[Solved!] problem changing boot system & no graphics in grub

[shimonl]

I have been using PClos for a few years, installed from the regular CD.
Since I have a much larger hd now than I used to, I decided to d/l and try out
the FullMonty version too. In order to get to the partition where I installed it,
I wanted to add a new line to my grub menu.

I went to Configure your computer > Boot > Set up boot system

This does not work for me, I get a popup window which says:
"This program has exited abnormally".

Any advice?
And does anyone think there might be a connection between this problem
and my other grub problem at http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,111891.0.html ?

Thanks,
Shimon

[Just17]

Which install is controlling the Grub in MBR?

Where did you install Grub when you did the second OS install?

[shimonl]

When I did the new install, I put its grub on its own root partition,
NOT on the MBR.

Thanks,
Shimon

[Just17]

Something like this entry will call the Grub version loaded on the partition you specify
This is to be added to the controlling Grub's menu.lst file.

title Full Monty
root (hd0,7)
chainloader +1

You will of course have to change the  (hd0,7)   to suit your drive/partition.
The first number is the drive and the second is the partition.
All Grub numbering begins at zero, so the above would be

first drive
eight partition

HTH 

[shimonl]

The reason I opened this thread is that i am unable
to get into the "Set up boot system" section of
Configure your computer.
When I click on it it displays:
"This program has exited abnormally".

Can anyone help me with that?

[Just17]

I thought you wanted an entry in your boot menu to get to the new install ....  sorry!

[Old-Polack]

The reason I opened this thread is that i am unable
to get into the "Set up boot system" section of
Configure your computer.
When I click on it it displays:
"This program has exited abnormally".

Can anyone help me with that?

Have you tried rebooting? Sometimes that clears up whatever is causing the problem.

[shimonl]

My family is beginning to chide me with quotes from my past,
about how often M$W users have to reboot...

Yup, I have rebooted.

[shimonl]

Just17: Yes, I did want to add the new OS to my menu. I did not
understand that you were recommending a method of getting it added
even though the Boot app isn't working.

Old-Polack also explained to me that by editing the file as root I could add the OS.
Thank you both.

Is there any way to get the gui app to work again?

[Old-Polack]

Just17: Yes, I did want to add the new OS to my menu. I did not
understand that you were recommending a method of getting it added
even though the Boot app isn't working.

Old-Polack also explained to me that by editing the file as root I could add the OS.
Thank you both.

Is there any way to get the gui app to work again?

Try reinstalling the drakconf package using Synaptic.

[Just17]

Have you recently done a full update of your install? .....  as in  Mark all upgrades   in Synaptic ?

The reason I ask is that some of the boot image packages were upgraded recently ....  maybe you did not get them all ........  so I would first suggest trying another full update to ensure that all is properly updated.

It seems your gfximage and PCC - boot set up problems occurred about the same time ....

[shimonl]

Thank you to Old-Polack and Just17 for your suggestions.

Regarding updates: I do a reload and mark all updates at least every third day
(and sometimes every day). My system is as up-to-date as Synaptic will make it.

I did just reinstalled drakconf, but that on its own has not fixed "Set up boot system".
I will see how a reboot affects things later today.

[Just17]

Thank you to Old-Polack and Just17 for your suggestions.

Regarding updates: I do a reload and mark all updates at least every third day
(and sometimes every day). My system is as up-to-date as Synaptic will make it.

I did just reinstalled drakconf, but that on its own has not fixed "Set up boot system".
I will see how a reboot affects things later today.

All I need is an assurance that you have attempted a full upgrade since I posted about it 

We need to know the exact state of things.

[shimonl]

This problem seems stuck in a rut:
- I did ensure that my system is completely up to date
- I reinstalled drakconf
- reinstalled pclinuxos-gfxboot-theme
- checked /boot/grub/menu.lst file and it has this:
[root@localhost grub]# cat menu.lst
timeout 5
color black/cyan yellow/cyan
gfxmenu (hd0,4)/boot/gfxmenu
default 0

title linux
kernel (hd0,4)/boot/vmlinuz BOOT_IMAGE=linux root=UUID=900b8415-e542-4d5b-9eec-526f01eec51c quiet nokmsboot vmalloc=256M acpi=on resume=UUID=4e409e2a-e4a8-4c27-ad88-b066c0b00f31 splash=silent vga=788
initrd (hd0,4)/boot/initrd.img

title Full Monty
root (hd0,13)
chainloader +1

title linux-nonfb
kernel (hd0,4)/boot/vmlinuz BOOT_IMAGE=linux-nonfb root=UUID=900b8415-e542-4d5b-9eec-526f01eec51c quiet nokmsboot vmalloc=256M acpi=on resume=UUID=4e409e2a-e4a8-4c27-ad88-b066c0b00f31
initrd (hd0,4)/boot/initrd.img

title failsafe
kernel (hd0,4)/boot/vmlinuz BOOT_IMAGE=failsafe root=UUID=900b8415-e542-4d5b-9eec-526f01eec51c quiet failsafe vmalloc=256M acpi=on
initrd (hd0,4)/boot/initrd.img

- As you see, I manually added the stanza for FM, which works, but I was unable to do it via 'Configure Boot System'
- The gfxmenu line points to the same partition  as the kernel images, (hd0,4), and there is a gfxmenu file there:
[root@localhost boot]# ls -al gfx*
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 504320 Jan  2 23:44 gfxmenu*

- I have rebooted after each attempt to change things, but so far the problems remain.

So, all in all, you people seemed to think there IS a connection between 'Configure Boot System'
not working, and the fact that booting from grub gets no graphic menu. I have therefor modified the
subject of this thread to contain both topics: problem changing boot system & no graphics in grub.

Do you think the problem is in the /boot directory, or in the MBR?

[shimonl]

An interesting update, IMHO:
I just rebooted, and chose the FM stanza:
title Full Monty
root (hd0,13)
chainloader +1

This then went to the grub on the FM partition (hd0,13).
In that grub menu (which works with graphics, as it should!),
there is an entry for my standard PCLos system (the one I am writing
about here, *not* the FM). The menu.lst there looks like this:
timeout 10
color black/cyan yellow/cyan
gfxmenu (hd0,13)/boot/gfxmenu
default 0

title PCLinuxOS_FullMonty
kernel (hd0,13)/boot/vmlinuz BOOT_IMAGE=PCLinuxOS_FullMonty root=LABEL=PCLOS-FM quiet vmalloc=256M acpi=on resume=UUID=4e409e2a-e4a8-4c27-ad88-b066c0b00f31 splash=silent vga=788
initrd (hd0,13)/boot/initrd.img

title PCLinuxOS_FullMonty-nonfb
kernel (hd0,13)/boot/vmlinuz BOOT_IMAGE=PCLinuxOS_FullMonty-nonfb root=LABEL=PCLOS-FM quiet vmalloc=256M acpi=on resume=UUID=4e409e2a-e4a8-4c27-ad88-b066c0b00f31
initrd (hd0,13)/boot/initrd.img

title PCLinuxOS_FullMonty(failsafe)
kernel (hd0,13)/boot/vmlinuz BOOT_IMAGE=PCLinuxOS_FullMonty(failsafe) root=LABEL=PCLOS-FM failsafe vmalloc=256M
initrd (hd0,13)/boot/initrd.img

title PCLinuxOS (PCLinuxOS)
root (hd0,4)
configfile /boot/grub/menu.lst

title memtest-4.20
kernel (hd0,13)/boot/memtest-4.20 BOOT_IMAGE=memtest-4.20

So, over there I chose 'PCLinuxOS (PCLinuxOS)', which as you see, goes right back to (hd0,4) as before,
and... Lo and Behold!!!! I got a graphic menu!!!

Does this give anyone an idea of what could be wrong with my regular boot?
It does seem that there is a valid graphic menu on that partition, doesn't it? Or did
I misunderstand something?

Thank you!
Shimon