Dear All, I'm trying to install Centos 4.2 x86_64 on a new Opteron server, using a software raid 1 boot partition. Here is the appropriate section of my kickstart.cfg #System bootloader configuration bootloader --location=mbr #Clear the Master Boot Record zerombr yes #Partition clearing information clearpart --all --initlabel #Disk partitioning information part raid.01 --size 50000 --asprimary --ondisk sda part raid.02 --size 50000 --asprimary --ondisk sdb raid / --level=1 --device=md0 --fstype ext3 raid.01 raid.02 ###################################### Unfortunately, when the server completes the install and reboots I am stuck at a GRUB prompt. Typing the following at the grub prompt allows me to boot: root (hd1,0) kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.9-22.ELsmp ro root=/dev/md0 initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.9-22.ELsmp.img boot But, once booted grub-install fails: grub-install --root-directory=/boot /dev/sda /dev/md0 does not have any corresponding BIOS drive If I don't use software raid for the root partition, all works fine, but this erodes the redundancy of my server... Have I suddenly started doing something wrong, or is there a new bug out there that needs whacking ? I'd be grateful for your comments! Jake -- Dr J. Grimmett Computer Systems Manager Division of Molecular Structure National Institute for Medical Research The Ridgeway Mill Hill London, NW7 1AA Tel: 0208 816 2028 Fax: 0208 906 4477
Aleksandar Milivojevic
2005-Nov-02 14:28 UTC
[CentOS] grub booting from software raid problem
Quoting Jake Grimmett <jake.grimmett at nimr.mrc.ac.uk>:> Unfortunately, when the server completes the install and reboots I am > stuck at > a GRUB prompt.Most likely, the grub.conf file ended outside of BIOS addressable disk space. Your root partition which contains /boot directory is just shy of 50GB, most today's BIOSes can address only about first 8 gigs of disk or so. You were lucky that the kernel and initrd image ended up somewhere near the beggining of the partition (inside BIOS addressable 8GB of disk) so you were able to boot manually. However, on next kernel update, you might not be that lucky. The solution is to create small partition for /boot at the very beggining of disk. 100MB is more than enough for the /boot. ---------------------------------------------------------------- This message was sent using IMP, the Internet Messaging Program.