How to install grub on fakeraid (raid 0) which spans 2 TB?
I have bought two 1 TB harddisks and one 2 TB harddisk (backup). I want to use the 1 TB harddisks in a RAID 0 array (Intel ICH8R Fakeraid). OS: Win XP SP3, Win 7, Ubuntu Linux 9.10 32 Bit My partition plan 1: P ntfs 300 GB Windows XP SP3 32 Bit P ntfs 300 GB Windows 7 32 Bit E L swap2 GB Linux swap L ext4 250 GB Ubuntu Linux 9.10 (Karmic) 32 Bit L ntfs 1100 GB data (for data exchange and storage) L ext4 48 GB spare space for testing of new OSes I wanted to install Linux, then create the data partition with Win XP SP3 Disk Management Tool. The Linux install failed because Ubuntu wanted to install GRUB1 which is not part of the install CD. I wonder that Ubuntu uses GRUB2 at all at the moment because the FakeRaid support is still lacking which was known before release (a severe regression). However, I *managed* to install GRUB1 manually by following the steps in: Ubuntu FakeRaidHowto: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/FakeRaidHowto Ubuntu 9.10+fakeraid: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1360445 Unfortunately, the Extended Partition had no space, the Ubuntu graphical installer just arrages so much space as required. As I need two more partitions, I had to expand the Extended partition somehow. I booted the Ubuntu Live System and could extend this partition with gparted. Then I tried to use the Win XP SP3 Disk Management Tool to create the data partition. It destroyed the logical partitions so that GRUB cannot boot anymore!!! So I made another plan: First finish with NTFS partitions, then start with Linux ones. My partition plan 2: P ntfs 300 GB Windows XP SP3 32 Bit P ntfs 300 GB Windows 7 32 Bit P ntfs 1100 GB data (for data exchange and storage) E L swap2 GB Linux swap L ext4 250 GB Ubuntu Linux 9.10 (Karmic) 32 Bit L ext4 48 GB spare space for testing of new OSes The last partition I do not need, but in order to include it with the Extended partition, I added it as a Linux ext4 partition for now. I installed Ubuntu 9.10 32 Bit with the graphical installer. As expected, GRUB install failed. But this time GRUB1 cannot be installed. Maybe I crossed a capacity border. I heard that 2 TB is a limit, but I have no more (ok, 2 * 1 TB, should work). The first part describes my experience with GRUB1. The last part is devoted to GRUB2. === GRUB1 (version 0.97-29ubuntu59 from Ubuntu 9.10 32 Bit) === r...@ubuntu:/# fdisk -l /dev/mapper/isw_bfacafefej_Volume0 Disk /dev/mapper/isw_bfacafefej_Volume0: 2000.4 GB, 2000404348928 bytes 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 243201 cylinders Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes Disk identifier: 0x4d6d4d6c Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/mapper/isw_bfacafefej_Volume0p1 * 1 35695 286720056 7 HPFS/NTFS /dev/mapper/isw_bfacafefej_Volume0p2 35696 71391 28672 7 HPFS/NTFS /dev/mapper/isw_bfacafefej_Volume0p3 71391 204958 1072876544 7 HPFS/NTFS /dev/mapper/isw_bfacafefej_Volume0p4 204959 243201 307186897+ 5 Extended /dev/mapper/isw_bfacafefej_Volume0p5 204959 205230 2184808+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris /dev/mapper/isw_bfacafefej_Volume0p6 205231 237122 256172458+ 83 Linux /dev/mapper/isw_bfacafefej_Volume0p7 237123 24320148829536 83 Linux ubu...@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount --rbind /dev /target/dev ubu...@ubuntu:~$ sudo cp /etc/resolv.conf /target/etc/ ubu...@ubuntu:~$ sudo chroot /target r...@ubuntu:/# mount /dev/mapper/isw_bfacafefej_Volume06 on / type ext4 (rw,errors=remount-ro) r...@ubuntu:/# apt-get update [...] r...@ubuntu:/# apt-get install grub [...] Unpacking grub (from .../grub_0.97-29ubuntu59_i386.deb) ... Processing triggers for man-db ... Setting up grub (0.97-29ubuntu59) ... r...@ubuntu:/# cp /usr/lib/grub/i386-pc/* /boot/grub/ Now create a device map so that GRUB knows how to access the RAID array, i.e. with the text editor vi. r...@ubuntu:/# cat /boot/grub/device.map (fd0) /dev/fd0 (hd0) /dev/mapper/isw_bfacafefej_Volume0 I have to add --device-map, otherwise GRUB1 mentions "Unknown partition table signature". GPartEd has no problems with my partition table, so I think it is correct. r...@ubuntu:/# grub --no-curses --device-map=/boot/grub/device.map grub> find /boot/grub/stage1 find /boot/grub/stage1 Error 15: File not found grub> device (hd0) /dev/mapper/isw_bfacafefej_Volume0 device (hd0) /dev/mapper/isw_bfacafefej_Volume0 grub> find /boot/grub/stage1 find /boot/grub/stage1 Error 15: File not found grub> geometry (hd0) geometry (hd0) drive 0x80: C/H/S = 243201/255/63, The number of sectors = -387927552, /dev/mapper/isw_bfacafefej_Volume0 Partition num: 0, Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x7 Partition num: 1, Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x7 Partition num: 2, Filesystem type un
Re: How to install grub on fakeraid (raid 0) which spans 2 TB?
Original-Nachricht > Datum: Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:24:20 +0100 > Von: Felix Zielcke > An: The development of GNU GRUB > Betreff: Re: How to install grub on fakeraid (raid 0) which spans 2 TB? > Am Dienstag, den 22.12.2009, 18:02 +0100 schrieb "André Heynatz": > > I have bought two 1 TB harddisks and one 2 TB harddisk (backup). > > I want to use the 1 TB harddisks in a RAID 0 array (Intel ICH8R > > Fakeraid). > > > > > I wanted to install Linux, then create the data partition with > > Win XP SP3 Disk Management Tool. The Linux install failed > > because Ubuntu wanted to install GRUB1 which is not part of > > the install CD. > > There was a bug that GRUB Legacy wasn't included on the karmic DVD but > that should have been fixed already. So make sure you use a fresh image > file. > > > I wonder that Ubuntu uses GRUB2 at all at the > > moment because the FakeRaid support is still lacking which was > > known before release (a severe regression). > > That's why grub-installer uses still GRUB Legacy in case /boot is on a > dmraid. > > > GRUB Legacy is complete dead for us, so if you want to have help for > that you have to ask at some Ubuntu place or somewhere else. > With GRUB 2 you could try the lucid (10.04) package out. > At least grub-probe should work there. > But I never tested if grub-setup works and so not if it actually boots > correctly from a dmraid. > > -- > Felix Zielcke > Proud Debian Maintainer and GNU GRUB developer I know my initial mail is very long. Please read it completely. At first I have tried GRUB1, then I have tried GRUB2 with the Lucid package - no success yet. The autodetection of operating systems is better in GRUB2, so I would prefer to use the new version. But it does not work even though dmraid is recognized. The configuration seems to be ok, but I cannot boot. With GRUB1 I had more success, but not with the partition order I chose because of a bug in the Windows XP SP3 Disk Management Tool. All details are in my post. Thanks for your help, André -- GRATIS für alle GMX-Mitglieder: Die maxdome Movie-FLAT! Jetzt freischalten unter http://portal.gmx.net/de/go/maxdome01 ___ Grub-devel mailing list Grub-devel@gnu.org http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/grub-devel
Re: How to install grub on fakeraid (raid 0) which spans 2 TB?
> André Heynatz wrote: > > I have bought two 1 TB harddisks and one 2 TB harddisk (backup). > > I want to use the 1 TB harddisks in a RAID 0 array (Intel ICH8R > Fakeraid). > > > > OS: Win XP SP3, Win 7, Ubuntu Linux 9.10 32 Bit > > > > My partition plan 1: > > > > P ntfs 300 GB Windows XP SP3 32 Bit > > P ntfs 300 GB Windows 7 32 Bit > > E > > L swap2 GB Linux swap > > L ext4 250 GB Ubuntu Linux 9.10 (Karmic) 32 Bit > > L ntfs 1100 GB data (for data exchange and storage) > > L ext4 48 GB spare space for testing of new OSes > > I'd suggest: > > P ext2 100 MB /boot > P ntfs 300 GB Windows XP SP3 32 Bit > P ntfs 300 GB Windows 7 32 Bit > E > L swap2 GB Linux swap > L ext4 250 GB Ubuntu Linux 9.10 (Karmic) 32 Bit > L ntfs 1100 GB data (for data exchange and storage) > L ext4 48 GB spare space for testing of new OSes > > There is no need for /boot to be on a raid or other 'special' partition > type. > >-- Bruce Hello Bruce, thanks for the suggestion. But in order to do this I would need to remove the perfectly working Windows XP and Windows 7 systems to do this which would be a pity. I feel that Linux just CAN do it with Fakeraid, only a tiny bit of work is needed for support. I managed to install Linux on Fakeraid three years ago, with a complicated procedure. It worked like a charm, until I needed more capacity. This time it is a little bit more difficult to get to a solution. I do not care if it is GRUB1 or GRUB2, it should work with both because we are at a turning point and cannot neglect the fact that we need a transition period. I assume that GRUB is to serve users well of course. My only explanation for the failure of GRUB1 the second time is that there is some overflow happening because of the huge sector counts. If a sector count is stored in a 32 Bit Integer (int), there may be a problem if the sector count exceeds 0x7fff, which is 1 TB. My first partition plan lets GRUB use a sector count below 0x8000, my second partition plan lets the Linux system partition be at a sector address definitely above 0x7fff, which may overflow. In general, signedness should be cared about. But in this case it would be even better to use a 64 Bit sector address to accomodate for LBA48 (or LBA64?). Hard disk sizes can only increase, and I read about people using RAID-5 with 6 TB capacity and needing to go to GUID partition tables (GPT) because one partition is to be larger than 2 TB. Windows Vista and Windows 7 support this EFI feature. I am sure Linux does it too, at least Ubuntu Linux which I use has UIDs even in the GRUB1 configuration (probably patched). I return to partition plan 1 and create the whole partition table with Windows 7 which should be recent enough to handle the size of the disks. The newest Intel Matrix driver should work flawlessly. Afterwards I install Ubuntu Linux near the other system partitions which was my original plan. Especially Windows XP 32 Bit is unsupported in this area (by intent) so I should not depend on it to deal with a partition table. Firstable I try Ubuntu 10.04 GRUB2, then if it does not work I try Ubuntu 9.10 GRUB1 (most recent update). My old computer without RAID uses GRUB2, and it works flawlessly. Keep up the good work! There will always be special cases which need some attention. We get closer to a "just works" system which would attract many new users. It is not the design which sells systems, maybe later it is, but now it still is the lacking functionality or compatibility which drives users away. I wish you all a Merry Christmas! Greetings, André -- GRATIS für alle GMX-Mitglieder: Die maxdome Movie-FLAT! Jetzt freischalten unter http://portal.gmx.net/de/go/maxdome01 ___ Grub-devel mailing list Grub-devel@gnu.org http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/grub-devel
Re: How to install grub on fakeraid (raid 0) which spans 2 TB?
> P ntfs 300 GB Windows XP SP3 32 Bit > P ntfs 300 GB Windows 7 32 Bit > P ext2 100 MB /boot > E > L swap2 GB Linux swap > L ext4 250 GB Ubuntu Linux 9.10 (Karmic) 32 Bit > L ntfs 1100 GB data (for data exchange and storage) > L ext4 48 GB spare space for testing of new OSes > > I like to use the first partition as /boot, but there is no requirement > to do that. I think you can use a logical partition too, but I'm not > 100% sure. > > GRUB normally uses a BIOS call as a part of its internal process. The > extended call is defined for up to 2^48 sectors. That is far larger > than any disk available today. Any limitation, if it exists, is in the > BIOS. > I have applied the partition table mentioned above. Windows 7 Disk Management Tool does not allow to create an Extended Partition on the third Primary partition slot. Thus I used the Ubuntu installer to do it. At first I tried to install GRUB2 from Ubuntu 10.10 (Lucid), but the error message remains :-( Then I tried GRUB1 and succeeded, luckily. Probably there is a problem with the sector offset or the data partition is too large for GRUB1 to skip over. It is > 1 TB. In the actual scheme, the 1.1 TB data partition comes after the root partition (where GRUB is installed). After a kernel update I have to call 'update-grub' manually, but I am happily doing this, it is only a minor glitch of Ubuntu 9.10. If there is a new version of GRUB2 which supports dmraid devices, I happily test it. Maybe it is only a configuration issue, as GRUB2 has become quite flexible. Now I know very well how to restore the GRUB bootloader, I have had much practise. Of course I will do a backup from my RAID0 system soon. The system is very fast. No need to wait for boot and shutdown anymore :-) -- Preisknaller: GMX DSL Flatrate für nur 16,99 Euro/mtl.! http://portal.gmx.net/de/go/dsl02 ___ Grub-devel mailing list Grub-devel@gnu.org http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/grub-devel
