[Mageia-dev] Grub2 vs. Grub Legacy in M3

Mon Jan 28 21:08:21 CET 2013

On 27/01/13 15:24, Maurice Batey wrote:
+> On Sun, 27 Jan 2013 12:31:37 +0000, Barry Jackson wrote:
+>
+>> my "master" grub2 grub.cfg which is in a small grub
+>> partition at the start of sda.
+>
+>    How does one acquire a 'small grub partition'?
+> (Just get GRUB2 package to install into an empty partition?)
+>
+Yes - in a nutshell
+Create a partition preferably near the start of the drive and label it 
+"maingrub" then:
+
+mkdir -p /maingrub && \
+mount -L maingrub /maingrub && \
+grub2-install --root-directory=/maingrub /dev/sda
+
+Now the MBR point to maingrub, but there is no menu yet.
+You can manually create a simple grub.cfg - there are examples in the 
+grub2 documentation - there's a link in the README
+It won't be pretty, but can be made to look nice with a good colour choice.
+You could let grub2 create a grub.cfg to get started, but it will be 
+over complicated and point directly to the current kernels which is no 
+use once kernels get updated. You really need entries that multiboot 
+(into grub2) or chainload (into legacy linux).
+My current grub.cfg is a bit big as I need to remove some old entries, 
+however it may be a good reference for you. The theme references don't 
+work - that was just experimental.
+http://paste.kde.org/658670/
+Copy it quick I think it expires in 24 hours ;)
+
+>> My MBR points to this partition, so all
+>> OS's are either chainloaded or multibooted from the manually created
+>> entries in this grub.cfg
+>
+>    Which do you have in the MBR: GRUB2 or Legacy?
+Grub2 - have had for the last year or so, but you could also put grub 
+legacy in there as well since they can coexist, then simply re-write one 
+or the other to MBR to switch ;)
+
+>
+>> My limited understanding is that it is similar to chainloading but does
+>> not need embedded code in the PBR.
+>
+>    Ah,now that's interesting!
+> (I assume you mean 'does not need GRUB2 installed in the PBR')
+
+Yes
+>
+>> A useful side effect is that grub legacy may be installed to the PBR and
+>> used if required,
+>
+>     I assume you mean the PBR of the 'small grub partition'.
+No - I mean that since grub2 is not using the PBR, legacy can, if you 
+wish to have them installed side by side.
+
+>
+> Mamy thanks, Barry, especially w.r.t to the 'bootloader' partition!
+>
+Note that the small grub partition is never mounted and never written to 
+by any system (unless you need to modify it of course)
+This means that no system can screw it up :) - only you :\
+