grub-install does not do what you claim, as far as I know. It does the same thing that you are suggesting to do as a work around.
# Now perform the installation. $grub_shell --batch --device-map=$device_map <<EOF >$log_file root $root_drive setup $force_lba --stage2=$grubdir/stage2 --prefix=$grub_prefix $install_drive quit EOF On Thu, Mar 27, 2003 at 01:26:54PM -0600, Raj Manandhar wrote: > I don't think that the Debian package should install the Stage 1.5 in > the "unused" sectors after the MBR. Doing this is OK if the machine is > a pure Debian or other Linux system (grub-install should probably ask > the user to find out), but otherwise it is not safe enough. > > In the meantime, here's a patch to the documentation. I'm not > knowledgeable about the Texinfo format so please check to see if I've > got it just right. I got the Texinfo source from the 0.93 distribution > rather than the Debian package, hopefully there isn't a significant > difference in the patched context. > > --- README.Debian~ Thu Mar 27 13:09:18 2003 > +++ README.Debian Thu Mar 27 13:17:34 2003 > @@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ > or if /boot is a separate partition > grub-install --root-directory=/boot /dev/hda > > - using in place of /dev/hda the device that you boot from > + using in place of /dev/hda the device that you boot from. See the > + section below if you are using Windows. > > 2) update-grub which will create a menu.lst for you if one does not exist > or manually create one, and skip to step 4 > @@ -92,4 +93,19 @@ > not a big problem, because GRUB can boot it via /boot/loader for now. > > If you're willing to give help to us, please contact us." > + > +Coexisting with Microsoft Windows > +--------------------------------- > +The default grub installation uses some normally unused sectors after > +the MBR. This causes problems for some Windows users, since that OS or > +its applications may try to use the same sectors. In that case, remove > +the Stage 1.5 files from /boot/grub and don't use grub-install. > +Instead, > + > +grub > +root (hd0,1) > +setup (hd0) > + > +adjusting the disk and partition names for your setup (see the GRUB > +docs for the naming convention). > --- docs/grub.texi~ Mon Dec 2 16:35:28 2002 > +++ docs/grub.texi Thu Mar 27 13:13:48 2003 > @@ -3020,6 +3020,19 @@ > The error numbers correspond to the errors reported by Stage > 2. @xref{Stage2 errors}. > > +If the Stage 1.5 code is damaged by being overwritten, then no > +specific error might be printed. Instead, you will see the Stage 1 > +print ``Loading stage1.5...'' and a lockup or reboot will follow. This > +overwriting sometimes happens if you store the Stage 1.5 after the MBR > +using @command{embed} (or @command{setup} or @command{grub-install}, > +which can call @command{embed}), and you boot Windows. The solution is > +to remove the Stage 1.5 image from the GRUB directory before running > [EMAIL PROTECTED] Note that @command{grub-install} will restore the > +Stage 1.5 and reinstall it after the MBR, so it should be edited or > +not be used. Without Stage 1.5, you must be careful not to change the > +Stage 2 file, since its location is stored as a block list in the > +Stage 1. > + > > @node Stage2 errors > @section Errors reported by the Stage 2 -- Jason Thomas Phone: +61 2 6257 7111 Unix System Administrator Fax: +61 2 6257 7311 Intology Services Pty. Ltd. Mobile: 0418 29 66 81 1 Hall Street Lyneham ACT 2602 http://www.intology.com.au/ _______________________________________________ Bug-grub mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/bug-grub