[Novalug] Ubuntu Grub question

[Angelo Bertolli]

John Peck wrote:
> On Sunday 01 April 2007 08:05 pm, Angelo Bertolli wrote:
>   
>> John Peck wrote:
>>     
>>> I'm using Ubuntu on some of my computers. I've had boot issues on my dual
>>> boot machines. If I recall Grub complained about something being over the
>>> 1024 cylinder and couldn't continue. Installing Mandrake with Lilo on the
>>> same machine worked OK. I want to switch from Mandrake to Ubuntu on my
>>> main workstation but want to be sure I won't have a Grub issue. Is there
>>> a way to test my existing system for this Grub issue before installing
>>> Ubuntu? If Grub is going to be an issue is there a repair or workaround
>>> after Ubuntu is installed?
>>>       
>> Where did you install grub?  If you installed in the MBR, then this
>> shouldn't be happening.  Where is your /boot partition in relationship
>> to the other partitions on the disk?
>>     
>
> I think I see the issue. The /boot is part of the / directory. The drive is 
> partitioned out with windows as the first then ext3 / partition, a swap then 
> the rest as /home. I've carried this setup through a number of Linux 
> distributions based on what the original distribution recommended. Mandrake 
> has used Lilo as the bootloader everytime. It looks like I'll either need to 
> repartition or just try the Ubuntu install and hope for the best. I really 
> don't want to destroy my windows partition because I do not want to go 
> through the install and hours upon hours of security patches. 
>   

I think I had a "funny" problem like this on an older computer once 
too.  Even though it was supposed to be a computer that didn't have the 
addressing limitation, GRUB (maybe certain versions?) just didn't work.  
And for some really strange reason LILO did.  I never really figured out 
why.  The fact that LILO works and GRUB doesn't makes me think that you 
do not have an addressing problem.  However, putting the /boot partition 
in the front did make this problem go away.  \

Maybe the simplest solution for you is to install LILO.  A more 
complicated solution would be to move the partitions around.  I'm not 
sure gparted can move the *beginning* of an NTFS partition or not.

Angelo