[ltp] Need a crash course on T60 boot loaders, SVP

[Igor V. Rafienko]

on Dec 18, 2006, 07:22, Chris Schumann wrote:

[ ... ]

> To use grub to load that code, the partition type must be 0x0b, but it is
> normally 0x12 (Compaq Diagnostics).


Ehh, no. The partition type must not be 0xb (despite the fact that it is 
indeed a FAT partition). In fact, one should leave it as it is.


> That code also will only run the boot loader from the first partition, 
> no matter which is marked active.


Eh, no, again. grub is installed here (T43) on /dev/sda3 and everything is 
running peachy.


> Installing grub in the MBR will work just fine, as you noticed before,
> except for the blue button functioning as designed.
>
> I have restored my T60 using the recovery discs I made, but I think the
> diagnostic partition is still type 0x0b. But one way to proceed is to fix
> your MBR somehow, install grub on the boot partition, then use Windows'
> boot.ini to load that.


IBM has release an MBR fixer floppy. ThinkWiki has the info.

However, for someone who wants dualboot, I can recommend this:

* Leave the windows installation and the MBR alone
* Roll out /boot on a suitable partition (sda3 here, but it can be
   whatever you want it to be)
* Install grub onto that partition
* Mark the partition as active (with fdisk, e.g.)
* Remove the active flag from sda1
* Make an entry in the grub.conf like this:

   title=IBM R&R
   rootnoverify (hd0,1)
   chainloader +1

   title=Windows XP
   rootnoverify (hd0,0)
   chainloader +1

   title=Linux
   root (hd0,2)
   kernel <whatever>

This approach will give you

* the possibility to boot into R&R
* the possibility to boot into *nix of your choice
* the possibility to boot into windows
* a functioning (also during bios post) thinkvantage button that boots
   into R&R.

As a bonus, no change is required for the R&R partition. The windows 
partition would have to be trimmed down to accomodate the linux distro of 
your choice, but that's kind of unavoidable :)





ivr
-- 
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