grub2 EFI boot loader internal/external booting

[pxwpxw]

I must be doing something wrong. Something very simple... but don't know what!!

I have:

* under the (default) Mac OS Extented (Case sensitive, Journaled) partition a directory called /efi

* under /efi there are the directories refit , tools and grub

* under /efi/refit there is:
- (directories) efi, icons
- (files) enable-always.sh, enable.sh, refit.conf, refit.efi, refit.vollabel

* under /efi/grub there is:
- (only files) grub-dumpbios, grub.cfg, grub64.efi (the one from post #849), grub64.icns

This is the way I have both an icon for Linux and another one for OS-X when I turn on the machine. Nevertheless, I don't get an icon for grub-efi?

Anything that is related with file/directory permissions maybe?

Suspect this /efi/refit/efi directory, it should not be there.
* under /efi/refit there is:
- (directories) efi, icons
- (files) enable-always.sh, enable.sh, refit.conf, refit.efi, refit.vollabel


But this looks correct, provided the one above is fixed.
* under /efi/grub there is:
- (only files) grub-dumpbios, grub.cfg, grub64.efi (the one from post #849), grub64.icns.

And as an alternative, if you put the grub files up in in the root of the Mac OS partition
Under / grub64.efi, grub.cfg, grub64.icns

That should be seen by refit (without grub64.icns you will still see the default 3cubes, just in case there is something wrong with grub64.icns).

Also attached a spare grub64.icns.gz.

[Nikos.Alexandris]

Suspect this /efi/refit/efi directory, it should not be there.
* under /efi/refit there is:
- (directories) efi, icons
- (files) enable-always.sh, enable.sh, refit.conf, refit.efi, refit.vollabel

It is not anymore there. I noticed that yesterday also and removed it right-away and retried. No luck though

But this looks correct, provided the one above is fixed.
* under /efi/grub there is:
- (only files) grub-dumpbios, grub.cfg, grub64.efi (the one from post #849), grub64.icns.

Yep, using grub64.efi from post #849

And as an alternative, if you put the grub files up in in the root of the Mac OS partition
Under / grub64.efi, grub.cfg, grub64.icns

That should be seen by refit (without grub64.icns you will still see the default 3cubes, just in case there is something wrong with grub64.icns).

I am trying this now... will report in a min. Thanks for all.

[Nikos.Alexandris]

I am trying this now... will report in a min. Thanks for all.

Awesome... it worked

I even booted my Ubuntu-Box by selecting the... hmmm "Internal MBR" or something. Don't remember. Now I (only?) need to set the BusID correctly and it should work. I'll report again

[Nikos.Alexandris]

Awesome... it worked

I even booted my Ubuntu-Box by selecting the... hmmm "Internal MBR" or something. Don't remember. Now I (only?) need to set the BusID correctly and it should work. I'll report again

OK, finally it works.

I get

lspci | grep VGA

02:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation GeForce 9600M GT (rev a1)
03:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation GeForce 9400M (rev b1)

I have the feeling the machine is "slower" and silent :-p. And, indeed, it is much cooler! However, display and keyboard backlight do not work (see also post #866).

Thank you all for you efforts!

[Nikos.Alexandris]

Well, the power manager seems not to work at all with grub64.efi. I was testing the battery (wanted to discharge it completely first) and the machine powered-off without any notification.

That's not good

[pxwpxw]

Well, the power manager seems not to work at all with grub64.efi. I was testing the battery (wanted to discharge it completely first) and the machine powered-off without any notification.

That's not good

Pleas post the grub.cfg menuentry you are using to boot with grub.efi, there may be something you can change there.

[Nikos.Alexandris]

Pleas post the grub.cfg menuentry you are using to boot with grub.efi, there may be something you can change there.

Here is my slightly customized grub.cfg:

# grub.cfg for external drive pxw 20090623

timeout=20
default=0


# various settings
set F1=ctrl-x
set F2=ctrl-c
set color_normal=yellow/blue


# settings taken from "native" (ubuntu) /boot/grub/grub.cfg
set root=(hd0,3)
search --fs-uuid --set f1a75acd-80e7-4488-abdb-a138aa6c5ff0


# menuentries
menuentry "OSX" {
	search --set /usr/standalone/i386/boot.efi
	chainloader /usr/standalone/i386/boot.efi
}
menuentry "internal OSX on sda2" {
	root=hd1,2
	chainloader /usr/standalone/i386/boot.efi
}


# custom menuentries
menuentry "Ubuntu, linux 2.6.28-14-generic" {
	fakebios
	linux	/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-14-generic root=UUID=f1a75acd-80e7-4488-abdb-a138aa6c5ff0 ro video=efifb noefi quiet splash usbcore.autosuspend=1 hpet=force
	initrd	/boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-14-generic
}

menuentry "Ubuntu, linux 2.6.28-14-generic (single-user mode)" {
	linux	/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-14-generic root=UUID=f1a75acd-80e7-4488-abdb-a138aa6c5ff0 ro video=efifb noefi single 
	initrd	/boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-14-generic
}


# with root=hd1,3
menuentry "internal sda3 fbdev root console" {
	fakebios
	root=hd1,3
	linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-14-generic root=/dev/sda3 video=efifb noefi single
	initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-14-generic
}
menuentry "internal sda3 fbdev login" {
	fakebios
	root=hd1,3
	linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-14-generic root=/dev/sda3 video=efifb noefi
	initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-14-generic
}


# internal cd
menuentry "internal CD" {
   appleloader CD
}

# internal MBR(1) == as booting from grub2 ?
menuentry "internal MBR1" {
   appleloader HD
}


# reboot
menuentry "REBOOT" {
	reboot
}

I can boot with both the "Ubuntu, linux 2.6.28-14-generic" and the "internal sda3 fbdev login".

However, if I change root=hd1,3 to root=hd0,1 in the latter, it does not work. I guess this is explained in some documentation why hd1 and not hd0 (...the comments in the end of the grub.cfg are not that clear to me). I wonder if the set root=(hd0,3) I've put in the very beginning of the file is useless/not correct.

Thanks a lot!

[Nikos.Alexandris]

Also attached a spare grub64.icns.gz.

That's nice Is this home-made? Are there any special rules to create such icons... or can I just downsize any image to an 128x128.icns?

[pxwpxw]

Here is my slightly customized grub.cfg:

# grub.cfg for external drive pxw 20090623

timeout=20
default=0


# various settings
set F1=ctrl-x
set F2=ctrl-c
set color_normal=yellow/blue


# settings taken from "native" (ubuntu) /boot/grub/grub.cfg
set root=(hd0,3)
search --fs-uuid --set f1a75acd-80e7-4488-abdb-a138aa6c5ff0


# menuentries
menuentry "OSX" {
	search --set /usr/standalone/i386/boot.efi
	chainloader /usr/standalone/i386/boot.efi
}
menuentry "internal OSX on sda2" {
	root=hd1,2
	chainloader /usr/standalone/i386/boot.efi
}


# custom menuentries
menuentry "Ubuntu, linux 2.6.28-14-generic" {
	fakebios
	linux	/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-14-generic root=UUID=f1a75acd-80e7-4488-abdb-a138aa6c5ff0 ro video=efifb noefi quiet splash usbcore.autosuspend=1 hpet=force
	initrd	/boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-14-generic
}

menuentry "Ubuntu, linux 2.6.28-14-generic (single-user mode)" {
	linux	/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-14-generic root=UUID=f1a75acd-80e7-4488-abdb-a138aa6c5ff0 ro video=efifb noefi single 
	initrd	/boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-14-generic
}


# with root=hd1,3
menuentry "internal sda3 fbdev root console" {
	fakebios
	root=hd1,3
	linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-14-generic root=/dev/sda3 video=efifb noefi single
	initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-14-generic
}
menuentry "internal sda3 fbdev login" {
	fakebios
	root=hd1,3
	linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-14-generic root=/dev/sda3 video=efifb noefi
	initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-14-generic
}


# internal cd
menuentry "internal CD" {
   appleloader CD
}

# internal MBR(1) == as booting from grub2 ?
menuentry "internal MBR1" {
   appleloader HD
}


# reboot
menuentry "REBOOT" {
	reboot
}

I can boot with both the "Ubuntu, linux 2.6.28-14-generic" and the "internal sda3 fbdev login".

However, if I change root=hd1,3 to root=hd0,1 in the latter, it does not work. I guess this is explained in some documentation why hd1 and not hd0 (...the comments in the end of the grub.cfg are not that clear to me). I wonder if the set root=(hd0,3) I've put in the very beginning of the file is useless/not correct.

Thanks a lot!

If you have an external drive or usb stick, that will change grub drive numbers, and with one usb stick, first internal HD is usually hd1, stick is hd0.

Settings from /boot/grub.cfg are an example (from grub2-pc?), irrelevant here. You need root= setting in each menuentry to be safe.

Is it the amd64 kernel?

Re the icns, its just renamed from the refit files - there's a bunch of them.
If you want to create one, 'google apple icns' should point you in right direction, you need the icon utility from the OSX Xcode tools, developer.

[Nikos.Alexandris]

If you have an external drive or usb stick, that will change grub drive numbers, and with one usb stick, first internal HD is usually hd1, stick is hd0.

Settings from /boot/grub.cfg are an example (from grub2-pc?), irrelevant here. You need root= setting in each menuentry to be safe.

Is it the amd64 kernel?

Re the icns, its just renamed from the refit files - there's a bunch of them.
If you want to create one, 'google apple icns' should point you in right direction, you need the icon utility from the OSX Xcode tools, developer.

Yes, I run Ubuntu Jaunty 64-bit.

I don't boot from any external device but sometimes they are just plugged (e.g. external disk with no operating system, mobile phone, etc.) while I power-on the machine. Does that matter as well?

OK, I read you reply more carefully and I'll adjust the grub.cfg file. I'll remove the "native" settings which are taken from grub2-pc.

Got it, root= for every menuentry.

Best regards, Nikos