on 10/10/2007 3:36 PM Hugh E Cruickshank spake the following: > From: Scott Silva Sent: October 10, 2007 15:15 >> on 10/10/2007 2:46 PM Hugh E Cruickshank spake the following: >>> From: Les Mikesell >>>> Hugh E Cruickshank wrote: >>>>> From: Les Mikesell Sent: October 7, 2007 18:53 >>>>> >>>>>> Then reinstall grub on the drive. >>>>> Now I have some questions: >>>>> >>>>> 1. Since the /boot partition was mirrored and will be restored on the >>>>> new sda drive I do not really want to do a full grub install. From >>>>> what I have read that will overwrite existing /boot/grub/grub.conf >>>>> file. So I just want to write the MBR on the drive. How to I do >>>>> that (the docs I have found were rather unclear on that aspect)? >>>>> >>>>> 2. Can a install grub on the replaced boot drive with the system still >>>>> running? >>>> Yes, after the /boot partition re-sync has completed, execute grub and: >>>> >>>> root (hd0,0) >>>> setup (hd0) >>>> quit >>>> >>>> If you aren't able to keep the system running while doing the swap, you >>>> can also do this from the rescue mode boot, but you should have the >>>> contents on the /boot partition first. >>>> >>> Sorry to be obtuse here but I just want to make very sure of what I am >>> doing before I do it. Will the "setup" command only write the MBR? >>> >>> >From my reading the GNU GRUB manual I got the distinct impression that >>> the "setup" command will also write/rewrite the /boot partition (which >>> I would like to avoid). The documentation for the setup command states: >>> >>> Set up the installation of GRUB automatically. This command uses >>> the more flexible command install (see Section 13.3.18 [install], >>> page 44) in the backend and installs Chapter 13: The list of >>> available commands 49 GRUB into the device install device. If >>> image device is specified, then find the GRUB images (see Chapter >>> 10 [Images], page 29) in the device image device, otherwise use the >>> current root device, which can be set by the command root. If >>> install device is a hard disk, then embed a Stage 1.5 in the disk >>> if possible. >>> >>> The option �--prefix� specifies the directory under which GRUB >>> images are put. If it is not specified, GRUB automatically >>> searches them in �/boot/grub� and �/grub�. >>> >>> The options �--force-lba� and �--stage2� are just passed to install >>> if specified. See Section 13.3.18 [install], page 44, for more >>> information. >>> >>> The second paragraph tends to imply that /boot/grub will be written >>> to by default and I do not think that this is what I want to happen. That paragraph should read stored not put. It assumes that the grub files needed are already there. The commands below work. grub-install and other variants are shell scripts to accomplish the same thing. >>> >>> Thanks again for everyone's input (especially Les). It is greatly >>> appreciated. >> What "setup" command? > > That would be the grub setup command. >> You boot from a rescue disk if your system isn't running already. >> If booting from rescue disk chroot to your installed files. >> execute grub >> at its prompt run the following; >> root (hd0,0) >> setup (hd0) >> quit >> That should let you boot into your stuff. > > I know that will let me boot but that was not what I was asking about. > As per the documentation I quoted it appears that the grub setup > command will overwrite the /boot partition that has been restored from > the mirror drive. As far as I can see that is not desirable. All I want > to do is install the GRUB MBR and leave the contents of the /boot > partition intact. > > My question is basically will the grub setup command only install the > MBR or will it also overwrite the /boot partition as well? > > Regards, Hugh > -- MailScanner is like deodorant... You hope everybody uses it, and you notice quickly if they don't!!!!