Win2k / Gentoo dualboot question

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finalgt

Supreme [H]ardness
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Aug 3, 2002
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OK, I've got the kernel compiled, everything seems dandy...just a couple more questions.

a) How do I load the kernel? I've got it compiled just fine, but how exactly do I load it?

b) I've learned from a guide that in order to boot Linux from the Windows bootloader (I'd prefer this to using GRUB, since I'm afraid of using GRUB) that I need to use the command mount –t msdos /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy to write a bootable Linux image to a floppy...however, I do not have a floppy drive. Could I use this command to write an msdos file to my Windows C drive, /dev/hda1? Or would that totally screw Windows over?

Any help on loading the kernel would be greatly appreciated.
 
why dont you just follow the gentoo install guide, it explains all of this perfectly
and what is wrong with grub? it is much better than the windows bootloader, as it was not made with the mentality that windows is the only os in the world. plus you can make custom splash screens :D
 
There's nothing to be afraid of with a linux bootloader; if you want to get rid of it, just use the recovery console from your XP CD and 'fixmbr'.

...or you can put grub on a linux partition (/dev/hda# instead of /dev/hda) and use fdisk to make the linux part. bootable, so all you need to do is run fdisk to get back to how it was before you started...

It's a lot easier. really.
 
Alright, I got the GRUB bootloader to load Windows 2000 properly (how I'm typing this message) but it gives me an error with Gentoo. The way the loader looks is like this:

timeout=30
default=0
fallback=1

title Gentoo Linux
root (hd3,2)
kernel (hd3,2)/kernel-2.4.22 root=/dev/hdg3
initrd (hd3,2)/initrd-2.4.22
splashimage=(hd3,2)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz

title Windows 2000
unhide (hd0,0)
hide (hd0,1)
hide (hd0,2)
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
makeactive

As I said, I got the Windows 2000 part working, but Linux just gives me a "file not found" error. I've been screwing around with formatting, and I'm still hopeful that I'll figure out that I missed an equals sign somewhere, or something.

ONE MORE EDIT

OK, so it's actually loading Gentoo now. I'm a step farther.
However, there's a new problem, and I've not a clue in hell how to solve it. When Gentoo starts loading, the screen goes berfuckingserk; artifacts all over the screen, I can't read any of the text at all, and things are just generally screwed. I got the same kind of artifacting on my old Radeon after I accidentally (heh) screwed it over.

I tried fixing the problem by using emerge at-drivers, but it doesn't find a certain file from any of the FTP or HTTP mirrors (gentoo-cursors-tad-2.0 or something?) and aborts. Where am I supposed to go from here? Has anybody had this type of problem with an ATI card in Linux?

It's a 9700 Pro AIW, btw.
 
Can't really offer anything except using emerge -f sometimes does a better job at fetching files.

Originally posted by finalgt
Alright, I got the GRUB bootloader to load Windows 2000 properly (how I'm typing this message) but it gives me an error with Gentoo. The way the loader looks is like this:

timeout=30
default=0
fallback=1

title Gentoo Linux
root (hd3,2)
kernel (hd3,2)/kernel-2.4.22 root=/dev/hdg3
initrd (hd3,2)/initrd-2.4.22
splashimage=(hd3,2)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz

title Windows 2000
unhide (hd0,0)
hide (hd0,1)
hide (hd0,2)
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
makeactive

As I said, I got the Windows 2000 part working, but Linux just gives me a "file not found" error. I've been screwing around with formatting, and I'm still hopeful that I'll figure out that I missed an equals sign somewhere, or something.

ONE MORE EDIT

OK, so it's actually loading Gentoo now. I'm a step farther.
However, there's a new problem, and I've not a clue in hell how to solve it. When Gentoo starts loading, the screen goes berfuckingserk; artifacts all over the screen, I can't read any of the text at all, and things are just generally screwed. I got the same kind of artifacting on my old Radeon after I accidentally (heh) screwed it over.

I tried fixing the problem by using emerge at-drivers, but it doesn't find a certain file from any of the FTP or HTTP mirrors (gentoo-cursors-tad-2.0 or something?) and aborts. Where am I supposed to go from here? Has anybody had this type of problem with an ATI card in Linux?

It's a 9700 Pro AIW, btw.
Click to expand...
 
It's no longer glitching, after I appended vga=792 in the Linux line...however, I've got one more problem that I need to solve.

Verbatim:
VFS : Cannot open root device "hdg3" or 27:03
Please append a correct "root=" boot option

So, that's just about the last error that I need to fix, I think. What's the proper syntax for using a drive in there? I know from the LiveCD that the correct name for the drive and partition on which Linux is stored is /dev/hdg3, the three coming from the fact that the first two partitions are the boot sector and the swap space, respectively.

Do I have to mount /mnt/gentoo on /dev/hdg3, or...yeah, it's pretty apparent that I'm new to Linux. lol

This is the main thing that I don't understand about Linux, the way it manages mounting drives.
 
I thought so as well, but for some reason, it doesn't. At least, it didn't on the LiveCD. Let me see what happens when I try that in grub.conf.

/dev/hdd3, /dev/hdd and /dev/hdg also don't work. Yet I know that (hd3,2) is the proper path to my Linux drive, since Linux actually starts loading. So where do I go from here?
 
you linux root partition is the 3rd partition on the secondary slave drive?
also, is the kernel in the /boot partition or just in the sytem root?
if its /boot/kernel-blah you will need to have:
kernel=(hd(boot partition)/boot/kernel root=(hd(root partition)) vga=0xwhatever
also make sure you have the correct /etc/fstab entries for all of your drives/filesystems

try chrooting in from the livecd and mounting filesystems to see which is the root and boot partitions. make sure the fstab is up to date too
it is also possible you dont have support for the / fs type. if it is reiserfs, you will need to emerge the reiser-tools package. ext3 should work fine, although your kernel config will need to have support.
 
Originally posted by finalgt

title Gentoo Linux
root (hd3,2)
kernel (hd3,2)/kernel-2.4.22 root=/dev/hdg3
initrd (hd3,2)/initrd-2.4.22
splashimage=(hd3,2)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz
Click to expand...

yeah, it seems to me that you might have the boot partition mixed up? don't forget that hd3,2 is the 3rd partition on your fourth harddrive

personally, I use hd0,1 and my partitions look like this:

hda1 winxp <- hd0,0
hda2 linux boot <- hd0,1
hda3 linux swap <- hd0,2
hda4 linux root <- hd0,3
 
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