[how to] Suse 10: My bootloader doesn't work!

[ViperSnake]

Okay, most newbies installing SUSE 10 and later may have just clicked through everything, not noticing that now by default, YaST installs the bootloader to the first sector of the install drive now, as assumed by newbies. This could lead to an unbootable system if it's a one drive new install, or still making it boot into Windows for dual booters (which can be fine, but you probaly wanted GRUB anyway).

So, are you the person who made that mistake? It's good for most, they are at least thinking of the dual-booters...but how do you get grub where it needs to be?

1. Boot from the Suse 10.x disc 1 (or DVD) and select Rescue System from the menu.

2. Type:

grub-install ?/dev/hda

How easy is that?

NOTE, the same thing happens on Fedora Core 5 now too (on Personal Desktop installs). On FC5, boot from your first disc, type "linux rescue" at the boot prompt, chroot into your system as directed, and run "grub-install /dev/hda/">

Edited August 12, 2006 by ViperSnake

[markwolfe Veteran]

Thanks! (Y)

I am sure that this will come up quite frequently over this upcoming month or so.

[Zxian]

Is it possible to take the bootsector off the install drive and add the boot information to the Windows MBR?

Something like the instructions here? Just instead, boot from the Live DVD and copy that boot sector to a USB drive or the like?

[ViperSnake]

No, I assume that when you read this, you wanted GRUB, but you goofed up and didn't know the new defaults. I did say:

  Quote

...making it boot into Windows for dual booters (which can be fine, but you probaly wanted GRUB anyway).

[Zxian]

I actually want the Windows bootloader to sit in the MBR and GRUB to be installed on the drive that Suse is installed on. If you have a floppy drive, you can achieve this with other distros, but my laptop doesn't have a floppy drive, so I'm kinda lost as to what to do.

[markwolfe Veteran]

  Zxian said:

I actually want the Windows bootloader to sit in the MBR and GRUB to be installed on the drive that Suse is installed on. If you have a floppy drive, you can achieve this with other distros, but my laptop doesn't have a floppy drive, so I'm kinda lost as to what to do.

586663512[/snapback]

This might help:

http://www.geocities.com/epark/linux/grub-w2k-HOWTO.html

[Zxian]

I'll look into that... Thanks. :)

[ViperSnake]

Okay, since people may have this problem on SUSE 10.1 and later also, and the fact that Fedora Core 5 does the same thing now (as I learned in a personal experience), I have did some small adjustments to the guide to reflect this..