KDM + grub + reboot into specific OS not working

aceFruchtsaft

I'm wondering whether anyone has a working installation where you can select into which OS to reboot to with KDE/KDM 4.6.4 and grub 0.97.
I have selected "grub" as the boot manager in the KDM config, but still I see no list of OS's in the reboot dialog.

It works on my openSUSE installation on different hardware though, with exactly the same package versions and no discernible differences in configuration.

Does it work for you, and if so, how did you get it working?

Thanks.

SLBMEH · Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 10:54 am Post subject:

Never tried to configure it. Would it require access to your menu.lst? Is your /boot on a separate partition? Does that mount at boot time?
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aceFruchtsaft · Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2011 10:44 am Post subject:

Pretty good suggestion, as this was indeed the case an I would think that an accessible menu.lst is a necessary condition for this to work at all. However, now that I've fixed this there are still no reboot options shown, so something else is also missing.

But thanks anyway!

// Edit: Looking further into this, it seems that suse has a grubonce executable which allows it to boot a specific OS once. I guess this is called by KDM. Gentoo neither has grubonce nor grub-reboot, so I guess this is the reason it does not work.

Spidey · Apprentice Joined: 07 Sep 2006 Posts: 269

There is a grub-set-default binary, that sets the last "saved default" on grub. On you grub.conf or menu.lst, you have to use the "default saved" command, so that KDM can correctly set your next OS after boot.
But the problem is that the menu isn't even show, right?

wrc1944 · Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 12:44 pm Post subject:

I always use grub legacy (0.97) from my Gentoo installations to boot into other distros (whether they are grub 2, or legacy grub), which works fine.
For me, grub 2 and UUID's is a PITA, and overkill, plus I've never figured out reliable a way to chainload from grub2 into a legacy grub distro. For that reason, I find it much simpler to use grub legacy for the controlling grub.

You only use the kernel /boot/grub/core.img and savedefault lines to chainload into grub 2 distros, where their own grub is installed on their own root partition.

In the case the chainloading into other distros doesn't work, and you're SURE you have no typos or wrong stanza entries, you can try reinstalling their grub (the one you are trying to chainload into), or as a last resort create a stanza in your Gentoo controlling grub pointing to the specific kernel and partition found in the other distro's grub.conf, grub.cfg, or menu.lst file. If need be, you can mount the other distro's partition from Gentoo, and check its grub file so you can put the correct entry in your gentoo controlling grub file.

Here's one of my grub.conf files. Use the format shown for Linux Mint if the distro you wish to chainload into is using grub2, otherwise use the short legacy format for 0.97 distros. If you don't have a grub.conf, create one and reinstall grub legacy on your Gentoo distro that you are using for your controlling grub. Need to get that grub working correctly first, before setting up the chainloader stanzas for other distros.

Randy Andy · Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 11:08 am Post subject:

Hi Folks.

Today i stumbled on this website which shows (visualize the menue enty) the grub2 support of KDM, as mentioned above.

For anyone who are interested how it looks like: http://ksmanis.wordpress.com/2011/04/21/hello-planet-and-grub2-support-for-kdm/

No, i'm not a Fan of grub2. I prefer grub legacy too. :wink:

Regards, Andy.
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