slackware install

[Dutch Mafia-boy.]

On the first reboot after installing Slackware, it doesn't even boot into anything - its just says "GRUB". That's it.

This is after the computer has done all the POST and inventory - GRUB is displayed right at the point where a computer would normally begin to boot into the operating system....

Any thoughts..

Adrian

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by Dutch Mafia-boy.

Any thoughts..


Something is not working right. :)

Would you mind providing a bit more info? Dual/multi boot? Number of HD's. Partitions? Where is Grub installed?

Boot using your Slack CD in rescue mode and post the contents of your Grub config.

We had another thread on the same problem just the other week in this same forum if I remember correctly.

[moojuece]

did you have an exisiting linux install?
did you manually install grub?
slackware doesnt normally come with grub so a little more info as to how grub got on there maybe helpful

[JohnT]

n. grub

1. The thick wormlike larva of certain beetles and other insects.
2. A drudge.
3. (Slang.) Food.
:p

[XiaoKJ]

there are many places "grub" would be displayed

1) when it is booting/loading grub. It should display "GRUB Stage1 Stage2"

2) It is at grub's command prompt "GRUB>"

Please tell us which is it. If it is the second, then the problem should be much easier. Just read the help files for grub or use google.

if its the first, then the grub installation is faulty. use a grub floppy to test out (a blank grub floppy with nothing else, no images, just 2 grub stages.)

With the lack of info given when u post, u give us the possibility of ambiguity and we would not be able to help you. Please elaborate on your situation.

[JohnT]

Here's a GRUB refresher.......
http://home.nyc.rr.com/computertaijutsu/grub.html

[Dutch Mafia-boy.]

Alright guys - thanks for the replies..!

My box is @ home while I am at work......and I'll give you more info when I get a chance. - I recently got a girlfiend (Melissa), so all my weekend/evening time is devoted to her so I really haven't had time to play with linux as much as I used when I was single.....

I used to have redhat 9 on it, but formatted the partitions...I moving to Slackware b/c I really want to get to understand the guts of linux instead of having everything pre-configured and installed for me....(redhat)

My box has 3 hard drives. The first disk is partitioned in 2. one partition is the swap - about 1 GB and the rest is mounted on /.

I'll post more info tonight as soon as I get home from my night with Melissa - thanks again..

Adrian

[moojuece]

ok...grub got installed by red hat and slackware did not touch it in the install,
probably the easiest and most painless way to resolve this is to go through tthe slackware setup again and setup lilo

other wise you will have to do a lot of mucking about with grub, which, frankly i personally dont care for
lilo always seemed simpler and easier to me

im sure we can find at least 5million people here who would disagree with me but this is my $.02 and is how i would go about it

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by Dutch Mafia-boy.

My box has 3 hard drives. The first disk is partitioned in 2. one partition is the swap - about 1 GB and the rest is mounted on /.


Posting the partition layout for the 3 HD, the your Grub config and the location of Grub should suffice.

[asklepios]

Originally posted by moojuece
ok...grub got installed by red hat and slackware did not touch it in the install,
probably the easiest and most painless way to resolve this is to go through tthe slackware setup again and setup lilo that is the sure shot solution in just one go. no errors no nothing...

[moojuece]

one thing i should add is that you will probably need to install lilo to the MBR, that is given as an option during the slackware set up and will insure that lilo is used instead of grub

[DMR]

Originally posted by mdwatts
Posting the partition layout for the 3 HD, the your Grub config and the location of Grub should suffice. From what's been described so far, there probably won't be a grub config file- he said he reformatted before installing Slack. ;)

It looks like Grub's stage 1 is still installed in the MBR and is choking at the point where it calls stage 2 (or stage 1.5), because those later stages of the bootloader would have resided in the old (and now erased) Red Hat /boot directory.

[Dutch Mafia-boy.]

First thing i did was boot up with a DOS boot disk and did a fdisk /mbr. Rebooted and instead of having the it display "GRUB" - it displayed "L". I said, "OK, looks like that didn't work - I'll reinstall and see what happens".

Reinstalled and now everything is working. Running Slackware 9.1! Now - if I want to uninstall XWindows, KDE, and GNOME, how would I do that - since Slackware in pure source instead of RPMS.....I kinda want to start from scratch and see if I can get them up and running...

Thanks.

Adrian

[JohnT]

Originally posted by Dutch Mafia-boy.

Reinstalled and now everything is working. Running Slackware 9.1! Now - if I want to uninstall XWindows, KDE, and GNOME, how would I do that - since Slackware in pure source instead of RPMS.....I kinda want to start from scratch and see if I can get them up and running...


You could have done that easily during setup by choosing the software series you wanted. Series "A", the base system, contains enough software to get you up and running with a text editor and basic communication programs. The configuration is located under the "Package Series Selction", during install. Remember you'll want internet access to upgrade KDE and Gnome . Other than that the only recourse you would have is the pkgtool command or possibly installing and running SWARET.