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Grub4dos Guide/Tutorial


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#51 Icecube

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Posted 20 May 2009 - 10:45 PM

We (read linux users) need to wait for the online defragmentation tool for ext4 (e4defrag). It can completely defragment a single file on an ext4 partition, but it is still in development.
http://polishlinux.o...-with-e4defrag/

#52 Icecube

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Posted 19 July 2009 - 07:39 PM

The "Load via SysLinux" section needs an update:

Old syslinux syntax for loading grub.exe from Syslinux:

LABEL grud4dosexe
MENU LABEL Grub4dos (grub.exe)
KERNEL grub.exe

New syslinux syntax for loading grub.exe from Syslinux:
LABEL grud4dos

MENU LABEL Grub4dos (grub.exe)

LINUX grub.exe

grldr can also be loaded with the chain.c32 com32 module of the Syslinux package. (Version 3.82 currently needs a small patch, see http://www.boot-land...amp;#entry72127 for the patched version.
Update:
chain.c32 is fixed in syslinux-3.83-pre1, so you not need to download the version attached to that post, but you can download syslinux-3.83-pre1 from:
http://www.kernel.or...slinux/Testing/

Old Syslinux syntax:

LABEL grub4doschain
MENU LABEL GRUB4DOS menu (chain.c32)
KERNEL chain.c32
APPEND ntldr=grldr

New Sylinux syntax:
LABEL grub4doschain

MENU LABEL GRUB4DOS menu (chain.c32)

COM32 chain.c32

APPEND ntldr=grldr

You also can boot grub4dos from Syslinux/Isolinux by using:
New Syslinux syntax:
LABEL grub4dosboot

MENU LABEL GRUB4DOS menu (BOOT command)

BOOT grldr
Old Syslinux syntax for usage with SYSLINUX (you need to rename grldr to grldr.bs:

LABEL grub4dosboot
MENU LABEL GRUB4DOS menu (BOOT command)
KERNEL grldr.bs

Old Syslinux syntax for usage with ISOLINUX (you need to rename grldr to grldr.bin for ISOLINUX)

LABEL grub4dosboot
MENU LABEL GRUB4DOS menu (BOOT command)
KERNEL grldr.bin

So you see that you better can use the new Syslinux syntax.

#53 was_jaclaz

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 09:45 AM

@Icecube
Very GOOD report! :lol: ;)

I edited your post to better show which was the "old" and which is the "new" at first glance.

;)

jaclaz

#54 Icecube

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 10:51 PM

@ jaclaz: Thanks

The "Load via SysLinux" section needs an update (part 2 :lol: ).

Loading it as regular boot file will work too. (You need the patched chain.c32, if you want to use it from ISOLINUX).
LABEL -

MENU LABEL GRUB4DOS menu (chain.c32 file=)

TEXT HELP

This entry will bring you to the GRUB4DOS menu.

ENDTEXT

COM32 chain.c32

APPEND file=grldr


#55 risolutore

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Posted 29 July 2009 - 07:24 PM

if you want to test UFD with Grub4dos put this cmd file in the root of qemu dir alongside with qemu-win.bat

qemu-ufd.bat
REM Start qemu on windows UFD Boot.

@ECHO OFF

qemu.exe -L . -M pc -boot c -hda \\\\.\\physicaldrive1 -localtime
with this batch you can make a very portable test env for grub4dos ufd

#56 Icecube

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Posted 29 July 2009 - 08:32 PM

\\\\.\\physicaldrive1

doesn't sound very portable to me. It will work when you have only one internal HDD, but if you have more than one, it won't work.

#57 risolutore

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Posted 29 July 2009 - 08:59 PM

doesn't sound very portable to me. It will work when you have only one internal HDD, but if you have more than one, it won't work.

Oh yes. I assumed only one fixed hd and one only external UFD, I have to admit it. We should use a sytem of variables, one related to the number of internal fixed disk and another with the number of UFD

#58 was_jaclaz

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Posted 30 July 2009 - 07:27 AM

Additionally the number of back slashes needs to be checked:
http://www.boot-land...?showtopic=7650

http://www.boot-land...?...c=7650&st=2

jaclaz

#59 risolutore

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Posted 31 July 2009 - 09:01 AM

I have read the posts regarding the number of backslashes, on 0.91 seems to be different from previus qemu ver

#60 tsetya

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Posted 04 August 2009 - 04:20 PM

after a few experiment with vista boot manager, i've found an altenative (easy) way to add grub4dos entry to vista boot manager (and perhaps 2008/7). instead of adding entry to bcd directly, we can use boot.ini to add entry to vista boot manager.
to load grub4dos via vista boot manger:
methode 1. bootmgr>grldr.mbr>grldr
> create new file using text editor and save as boot.ini in vista partition and add
following entry. (or use boot.ini file from windows xp)
[boot loader]

[operating systems]

c:\grldr.mbr="grub4dos"
> copy grldr.mbr to vista partition and grldr/menu.lst to any supported partition

methode 2. bootmgr>ntldr>grldr
> create boot.ini file and add following entry
[boot loader]

timeout=10

default=c:\grldr

[operating systems]

c:\ntldr="ntldr"

c:\grldr="grub4dos"
> copy file grldr and ntldr from any windows xp to vista partition
> from vista boot manager choose "ntldr" to load ntldr
> from xp boot manager choose "grub4dos" to load grldr (or set timeout=0 to load grub4dos directly)

if vista not installed, also possible to use this methode. use vista formatted partition (partition boot sector calling bootmgr), copy file bootmgr and \boot\bcd from any windows vista (or dvd), then add boot.ini as above.
this methode will also work for others boot loader that are "not well known" by vista like plop boot manager and tboot if supported by bootmgr/ntldr.

hope this methode can be add to tutorial

#61 ktp

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Posted 04 August 2009 - 04:32 PM

@tsetya
The grldr.mbr in step 1 is not necessary. As far as I know, when bootmgr finds the files ntldr and boot.ini on the same disk, it automatically adds an entry for ntldr (kind of dynamic entry to BCD). So you simply add entries to boot.ini (grub4dos, PLoP....) without even needing the lines "c:\ntldr="ntldr"").

#62 tsetya

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Posted 04 August 2009 - 04:41 PM

that's not step 1, but two different way.
1. bootmgr>grldr.mbr>grldr
2. bootmgr>ntldr>grldr

bootmgr will read entry from boot.ini file even if there is no ntldr as loang as there are two line in boot.ini
[boot loader]

[operating systems]

all entry will be kept in boot.ini, so add/remove/edit entry just like in win xp. (no need bcdedit.exe to add/remove/edit entry, so you can edit vista boot manager entry from any os/live cd using text editor)

#63 Twilight Cruiser

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Posted 31 October 2009 - 03:43 PM

Hi Diddy,

I like your guide very much, and it helped me a lot anytime I needed to set up my system from scratch!

Anyway, there are some issues I'ld like to read about: ;)

(1) It would be nice if there would be an explaining "walk through" for the existing example settings in the default menu.lst. Not all, but many of the things done there are a little miracle to me. Would be a nice help.

(2) Unfortunately, there's nothing mentioned about the possibility of using the UUID for identifying a partition. Using the UUID for selecting a boot partition helped me a lot when making boot entries for Ubuntu.

Hope I haven't overlooked any of these issues in the guide... - like the "booting from CD", where I was totally blind... :cheers:

Greetz & have a nice weekend + Halloween! ;)

#64 ireneuszp

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Posted 15 February 2010 - 06:56 PM

grubinst-1.2-bin-w32-2008-12-30
http://bbs.wuyou.com.....;extra=page=1

download:
http://www.uushare.c...06/file/2583098

http://grub4dos-iren...-2008-12-30.zip

http://code.google.c.../downloads/list

:cheers:

#65 gbrao

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Posted 16 February 2010 - 03:06 AM

My Chinese isn't too good, where exactly is the download link for 1.2 ?

#66 woebetide

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Posted 16 February 2010 - 09:18 AM

My Chinese isn't too good, where exactly is the download link for 1.2 ?



Download:
http://rapidshare.co...-12-30.rar.html

#67 ireneuszp

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Posted 16 February 2010 - 02:29 PM

GRUB4DOS SplashImage Creator

Posted Image

download:

splashimage.rar
http://docs.google.c...C...nload&hl=en
or
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=016WN2WQ

splashimage.zip
http://docs.google.c...C...nload&hl=en
or
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=B4273BR3

:cheers:

#68 ireneuszp

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Posted 16 February 2010 - 07:56 PM

GNU GRUB MD5 Encrypt Password Tool Ver0.0406

Posted Image

download:
http://docs.google.c...C...nload&hl=en
or
grubmd5p.zip
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=QA4WOR03

:cheers:

#69 maanu

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Posted 16 February 2010 - 07:56 PM

GRUB4DOS SplashImage Creator

Posted Image

download:
https://docs.google....C...nload&hl=en

:cheers:


link is broken i guess . file corrupt every i downloaded .

#70 ireneuszp

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Posted 17 February 2010 - 11:37 AM

link is broken i guess . file corrupt every i downloaded .


new download links

splashimage.rar
http://docs.google.c...C...nload&hl=en
or
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=016WN2WQ

splashimage.zip
http://docs.google.c...C...nload&hl=en
or
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=B4273BR3

:smiling9:

#71 ireneuszp

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Posted 18 February 2010 - 12:08 PM

grldr editer

download link:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=9J84TRCI
or
http://docs.google.c...C...nload&hl=en

:smiling9:

#72 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 18 February 2010 - 12:23 PM

@ireneuszp
Have any of these files a homepage?

Or we just have to click on a link and get a file?

As an example, last one, contains a single .exe GRLDR.EXE.

Are people supposed to just double click on it?

Or can you post also a link to where it came from, or, a short description/howto?

This way less experienced people might be able to actually use it.

Again, for the last link:
GRLDR Editer is an editor for the embedded menu in grldr.
Start it, you will see two buttons with question marks (it is probably a Chinese originated app).
The top one is "Open".
The bottom one is "Save".
Click on the "Open" button, and choose a copy of grldr.
You will see the embedded menu in it.
Modify it as you wish.
Click on the "Save" button.


:smiling9:

Wonko

#73 maanu

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Posted 18 February 2010 - 04:03 PM

the best Grldr editor is fbinst Tool . the one linked in above post has a bug , it changes the date of grldr to a specific old one . by the way it is from the author of fbinst tool too .

#74 mlt

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Posted 12 April 2010 - 05:51 AM

It would be nice if grldr tried (hd0) in search for menu.lst as a last resort.

I followed alternative method 2 installing Grub4dos into my flash drive by renaming it to ntldr. I was surprised when I saw default menu instead of my menu.lst upon reboot. Flash was formatted as a single NTFS partition starting as sector 0 without MBR as it appeared to be.I was lazy to reformat it since it already had a lot of stuff. So I slightly modified grldr with editor for default menu to include root(hd0) as a first line instead of 'errorcheck off'. Default menu can be found at the very end of the grldr 0.4.4 Use overwrite mode of editor instead of default insert one. This workaround works fine for me though with some flickering in the beginning.

#75 stefany

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Posted 13 April 2010 - 07:10 PM

Thank you to the creators and documenters of this very nice tool. I found it useful for setting up an XP/Fedora linux dual boot. For loading linux I did something that seemed easier and more maintainable to me than the documented process. When I installed Linux I asked that the boot information be written to the /boot partition and not the MBR. I was then able to boot linux using the chainloader as follows:

timeout 10

title Windows at (hd0,0)
root (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

title Linux at (hd0,2)
root (hd0,2)
chainloader +1

This way I can let XP own the MBR and not have to know what files linux needs or change them if the kernel gets updated. I don't know how many linuces this would work for, but it seems simpler for Fedora and if others agree, might be worth adding to the documentation. I could even make some suggested changes to the docs for submission to whoever is responsible if wanted. I'll check back in a few days and see if that is desired.

Keith I. (logged in generically)




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