Grub2Win / Discussion / General Discussion: Grub2Win doesn't detect my Linux Distro

Michele - 2017-06-18

Hello guys, I have a Windows 10 Tablet (32 bit UEFI on a 64 bit hardware)
I installed Grub2Win, I want to use to to boot Slitaz (mini linux distro inteded only for BIOS boots)
I extrated the contents of the Slitaz .iso in an empty ext4 partition but Grub2Win doesn't detect it.
(Maybe I have to copy the single iso and not its content...)

Please can anyone help me?
This is the only way I have to boot this OS...

Last edit: Michele 2017-06-18

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Drummer - 2017-06-18

Hi Michelle,

There are a couple of ways to approach this. You need to know that Grub2Win as a Windows program cannot "detect" ext4 partitions. You must click the yellow "Manage Boot Menu" button on the main Grub2Win screen and add your Slitaz OS. You have to tell Grub2Win the partition number so that it GNU Grub can find it at boot time.

Please run C:\grub2\winsource\xxdiag.bat. This will create a directory called C:\grub2\diagnose. Zip up the directory and send it to me as an attachment. I can then analyze your partitions, etc and help you configure Grub2Win. Instructions are in the Grub2Win help "Support and Diagnostics" topic.

Thanks,

Dave

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- Michele - 2017-06-18
  
  Hi Dave, many thanks for the help.
  https://www.dropbox.com/s/i9b9ojohktyvf35/here.zip?dl=0
  I use the refind bootmanager to boot grub2win
  
  p.s. Michele is the italian version of "Michael" ;)
  
  Last edit: Michele 2017-06-19
  
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Michele - 2017-06-18

Last edit: Michele 2017-06-18

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Ed P - 2017-06-18

Actually the refind bootmanager is booting grub2win's grub2 menu. What else do you boot with refind, other than Windows, Michele?

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Michele - 2017-06-19

Hi Ed P, thanks

Refind boots:

---grub2win
---Debian (works)
---Windows (it lets me choose me If I want to boot 10 OR the installation of 8.1 (because I tryed to install 8.1 from the internal memory) )
---Slitaz is not detected at all by refind (that's why I need to use grub2win)

Last edit: Michele 2017-06-19

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Michele - 2017-06-19

I hope you can help me in this way, I just attached 2 images
I can't put the right indications for the partition in the Code FORM

Last edit: Michele 2017-06-19

help me (1).PNG

help me (2).PNG

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Ed P - 2017-06-19

Interesting. Interesting that the Debian partition doesn't show a drive letter assigned and the Slitaz partition does.

I would suggest trying:

set root=(hdo,5)
and
root=/dev/sda5

rather than hd0,1 and sda1

Can you post the refind menu entry that boots Debian?

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Michele - 2017-06-19

Actually I think that I added myself the drive letter to the Slitaz partition.

Refind auto-detected Debian so I think I can't search the configuration for this entry (when I boot Debian, Refind reports only "vmlinuz" but not its partition)

Here is your configuration

set root=(hdo,5)
linux /boot/vmlinuz_.53_
root=/dev/sda5
quietnomodeset
initdr /boot/rootfs.gz (here I am not sure abouth which file! see the contents of Slitaz in this other screenshot XD I checked on internet, "rootfs.gz" should be the right file )

Here is the result when booting

error: file boot/vmlinuz_.53_ not found
error; you need to load the kernel first
0

Last edit: Michele 2017-06-19

uho.PNG

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Ed P - 2017-06-19

I would think bzimage for initdr.

I also think the linux and initdr paths and file names should all be uppercase to match the names in the screenshot. Unlike Windows Linux is fussy about case.

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Drummer - 2017-06-19

Hi again Michael,

There are a couple of things here. You need to install the latest Grub2Win release 9.5.7. This fixes an issue you had with an EFI partition residing on a removable device like a flash drive or SD card.

The good new is that Slitaz boots just fine on a BIOS machine.

I installed it to an ext4 partition and used the following custom code in Grub2Win

set gfxpayload=1024x768 set root=(hd1,1) linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.37-slitaz root=/dev/sdb1 verbose

This worked perfectly. I was able to browse the Internet and even apply all the patches via the Slitaz admin GUI.

The bad news is that Slitaz will not boot at all on an EFI machine. It may be that the kernel does not have EFI support. I have no way of knowing, but I could not get it to boot EFI.

Hope this helps,

Dave

slitaz.png
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Ed P - 2017-06-20

Do note Michele for you that translates to:

set root=(hd0,5)

and

root=/dev/sda5

BTW There is a version of SlaTiz that can be installed without partitioning! slatiz-4.0.zip found here: http://www.slitaz.org/en/get/#stable The 3rd download.

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Michele - 2017-06-20

Dave thanks for the depth testing.
My kernel has a different name (I used Slitaz 5.0 rc3, I think you used Slitaz 4 stable instead) anyway grub2win correctly detected and booted Slitaz. The problem is that Slitaz doesn't work (do you have a black screen too?)

The Refind developer told me "Refind can't handle the Slitaz kernel itself, if the kernel lacks the EFI stub loader. You may be able to use another boot loader (GRUB 2, ELILO, etc.) to launch the kernel".
In other words Refind is a bootmanager and grub2win is a bootloader that could boot OSs also in bios-mode on a uefi device...

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Drummer - 2017-06-21

Hi again Mike,

I'm afraid this just won't work. I tried the 5.0 rc3 kernel. Same result, works fine on BIOS but black screen with EFI.

Grub can only boot the architecture of the machine it is running on. There are three Grub kernels included with Grub2Win:

grub2win.boot.bios for all BIOS machines grub2win.boot32.efi for 32 bit EFI machines grub2win.boot64.efi for 64 bit EFI machines

The Grub kernel must match the machine that it is booted from, otherwise you get a black screen. Since your machine is 32 bit EFI it must run grub2win.boot32.efi

Likewise, any OS that Grub loads, must be generated with the ability to run in the proper mode. Grub cannot convert a BIOS machine to EFI or an EFI machine to BIOS.

Most Linux distributions like Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora and Suse can run in either BIOS or EFI mode

It appears that Slitaz was only generated to run in BIOS mode, not EFI.

You may wish to consider a different Linux distribution that supports EFI.

Dave
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Ed P - 2017-06-21

TTBOMK Most EFI machines can be switched to BIOS mode.

What's with the posts waiting moderation?

Last edit: Ed P 2017-06-21

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Drummer - 2017-06-21

Hi Ed,

Some newer machines can switch to BIOS. After looking at the Dell user manual for this machine, it appears that this particular model is EFI only.

The fact that the EFI firmware is 32 bit instead of the much more common 64 bit does not inspire confidence.

I saw the posts "Waiting Moderation". I have no idea why.

Thanks again,

Dave

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Ed P - 2017-06-21

Dave,

"After looking at the Dell user manual for this machine," You're too much Dave. LOL An exceptional tech.

Ed

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Grub2Win doesn't detect my Linux Distro

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Grub2Win doesn't detect my Linux Distro

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Grub2Win doesn't detect my Linux Distro

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Grub2Win doesn't detect my Linux Distro