[vox-tech] GRUB Puzzle

[Alex Mandel]

Bob Scofield wrote:
> On Tuesday 09 December 2008, Cam Ellison wrote:
>> Bob Scofield wrote:
>>> I have two Linux versions on this computer; Debian testing and Kubuntu.
>>> Debian is my main system.  Kubuntu is a backup system.
>>>
>>> Debian's GRUB controls the boot process.
>>>
>>> Like any other Debian based system, Kubuntu updates the kernel.  I now
>>> have these kernels in Kubuntu:  2.6.22-14-generic, 2.6.24-19-generic, and
>>> 2.6.24-22-generic.  Debian's GRUB boots the 2.6.22-14 kernel.  I would
>>> like it to boot 2.6.24-22.
>>>
>>> Debian's menu.lst has the following entry pertaining to Kubuntu:
>>>
>>> title           Kubuntu (on /dev/hdb3)
>>> root            (hd1,2)
>>> kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic root=/dev/hdb3
>>> initrd          /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic
>>> savedefault
>>> boot
>>>
>>> If I use vi to change 2.6.22-14 to either one of the two newer Kubuntu
>>> kernels, it doesn't work.  What happens is that the boot process starts,
>>> but hangs.  It hangs before it gets to the message about initiating
>>> scripts.
>>>
>>> If I go back and use vi to change Debian's menu.lst back to the 2.6.22-14
>>> kernel, then Kubuntu can then once again boot.  (In other words I haven't
>>> totally mangled things with vi.)
>>>
>>> I checked Kubuntu's /boot/grub and all of the kernels have the same
>>> permissions.  I just can't get Debian's GRUB to boot the newer Kubuntu
>>> kernels.
>> You can't do it this way.  If you are going to use one kernel in both
>> distributions, you need to have the kernel, modules, and related files
>> in both.  If you have a common partition, you could copy the .deb of the
>> desired Kubuntu kernel into it, reboot in Debian, and then install the
>> kernel.  That should work.  You need to think of the two systems as
>> completely distinct: you wouldn't expect to do what you are trying to do
>> with Kubuntu and Windows; no more can you mix Kubuntu and Debian (or
>> anything else).
> 
> Thank you for the message.  I now can see that I was not clear enough.
> 
> I am not trying to use a single kernel for both distributions.  I'm using two 
> separate kernels for each.  Right now Debian's GRUB gives me the option to 
> boot kernel  2.6.26-1-486 for Debian, or kernel 2.6.22-14-generic for 
> Kubuntu.  I am simply trying to change the Kubuntu option to 
> 2.6.24-22-generic.  
> 
> But for some reason changing Debian's menu.lst for Kubuntu from 2.6.22-14 to 
> either 2.6.24-19 or 2.6.24-22 results in a boot that hangs.
> 
> Bob


Just to make it a little more clear can you post all the boot options
from your menu.lst
I'll be happy to compare it against what I've got on my systems just
want to make sure I'm clear on what partition is what.

Did you verify that you have the newer kernel installed on kubuntu if
you did it via apt-get it should have rewritten menu.lst for you. But
maybe it rewrote one in the kubuntu partition that doesn't get used
unless you have the /boot mounted for both distros to the same place.

Alex