Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

totimato · Joined: 20 Nov 2009 Posts: 2

Hi everybody!

I have an old computer with Windows 98 running on it - need it like that.
Been using Puppy live CD (4.3.1) and started to really like it. Because i have read of possible trouble with W98 not starting i have found another disk, disconected the W98 disk, conected Pup disk and did a full install (two partitions, swap and ext2fs).
Now, i have been using this for a couple of days, swiching disks for different OS. I now beleave i like Puppy, so i would like to have both disks in the computer and start win98 or Puppy to my liking. I know i could do another install to reformated fat32 Puppy disk, but as this is a Linux learning project, i would like to stick to linux file system.

I connected both disks and installed GAG (http://gag.sourceforge.net/) to do this. Win98 still starts as it shoud, but Puppy does not. This is what i get:

---screen
root (hd0,0)
Filesystem type is ex2fs, partition type 0x83
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda1 ro vga=normal
[Linux-bzImage, setup=0x2a00, size=018a82c]

Unlzmaing Linux... done.
Booting the kernel.
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(8,1)

---end screen

Now i'm stuck. I have been searching this forum for the last two days, but it seams i can't work it out on my own.

Any help appreciated!

Kind regards,

edit: i forgot to say: i did a full installl by this instructions: http://rexxinfo.org/How_to_Install_Puppy/HOW_TO_1.HTM

Wheres One · Joined: 21 Nov 2008 Posts: 215

If you have a hard drive with only Puppy on it and a hard drive with only Windows 98 on it, and they both already work, why not just connect both of them to your machine and choose which hard disk to boot from within the BIOS? Seeing as you already have two bootable, functional installs, why not just save some trouble and use the BIOS instead of another more complicated way?

Sorry if I'm missing something,

Wheres One

Pizzasgood · Posted: Fri 20 Nov 2009, 20:26 Post subject:

Never used GAG before. Are you sure that the root=/dev/sda1 option is correct? Even if it was correct when you first installed Puppy, at that time you only had one drive installed. Now you have two. The one Puppy is on might not be sda1 anymore - it could be sdb1. GAG does seem to be detecting that drive as the first HD, but it might use different sorting criteria than Puppy does, so I wouldn't treat it as gospel.

I don't have much experience with full-hd installs, so that's the only idea I have. Good luck.

FYI, Grub is perfectly capable of handling both a Puppy and a Windows install. Probably not as "prettily" as GAG does though, if that's what you're into.

alienjeff · Joined: 08 Jul 2006 Posts: 2290 Location: Winsted, CT - USA

http://sourceforge.net/projects/gag/support

Doesn't look very well supported. Consider Grub.

rubberdragon · Joined: 25 Jul 2007 Posts: 57 Location: On permanent leave

I'm taking it from the install guide you used and the output you quoted that you now have the Grub bootloader installed in MBR, and not GAG. Is that correct?

amigo · Joined: 02 Apr 2007 Posts: 1776

We need to know which connector your linux installation is on. If you have connected the windows disk to the first IDE cable, then your linux is probably not on /dev/sda1 -instead it would most likely be /dev/sdb1.
You'll need to change the entry ofr the bootloader -whether that happens to be GRUB, GAG or whatever. Then, you also need to change the entry in the /etc/fstab file of the liniuy installation itlsef. This will require that you boot using a liveCD so you can access the fstab, then edit and save it.

Are your disks connected using the wide IDE cables or are they connected with the small SATA connectors?

rubberdragon · Joined: 25 Jul 2007 Posts: 57 Location: On permanent leave

I've had the same idea, Amigo. I suspect that the first and only boot disk is the one with W98 and GAG in its MBR. When Puppy is chosen in that menu, grub on the second disk is run. If so, /boot/grub/menu.lst needs editing to something like

timeout 0
default 0

title Puppy 431
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sdb1 ro

This would avoid the nuisance of having to chose from 2 menus in succession.

PupGeek · Joined: 06 Sep 2009 Posts: 388

Go with GRUB. Boot a puppy livecd, open the menu, go to system>Grub and configure your bootloader. Use the simplest option offered for this.

After configuring GRUB, you might want to do a frugal install as well for experimenting with to reduce the chance of screwing up your full HD install by trying out new stuff. You can later add an entry into grub for the frugal install too by editing your menu.1st file.

totimato · Joined: 20 Nov 2009 Posts: 2

Thank you all for helping!

Problem solved: it is sdb!

@Wheres One:
Tryed that, but it doesn't work. Its an old computer i guess. And it is really slow process even if it would work.

@Pizzasgood:
Yes, its "pretty" i'm after Wink

@alienjeff:
GAG is easyer

@rubberdragon:
I have GAG. But i guess Grub is still at the beginning of the boot process of Puppy...
I do have timeout 0, so there is no second menu.

@amigo:
Both are IDE disks. And at the time of install the Linux disk was also connected as slave, i just disconected the master (win98) disk and started installing. So i wasn't expecting that, i was trying all sorts of silly (hdx,x) combinations Smile

Kind regards,