dual boot install--no GRUB
- by Jim Syyap
My computer recently had a hardware upgrade and now runs on Windows 7. I decided to install Ubuntu 11.04 as dual boot using the ISO I got from ubuntu.com downloaded onto my USB stick.
Restarting with the USB stick, I was able to install Ubuntu 11.04 choosing the option:
Install Ubuntu 11.04 side by side with Windows 7 (or something like that).
No errors were encountered on installation. However on restarting, there was no GRUB; the system went straight into Windows 7.
Looking for answers, I found these:
http://essayboard.com/2011/07/12/how-to-dual-boot-ubuntu-11-04-and-windows-7-the-traditional-way-through-grub-2/
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1774523
Following their instructions, I got:
Boot Info Script 0.60 from 17 May 2011
============================= Boot Info Summary: ===============================
=> Windows is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda.
=> Syslinux MBR (3.61-4.03) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb.
=> Grub2 (v1.99) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdc and looks at sector 1 of
the same hard drive for core.img. core.img is at this location and looks
for (,msdos7)/boot/grub on this drive.
sda1: __________________________________________________ ________________________
File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files: /grldr /bootmgr /Boot/BCD /grldr
sda2: __________________________________________________ ________________________
File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System: Windows 7
Boot files: /Windows/System32/winload.exe
sdb1: __________________________________________________ ________________________
File system: vfat
Boot sector type: SYSLINUX 4.02 debian-20101016 ...........>...r>....... ......0...~.k...~...f...M.f.f....f..8~....>2}
Boot sector info: Syslinux looks at sector 1437504 of /dev/sdb1 for its
second stage. SYSLINUX is installed in the directory.
The integrity check of the ADV area failed. According
to the info in the boot sector, sdb1 starts at sector
0. But according to the info from fdisk, sdb1 starts
at sector 62.
Operating System:
Boot files: /boot/grub/grub.cfg /syslinux/syslinux.cfg /ldlinux.sys
sdc1: __________________________________________________ ________________________
File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows XP
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files:
sdc2: __________________________________________________ ________________________
File system: Extended Partition
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
sdc5: __________________________________________________ ________________________
File system: swap
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
sdc6: __________________________________________________ ________________________
File system: swap
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
sdc7: __________________________________________________ ________________________
File system: ext4
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
Operating System: Ubuntu 11.04
Boot files: /boot/grub/grub.cfg /etc/fstab /boot/grub/core.img
sdc8: __________________________________________________ ________________________
File system: swap
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
Going back into Ubuntu and running sudo fdisk -l , I got these:
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -l
Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0002f393
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 13 102400 7 HPFS/NTFS
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda2 13 19458 156185600 7 HPFS/NTFS
Disk /dev/sdb: 2011 MB, 2011168768 bytes
62 heads, 62 sectors/track, 1021 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 3844 * 512 = 1968128 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000f2ab9
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 1 1021 1962331 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
Disk /dev/sdc: 1000.2 GB, 1000202043392 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121600 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00261ddd
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 * 1 60657 487222656+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdc2 60657 121600 489527681 5 Extended
/dev/sdc5 120563 121600 8337703+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdc6 120073 120562 3930112 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdc7 60657 119584 473328640 83 Linux
/dev/sdc8 119584 120072 3923968 82 Linux swap / Solaris
Should I proceed and do the following?
Assuming Ubuntu 11.04 was installed on device sdb1, do this:
sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt
Then do this:
sudo grub-install--root-directory=/mnt /dev/sdb
Notice there are two dashes in front of the root directory, and I'm not using sdb1 but sdb.
Since the command in step 15 had reinstalled Grub 2, now we need to unmount the /mnt
(i.e. sdb1) to clean up.
Do this:
sudo umount /mnt
Reboot and remove Ubuntu 11.04 CD/DVD from disk tray. Log into Ubuntu 11.04 (you have no choice but it will make you log into Ubuntu 11.04 at this point).
Open up a terminal in Ubuntu 11.04 (using real installation, not live CD/DVD). Execute this command:
sudo update-grub
Reboot the machine.
