[ILUG] Solaris 10 / Linux dual booting (was Problems installing Win XP Pro after FE3)

[Paul Jakma]

On Thu, 28 Apr 2005, Ciaran Johnston wrote:

> I went with grub, and a reinstall of Solaris. It got a good bit 
> further this time, but the second part of the install (after the 
> first reboot) core dumped. I rebooted and got a command prompt, and 
> then located the script for the second part of the install. It runs 
> a java app, and running the script again caused a core dump. So did 
> running "java -version". Wierd.

Indeed.. Can you confirm this is Solaris 10? (ie Solaris 10 'GA' - 
the actual S10 release, not an earlier development build of Solaris 
10 obtained via the 'Solaris Express' programme - a uname at a 
command prompt (if even just the installer) should say s10_74s2.)

> I did create the partitions with the Solaris install. I wonder if 
> the disk could be at fault - it's an old disk I pulled off the 
> shelf for the purpose, and it could be losing it's way.

It's possible I guess. FWIW, S10 has been quite solid here, since at 
least s10_49. You might possibly have dodgy RAM rather than a bad 
disk.

> There were no noticeable problems with the first part of the 
> install though, the install log showed no problems ... but I am 
> getting different errors each time I reinstall, so far.

Odd.

> I'll probably clear out some space on one of the other drives and 
> retry - I'm keen to get a look at Solaris 10.

> Nope, your memory is correct. So, for that matter, can lilo as far 
> as I can tell. Not so sure about a plain Solaris partition though - 
> it didn't work for me.

You can't boot the Solaris partition. Least not for Solaris 10 
GA/s10_74s2.

This is going to change soonish (at least it /has/ changed in Solaris 
'Nevada', ie the internal dev builds, and will be available via the 
Solaris Express programme at some stage soonish) - The default 
bootloader has become grub on x86 and the Solaris kernel multiboot 
conformant (iiuc), so you'll just have GRUB pull in the kernel any 
required modules off a UFS partition directly. No more icky and 
slightly odd x86 real-mode boot.

(And I'm allowed to say this, cause Casper Dik has already blogged 
about it ;) ).

> Solaris did overwrite the MBR - but only on /dev/hdd - not 
> /dev/hda. So I was able to boot directly off /dev/hda via the bios, 
> and chainload /dev/hdd1 via grub.

Ah, so it /does/ have an option to install the boot block somewhere 
other than MBR, excellent. AFAIK you dont even need that - even if 
you install the Solaris x86 bootblock onto the MBR and overwrite it 
with the GRUB stage1 you can still have GRUB chainload the x86 boot 
partition - I /think/.

regards,
-- 
Paul Jakma	paul at clubi.ie	paul at jakma.org	Key ID: 64A2FF6A
Fortune:
love, n.:
 	When you don't want someone too close--because you're very sensitive
 	to pleasure.