Help with linux anyone????

so, here's the deal I bought a net book with Linux on it but, no xp. so i decided to wipe it and install xp. Now, that xp is installed I went along and decided to install easy peasy on my net book. the only problem is i haven't figured out a way how to dual boot. I'm pretty new to Linux so some detail will be much appreciated. I can boot into both systems but, I have to change the settings in the bios to do so or hit the esc key. Both systems are installed on separate hard drives. With xp installed first. i tried using neo technologies easy bcd but, i guess it only works for systems with vista. thanks to anyone who can help me out. and if it help I'm using the asus 1000 eee.

 

Install Kuki or Ubuntu Netbook remix onto a USB thumbdrive and boot from USB to a 'Live' version to see which one is best with your hardware. Each version has an installer for when you want to take the plunge.


EDIT., LOL - ignore all that, I completelymisread your post

 

I think you need to setup Grub correctly, checkout this thread.

 

If you don't have any joy wth satrows link, check this out http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=690912

 

I was able to setup the time out, so i can get a menu now. but, now i get this message:

"Error 13: Invalid or unsupported executable format"

"Press any key to continue"

and then it just takes me back to the boot screen for easy peasy. however when i boot to xp i dont get a boot menu at all.

 

What did you do to set the time out?

Didi you follow either of the links posted?

Q

 

Hi Q,

I didnt catch your post until I already set the timeout. I set the time out to 30s. which i think would be plenty of time to decide which system you want to boot into. i can post the grub information if that will help? I am going take a look at your link right now.

 

Plodr,

that is somewhat correct, i have no boot menu in xp but, when i switch to EP.(have to boot to hard drive or change settings in bios). I have a boot menu, it just gives me the "13" error when trying to boot into xp. I'll try super grub, i just tried making a copy on a flash drive but, it doesn't look like it worked correctly so I will try again later tonite and let you know how it goes. right now its just cycling through the menu saying "could not find ramdisk image: /ubninit" I'll update once i give the usb thing another go, must have done something wrong.

 

Hi jguy6,

Have you tried posting in the "Linux" section/forum on MG's yet?

More answers maybe?

 

Hi Plodr,

Really appreciate the help. My ASUS netbook is a the 1000 eee and it has two SSD one 8GB and one 30GB. I have XP installed on the 8gb cuz i use it more than EP since im still trying to learn linux. I had tried the super grub disk with a usb stick and got into xp through ep but, it only seems to work with the usb stick and not without. if there is more information needed please let me know and ill provide what i can.

 

when you boot into ep, can you open a terminal and type

Code:

fdisk -l

you may need to be root,
post the output

also can you post the contents of your /boot/grub/menu.lst (list not first)

 

Looks like the 1000 used to ship with 8 GB SSD and a 32 GB SSD (total: 40 GB) but more recently with (or marketed as - it may be that the drives are joined in software) a single 40GB. Take a careful look at the image of the advertisement at Lilliputing before clicking the link to see the most recent page.

 

Too late to edit ...

Tom's Guide.

This makes sense, I don't recall ever seeing a mention of a 40Gb SSD anywhere.

 

More insights into the internals of the 1000.

eeeuser forums

 

the terminal command i gave will list the drives and partitions, so there will be no need for guessing

 

to try and help with the confusion. I have the netbook with one 8gb ssd and another 32gb ssd. sorry if i confused anyone earlier. running commands right now will post results shortly.

 

ok since im a complete noob to linux this took me sometime to figure out. i guess i needed to install root to run the first command, the second command was much easier, heres the results.

l1nux@l1nux-laptop:~$ sudo fdisk -l
[sudo] password for l1nux:

Disk /dev/sda: 8069 MB, 8069677056 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 981 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x294a294a

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 980 7871818+ 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdb: 32.2 GB, 32279224320 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3924 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x90599059

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 1 653 5245191 83 Linux
/dev/sdb2 654 3923 26266275 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sdb5 654 1697 8385898+ 83 Linux
/dev/sdb6 1698 1958 2096451 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdb7 1959 3923 15783831 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdc: 4102 MB, 4102887936 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 498 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xe7ae1fa1

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 * 1 497 3992135+ b W95 FAT32
l1nux@l1nux-laptop:~$

l1nux@l1nux-laptop:~$
This is what i get when i try running fdisk -l. (took me a few tries but i got it.)

Here is the next command info /boot/grub/menu.lst



# 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 30

## 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'
# 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 30

## 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=2569c9c6-9866-45d2-9956-03095b90da02 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=2569c9c6-9866-45d2-9956-03095b90da02

## 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
## 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
## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title Easy Peasy 1.0, kernel 2.6.27-8-eeepc
uuid 2569c9c6-9866-45d2-9956-03095b90da02
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-8-eeepc root=UUID=2569c9c6-9866-45d2-9956-03095b90da02 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-8-eeepc
quiet

title Easy Peasy 1.0, kernel 2.6.27-8-eeepc (recovery mode)
uuid 2569c9c6-9866-45d2-9956-03095b90da02
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-8-eeepc root=UUID=2569c9c6-9866-45d2-9956-03095b90da02 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-8-eeepc
title Easy Peasy 1.0, memtest86+
uuid 2569c9c6-9866-45d2-9956-03095b90da02
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 NT/2000/XP
root (hd0,0)
savedefault
chainloader +1

 

i believe that this

Code:

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda1
title Windows NT/2000/XP
root (hd0,0)
savedefault
chainloader +1 

should be this

Code:

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda1
title Windows NT/2000/XP
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
savedefault
chainloader +1 

 

ok so do i just replaced that code with the one you provided and save it? Only asking because I'm not very technical with linux.

 

ok i just tried adding the new code using the following command:
nano /boot/grub/menu.lst

and it displayed all the information but, when I went to change the code and restart it didn't save it. what am i doing wrong?

 

well i have to say i am sure getting a crash course in how to use linux. I was able to get into nano before but, wasn't able to save. I figured out how to save my changes and only made the change to (rootnoverify) nothing else look like it had changed to me. saved changes rebooted and still no luck. i'm still getting the error 13 message. could i have install EP and XP incorrectly? I can boot into xp on the separate hard drive and boot into EP on the other hard drive i just cant get a boot menu that works for both os. I tried the super grub disk on a usb stick and was able to boot into xp using ep's grub but, after removing the usb stick it just went back to "error 13". i installed xp first then ep. other than that i don't know what i may have done wrong. maybe wrong file system type on ep?????

 

I believe the code to close and save is CTRL- QQ (hit Q twice)

Can someone else verify?