~$ sudo dpkg -i grub-gfxboot_0.97-5_i386.deb
dpkg: error processing grub-gfxboot_0.97-5_i386.deb (--install):
 cannot access archive: No such file or directory
Errors were encountered while processing:
 grub-gfxboot_0.97-5_i386.deb

The file is on your desktop,
in your console, you are in your home-folder.

Type first: cd ~/Desktop
then sudo dpkg -i ....
Or just dubble click the file on your desktop. A graphical installer will take over

[WishMaster]

Step1:
download http://quasarfreak.googlepages.com/g....97-5_i386.deb

Step2:
Download a 'theme'. See the first post for this.

Step3:
Remove the old GRUB.
Open a terminal and type:
sudo apt-get remove grub

Step4:
Install gfxboot. Find the downloaded .deb and dubbleclick it. A graphical installer will take over.

Step5:
We are going to move the 'theme' we just downloaded.
Open a terminal, cd to the folder where you downloaded the theme and type:
sudo cp message.suse /boot/grub/
Offcourse "message.suse" can be replaced by the one you downloaded

Step6:
Backup menu.lst and edit the original to use gfxboot.
sudo cp /boot/grub/menu.lst /boot/grub/menu.lst_backup
sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst
This will open up a textfile.
Insert a new first line that says:
gfxmenu /boot/grub/message.suse
Once again: the message.suse can be replaced

Step7:
sudo su
grub
Now you are in the "grub-console".
grub> find /boot/grub/stage1
(hd0,1) # this is my output, yours may be different, you may even get multiples if you've lots of versions of linux.
grub> root (hd0,1)
grub> setup (hd0,1)
grub> quit

Now we are back in the normal console.
Just 1 more command to go...
take a look at the output. it has the form: (hdx,y)
the x:
0 =a
1 = b
2 = c
....

grub-install /dev/hdxy

An example:
*) if your output was (hd0,1) then what you have to type is: grub-install /dev/hda1
*) if your output was (hd1,6) then what you have to type is: grub-install /dev/hdb6

Get the idea?

Step8:
reboot and enjoy your gfxboot

[touchlikefire]

Even though I've followed the initial directions about 4 times, and the modified directions found in the replies another 4 times, I still cannot get gfxboot at the boot screen. Instead, I'm left with the old grub plaintext boot experience.

I've read through page 16 of this forum, and I haven't come across anything that has helped my problem. I could be wrong, but from my analysis it seems the problem is with the menu.lst configuration. Since there are a lot of us out there with this problem, and I think it would be helpful to devote some time to figuring it out, and then posting the fix once it is solved.

To be clear, the line gfxmenu /boot/grub/message.wxyz is what I think is the culprit. I've placed it all around menu.lst and it has had no effect. But...maybe it's not the problem? I don't know. I'm still a novice, so someone please help me.

Here is my menu.lst:

# 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-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		saved

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
#timeout		8

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
#hiddenmenu

# 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=UUID=2f041292-5ad0-4af3-aa8e-4a7af2bac539 ro

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

## 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 resume=/dev/hda5

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

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

## ## End Default Options ##

##splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
gfxmenu		/boot/grub/message.snow
default		saved
timeout		8

title		Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.17-10-generic
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/vmlinuz-2.6.17-10-generic root=UUID=2f041292-5ad0-4af3-aa8e-4a7af2bac539 ro quiet splash resume=/dev/hda5
initrd		/initrd.img-2.6.17-10-generic
savedefault
boot

title		Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.17-10-generic (recovery mode)
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/vmlinuz-2.6.17-10-generic root=UUID=2f041292-5ad0-4af3-aa8e-4a7af2bac539 ro single
initrd		/initrd.img-2.6.17-10-generic
boot

title		Ubuntu, memtest86+
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/memtest86+.bin
boot

### 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/hda5
title		Microsoft Windows XP Professional
root		(hd0,1)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader	+1

Oh, and my grub is on hda1, not the MBR.

[WishMaster]

put "gfxmenu /boot/grub/message.snow" as the very first line in menu.lst

[Malac]

touchlikefire
As WishMaster says,

 gfxmenu        /boot/grub/message.snow

should be the very first line before the

 # 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-doc/.

Then in terminal

sudo su 
grub

At GRUB prompt

grub> find /boot/grub/stage1
(hd0,0) # this will be your output.
grub> root (hd0,0)
grub> setup (hd0,0)
grub> quit

Then back at Terminal prompt :

grub-install /dev/hda1

If this doesn't work then you have overwritten your MBR without realising, in which case you need to switch/recover it.
I see you are running XP on the other partition so run Windows Recovery Console or live with the MBR being GRUB and change the last command to :

grub-install /dev/hda

[touchlikefire]

Thanks, I got the grub installation portion to proceed without errors; I don't know why I got something different when I tried it myself.

However, when I rebooted I got a grub prompt and nothing else (so I root (hd0,0) and setup (hd0,0) again) and now whenever I reboot I get the message "gfx failed to load image, cannot find /boot/grub/message.snow" even tho I checked and it's in there.

Thoughts?

[Malac]

Thanks, I got the grub installation portion to proceed without errors; I don't know why I got something different when I tried it myself.

However, when I rebooted I got a grub prompt and nothing else (so I root (hd0,0) and setup (hd0,0) again) and now whenever I reboot I get the message "gfx failed to load image, cannot find /boot/grub/message.snow" even tho I checked and it's in there.

Thoughts?

This may mean the image file is too big for your system or the main file is corrupt.
Try downloading a simple known good file and use that one, like the plain message.suse one, for now until you've got it working.