HOWTO - Install grub

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By default, KateOS installs the Linux Loader, lilo. Lilo is a great bootloader if you just want to boot Linux, but if you have multiple operating systems to boot, Grub may be a better choice. For one thing, it's easier to configure, it's much more compatible with other file systems, and you can reconfigure it without having to reinstall the bootloader. Lucky for us, KateOS comes with grub.

Before attempting the manual installation process below, you may want to try using the grubconfig command as root in a terminal to automatically configure the grub bootloader. grubconfig provides a simple menu-driven interface to configure and install grub.

The first thing you'll want to take care of to install grub, is create the grub configuration file and menu file. Use your favorite editor to pop open /boot/grub/grub.conf as root. I've shown my grub.conf as an example. For help with a grub.conf file, man grub.conf.

# grub.conf / menu.lst for KateOS 3.0

default=2
timeout=3
#hiddenmenu

# Load Windows XP. This is entry 0.
title Windows XP
	rootnoverify (hd0,0)
	chainloader +1

# FreeBSD loads just like Windows XP from Grub. Entry 1.
title FreeBSD
	rootnoverify (hd1,0)
	chainloader +1

# The best distro ever. Entry 2 (default).
title KateOS
	root (hd1,2)
	kernel /boot/vmlinuz ro root=/dev/hdc3 acpi=off vga=791 splash=silent quiet
	initrd /boot/initrd

# KateOS Verbose. These settings were copied out of lilo.conf
title KateOS Verbose
	root (hd1,2)
	kernel /boot/vmlinuz ro root=/dev/hdc3 acpi=off splash=off
	initrd /boot/initrd

# KateOS Failsafe. These came from lilo.conf, too.
title KateOS Failsafe
	root (hd1,2)
	kernel /boot/vmlinuz ro root=/dev/hdc3 acpi=off ide=nodma noapic noapm noudev splash=off

Once you've edited your grub.conf to satisfaction, save it and close your editor. The other thing grub wants is a menu.lst file. In many cases, we can get away just making this a symlink to grub.conf:

	# ln -s /boot/grub/grub.conf /boot/grub/menu.lst

The next order of business is to actually install grub to the boot sector. I have it installed on my mbr. This can be done like so:

	# grub-install /dev/hda

The next time you boot your computer, you should be greeted with a grub boot menu.

As a precaution, you may also want to make a grub boot floppy. For information about making a boot floppy, or more information about grub, check grub's info page:

	$ info grub