Windows 7 + Xubuntu issue - Cant boot Xubuntu

etdwh · Apr 13, 2009

HI Guys,

I've got 3 harddisks. 2 SATA and 1 IDE. According to Windows:
Disk 0 - SATA - Installed with Windows 7, with 3 partitions.
Disk 1 - IDE - installed with Xubuntu, 3 linux partitions (root, /home, swap) and another storage partition.
Disk 2 - SATA - Just used for storage and shared data between Windows and Linux.

I installed WIndows 7 first, followed by Xubuntu, choosing to install GRUB on /dev/sdc, MBR of the IDE disk.

Reboot to Windows, installed EasyBCD Beta 2.0.0.60, launched EasyBCD.
Add Remove/Entries, Linux tab, selected Drive 1, and clicked Add Entry.
Reboot and chose Xubuntu from the menu.
Ended up with a black screen, with the word GRUB at the top left hand side.
Could not do anything further, so reset and back to Windows.
Deleted Xubuntu entry and tried adding again, ticking GRUB isn't installed to MBR/bootsector.
Rebooted again, selected NeoSmart Linux and got another black screen with

Code:

Try (hd0,0): NTFS5: No neogrub.

I can get the GRUB menu installed by Xubuntu, if i change the HDD sequence in the BIOS. But i would really like it work from the Windows boot menu, if possible.

Here is the contents of menu.lst from Xubuntu:

Code:

# 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 use 'savedefault' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default 0
## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 10
## 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=0c52153f-6923-44eb-9585-8be25e78912b ro
## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=0c52153f-6923-44eb-9585-8be25e78912b
## 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) 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 Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-7-generic
uuid 0c52153f-6923-44eb-9585-8be25e78912b
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-7-generic root=UUID=0c52153f-6923-44eb-9585-8be25e78912b ro quiet splash 
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-7-generic
quiet
title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-7-generic (recovery mode)
uuid 0c52153f-6923-44eb-9585-8be25e78912b
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-7-generic root=UUID=0c52153f-6923-44eb-9585-8be25e78912b ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-7-generic
title Ubuntu 8.10, memtest86+
uuid 0c52153f-6923-44eb-9585-8be25e78912b
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet
### 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/sda1
title Windows Vista/Longhorn (loader)
root (hd0,0)
savedefault
chainloader +1

Debug mode from EasyBCD:

Code:

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier {9dea862c-5cdd-4e70-acc1-f32b344d4795}
device partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume5
description Windows Boot Manager
locale en-US
inherit {7ea2e1ac-2e61-4728-aaa3-896d9d0a9f0e}
default {d1291d55-1cfd-11de-980d-846b62ec4389}
resumeobject {d1291d54-1cfd-11de-980d-846b62ec4389}
displayorder {d1291d55-1cfd-11de-980d-846b62ec4389}
{d1291d6a-1cfd-11de-980d-846b62ec4389}
toolsdisplayorder {b2721d73-1db4-4c62-bf78-c548a880142d}
timeout 30
Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier {d1291d55-1cfd-11de-980d-846b62ec4389}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description Windows 7
locale en-US
inherit {6efb52bf-1766-41db-a6b3-0ee5eff72bd7}
recoverysequence {d1291d56-1cfd-11de-980d-846b62ec4389}
recoveryenabled Yes
osdevice partition=C:
systemroot \Windows
resumeobject {d1291d54-1cfd-11de-980d-846b62ec4389}
nx OptIn
Real-mode Boot Sector
---------------------
identifier {d1291d6a-1cfd-11de-980d-846b62ec4389}
device partition=C:
path \NST\NeoGrub.mbr
description Xubuntu

NeoGrub config file:

Code:

# NeoSmart NeoGrub Bootloader Configuration File
#
# This is the NeoGrub configuration file, and should be located at C:\NST\menu.lst
# Please see the EasyBCD Documentation for information on how to create/modify entries:
# [URL]http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/[/URL]
 
find --set-root --ignore-floppies /boot/grub/menu.lst
configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst
# All your boot are belong to NeoSmart!

Hope the information is sufficient. I dont know whats wrong here..

Let me know if more infomration is needed.

If it makes a difference, both Windows 7 and Xubuntu are the x64 editions.

Thanks.
-Eugene.

Coolname007 · Apr 13, 2009

Welcome to NeoSmart Technologies, Eugene.
Download and install the latest beta build of EasyBCD, and re-add the Xubuntu entry. The problem is you're probably using version 1.7.2, which doesn't support UUID lines, which your menu.lst contains. So try re-adding the Xubuntu entry with EasyBCD 2.0 beta, remembering to select the box called "Grub isn't installed to the MBR/bootsector", and it should work perfectly fine.

Jake

etdwh · Apr 14, 2009

Coolname007 said:
Welcome to NeoSmart Technologies, Eugene.
Download and install the latest beta build of EasyBCD, and re-add the Xubuntu entry. The problem is you're probably using version 1.7.2, which doesn't support UUID lines, which your menu.lst contains. So try re-adding the Xubuntu entry with EasyBCD 2.0 beta, remembering to select the box called "Grub isn't installed to the MBR/bootsector", and it should work perfectly fine.
Jake

Hi Jake,
Thanks for the assistance.
I did mention i'm using EasyBCD Beta 2.0.0.60

More research led me to this post:
The NeoSmart Forums - View Single Post - Dual Booting Vista Fedora 10

So I tried again, waiting for sometime (30-40 seconds I think) after

Code:

Try (hd0,0): NTFS5: No neogrub

was displayed. Eventually, NeoGRUB did appear

But can this be faster? Instead of looking in hd0,0 first, maybe look in hd0,1 first?
I guess this is a Windows 7 specific issue...

JustinW · Apr 14, 2009

If you use "root (hdx,y)" with x for disk and y for partition and not the find line it might be.

Windows 7 + Xubuntu issue - Cant boot Xubuntu

etdwh

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Coolname007

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etdwh

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JustinW

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