dual boot with xp only get to tinycore via disc

[ejames82]

i made my best effort to install a dual boot with xp and tinycore.
i use this tutorial as a guide:

http://www.howtoforge.com/dual_boot_windows_xp_vista_ubuntu_feisty

there's only minor differences:
1. i use gparted to prepare the partitions
2. i install xp first
3. i'm installing tinycore instead of ubuntu

i thought i did everything correctly.  i made the necessary substitutions with the commands to accomodate the partition difference (the tinycore system was being installed on hda4 instead of hda1, so all hda1's were replaces with hda4).

all the tinycore installation command went without an error and i thought i was finished, but when i boot the computer without the disc, the only entry in grub was tinycore.  so i went back to xp and did what i thought was a repair install (my first ever, yeah, i know, i botched it).  now when i boot the computer, the computer boots into xp.  when i boot with the disc, it boots into tinycore, and has all my installed programs (arora, leafpad, xfe file manager).  so there can't be that much wrong, i would tend to think.
here's my fdisk -l.

tc@box:~$ sudo su
root@box:~# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 17.3 GB, 17360093184 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2110 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks  Id System
/dev/hda1   *           1         956     7679038+  7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda2             957        1324     2955960  83 Linux
/dev/hda3            1325        1409      682762+ 82 Linux swap
/dev/hda4            1410        2110     5630782+  b Win95 FAT32
root@box:~#


what i ultimately want, and i'm able to do this with ubuntu and xp, is to boot into a grub screen that has tinycore and xp listed, but waits for me to choose (i edit the menu.lst file)
if i have to start over, it's no big deal. 
how do i fix this right?
thanks, command-line wizards.

[TaoTePuh]

Because of the XP repair, the MBR was again occupied by XP. You have to reactivate grub:

Boot with e.g. Parted Magic, open a shell, then:
 

Code: [Select]

grub
grub> root (hd0,1)
grub> setup (hd0)
grub> quit

I am assuming that your menu.lst is in /boot/grub/ on hda2 and includes something like the following

Code: [Select]

default 0
timeout 5

title    Tiny Core
root     (hd0,1)
kernel   /boot/bzImage quiet tce=hda2
initrd   /boot/tinycore.gz

title    Windows XP
root     (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1


[ejames82]

thanks Tao TePuh,
i'm doing it right away.

[ejames82]

Tao TePuh,

i did this:

"boot with e.g. Parted Magic, open a shell, then:
 
Code:
grub
grub> root (hd0,1)
grub> setup (hd0)
grub> quit"


just letting you know, the computer booted fine, right into tinycore, but tinycore was the only os showing on the grub screen.
i'm investigating this right away:


"I am assuming that your menu.lst is in /boot/grub/ on hda2 and includes something like the following

Code:
default 0
timeout 5

title    Tiny Core
root     (hd0,1)
kernel   /boot/bzImage quiet tce=hda2
initrd   /boot/tinycore.gz

title    Windows XP
root     (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1"


thanks.



EDIT:
i just tried finding /boot/grub.  i don't know where it is.  under "/" there is no "boot".  so i am at a loss right from the get-go.
thanks.

[TaoTePuh]

in tiny: /mnt/hda2/boot/grub/menu.lst

[jur]

I'm not sure you should include "makeactive" in there - it changes the active partition, and won't boot properly the next time round if another partition was the active one.

The chainloader line could also read,

Code: [Select]

chainloader /ntldr

[ejames82]

Tao TePuh,



default 0
timeout 10
title tinycore
kernel /boot/bzImage quiet
initrd /boot/tinycore.gz
~

this was all that was in my mnt/hda2/boot/grub/menu.lst file.



jur,

are you saying that the code provided by Tao TePuh needs to be changed a little?  Tao, could jur be correct? 
Well, i still have to go with Tao's instructions.  he's been helping me, and i have to go with it, for better or for worse.  even a command-line wizard makes a mistake once in a while.  had you been helping me, i would go with your instructions.  please don't take this as disrespect to you.  none was intended.

i'm going with your previous instructions, Tao. 

[TaoTePuh]

Edit menu.lst and add the following section at the end:

title    Windows XP
root     (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1"

On the next start you'll get two boot options:

tinycore
Windows XP

[TaoTePuh]

@jur

1.) from info grub:

     ...
     ...
     # For booting Windows NT or Windows95
     title Windows NT / Windows 95 boot menu
     root        (hd0,0)
     makeactive
     chainloader +1
     # For loading DOS if Windows NT is installed
     # chainload /bootsect.dos

     The same as the above, but for Windows.
     ...
     ...


2.) Grub is in the MBR of the disk, not the partition.

3.) You can change the boot flag at any time with fdisk

4.) The boot flag was already set by XP anyway

[ejames82]

Tao TePuh,

here is what it says in my menu.lst file now.  all of it.


default 0
timeout 5
             
title    Tiny Core       
root     (hd0,1)         
kernel   /boot/bzImage quiet tce=hda2
initrd   /boot/tinycore.gz           
                         
title    Windows XP       
root     (hd0,0)         
makeactive               
chainloader +1         
~                         
~                         
~                         
~                         
~
~
~
~
~
~
~
tc@box:~$



i copied it right from your first reply and pasted it.
now i will reboot.  thanks. 

[ejames82]

Tao TePuh,


IT WORKS.

first i rebooted and let it go into tinycore.  both os's were on the grub screen.  i even checked a few things out while i was there.
then i rebooted.  this time i went into xp.  checked it out too.  it was fine.  rebooted back to tinycore.  only wish i would have changed the timeout to -1.  i can do that in a few minutes.


jur,
he was correct.  what we really care about is that it works properly, right?  there isn't a better forum on the internet than this one.  you're great too.


tinycore is great.  thanks to everybody.