GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 734376
Add GRUB 2 Restore Steps to GParted Manual
Last modified: 2014-10-20 17:11:59 UTC
Update the GParted Help Manual with: - Steps to restore GRUB 2 - Short description of GRUB 2 versus GRUB Legacy - List of GNU/Linux distributions and version that started using GRUB 2 A patch will follow shortly.
Created attachment 282732 [details] [review] Add GRUB 2 Restore Steps to GParted Manual patch v1 The attached patch adds instructions for restoring GRUB 2 boot on GNU/Linux distributions. For testing I used the following steps: 1) Zero out the MBR boot code (not the partition table). # dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda bs=1 count=446 2) Reboot and confirm that distro no longer boots. 3) Boot from a Live image (for example GParted Live) and use the restore GRUB 2 steps from this patch. Note that you can view the gparted.xml file directly with a command such as: $ yelp /full-path-to-gparted-help-C/gparted.xml 4) Reboot, remove Live image, and confirm that distro now boots. The instructions in the patch have been successfully tested on: debian 7 fedora 19* openSUSE 12.3 ubuntu 14.04 * My fedora 19 VM uses LVM so I had a few extra steps when I booted from GParted Live. Specifically: - activate LVM with "vgchange -ay", - list the LVs with "lvscan" to learn the / partition was on "/dev/fedora/root" - the /boot partition was on "/dev/sda1"
Hi Curtis, I've read the whole section "Fixing Operating System Boot Problems" and I think it needs some additional changes. 1) Section: Fixing Operating System Boot Problems This section feels like it is saying go away and look for help else where: You are advised to consult documentation for your boot loader to learn how to fix the problem. You might consult the GParted FAQ, or the GParted forum. You might also use Internet search engines to learn how other people have solved similar problems. But then has a subsection: Fixing GRUB boot probem. Suggest rewording it. More details below. 2) Section: Fixing GRUB boot problem This section is repeating some of what is said in the parent section about types of actions leading to booting failure. CentOS 6 uses GRUB (legacy) not GRUB2. Can this and the parent section be merged. List actions which can cause boot failure. State those which can be resolved be reinstalling the boot loader. Then provide the 2 subsections on how to reinstall GRUB boot loader. I think that it also needs stating that this can (or must) be done by booting from your distributions recovery media (or GParted Live CD if that can be used). 3) Section: Restoring GRUB Legacy Boot Loader 4) Section: Restoring GRUB 2 Boot Loader Make it clear that this is booting from recovery media. (Hence the need for mount and mount --bind). Mike
Thank you Mike for reviewing the entire section. I agree with the improvement points you raised. I will see what I can do to address these points. Curtis
Created attachment 283232 [details] [review] Add GRUB 2 Restore Steps to GParted Manual patch v2 Thanks again Mike for the tips on improving the documentation. I believe I have addressed all of the issues you raised in comment #2. Please review patchset v2. Curtis
I just realized that I should make some minor tweaks to patch v2, such as spelling out "Universal Serial Bus" the first time USB is mentioned. Updated patch set to follow.
Created attachment 283319 [details] [review] Add GRUB 2 Restore Steps to GParted Manual patch v3 Minor updates since patch set v2 include: - spell out Universal Serial Bus (USB) in the Acquiring GParted on Live CD section - Place example / partition location /dev/sda5 near mount command in the Restoring GRUB 2 Boot Loader section This patch set is ready for review.
Created attachment 283323 [details] [review] Add GRUB 2 restore steps to GParted Manual patch v4 Hi Curtis, I tested restoring GRUB2 in a Fedora 19 VM using GParted Live CD 0.19.1. Worked successfully. Hope you don't mind there was this one bit of wording which I needed to change just near where you were editing in the section "Fixing Operating System Boot Problems" from: ... You might also use Internet search engines to learn how ... to: ... You might also search the Internet to learn how ... Added this extra change into patch number 4 as it was changing that section. The rest of the wording is OK. I'll commit v4 tomorrow. Mike
Thanks for reviewing the patch set and testing the GRUB 2 instructions. I agree with your re-wording of the sentence. It is an improvement over the original. Curtis
Hi Curtis, Patchset v4 from comment #7 has been pushed to GParted public GIT repo for inclusion in the next release. Commits are: Add GRUB 2 restoration steps to help manual (#734376) https://git.gnome.org/browse/gparted/commit/?id=fa7c38f166fafc60d850c3995ae53db692e1bf78 Add GRUB Legacy live media boot step to help manual (#734376) https://git.gnome.org/browse/gparted/commit/?id=4501c0394fdbee8921d5873d95fd4f5e9b6e89d8 Remove duplication in fixing GRUB boot section of help manual (#734376) https://git.gnome.org/browse/gparted/commit/?id=fcccf377f241cfeb3ae019904bf7db68bdf67cba Improve wording of fixing OS boot problem section in help manual (#734376) https://git.gnome.org/browse/gparted/commit/?id=bc7573e45aa25015863d706371b8f7cd3b214768 Add GParted Live USB flash drive tip to help manual (#734376) https://git.gnome.org/browse/gparted/commit/?id=805f42c7c440c6bf42e992124544c672839812a6 Thanks, Mike
This enhancement was included in the GParted 0.20.0 release on October 20, 2014.