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golinux

- golinux
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## Really stupid n00bish question

Mon Feb 16, 2015 8:58 pm

You think I would remember the answer to this question but it's been quite a while since I since I've done a new install. I have Refracta Wheezy running happily on /dev/sda. I Just switched out a drive and replaced it with a 1tb on /dev/sdb. I want to install the Devuan pre-alpha on part of the new disk. When it asks to install Grub, where do I put it? /dev/sda or /dev/sdb? There is no MBR.on /dev/sda. This stupidity on my part is really embarrassing. But better safe than sorry with a screwed up Refracta . . .
Thanks (and please no wisecracks about competence yada, yada . . .)
fsmithred

- fsmithred
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## Re: Really stupid n00bish question

Mon Feb 16, 2015 9:15 pm

What do you mean there's no mbr???
Normally, you install grub to the mbr of the first disk. If you install a second linux on a second disk, you can let that one put grub in the mbr of the first disk, and the system on the second disk will rule the bootloader.
If you think you're going to someday turn the second disk into the first disk, you can put grub in the mbr of the second disk, run update-grub next time you're in wheezy, and you'll get menu entries for devuan.
golinux

- golinux
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## Re: Really stupid n00bish question

Mon Feb 16, 2015 9:52 pm

Boy, that was quick! It's been so long since I've done an install, I honestly can't remember the details. I'm pretty sure there is no separate partition for the MBR. Instead, grub is installed on /dev/sda1. I have no idea how exactly that is written to disk. Does grub carve out a dedicated space for that purpose on the root partition (/dev/sda1)?
Whatever OS I eventually move to from Squeeze and Refracta Wheezy, will be installed on the new second disk and eventually moved to my production machine. I imagine that won't happen for nearly a year though because it's gonna take time for the systemd-free jessie options to shake out. There has been no systemd-free chatter here for many months. Will you be considering Devuan as a base for Refracta Jessie?
As noted by the visido team . . . you are the best, fsmithred.
mean_dean

- mean_dean
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## Re: Really stupid n00bish question

Tue Feb 17, 2015 4:22 am

technically (or non-technically if you will) the part of grub that is in the mbr is just a pointer to the /boot/grub files on a partition
so the mbr is a magical hidden area (not a partition) that just says "oh hey you want to run a os...ok...go here" and then you get sent to the paritition that holds the magical grub files
short version - choose /dev/sda if yo u are going to install grub
even if you get it wrong or need to change it later it is simply a matter of reinstalling/reconfiguring grub....
In this case though you could choose NOT to install grub at all when you install devuan. After installing you would reboot and it would boot into your wheezy install. Then you can simply run update-grub and it should add devuan to its magical grub files.
mean_dean

- mean_dean
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## Re: Really stupid n00bish question

Tue Feb 17, 2015 4:25 am

> golinux wrote: Will you be considering Devuan as a base for Refracta Jessie?

...or will refracta stop being a distro and just be a collection of cool tools
golinux

- golinux
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## Re: Really stupid n00bish question

Tue Feb 17, 2015 6:28 am

> mean_dean wrote:In this case though you could choose NOT to install grub at all when you install devuan. After installing you would reboot and it would boot into your wheezy install. Then you can simply run update-grub and it should add devuan to its magical grub files.

Thank you for jogging my memory! I want to keep Refracta as the default in Grub so this is what I'll do. Will only be booting Devuan occasionally until they get suspend working. Reboots and fscks are really annoying. Nice to see you. You haven't been around much lately . . .
fsmithred

- fsmithred
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## Re: Really stupid n00bish question

Tue Feb 17, 2015 11:02 am

I would put grub in the mbr of the second disk, so when the time comes to move the second disk into first place, there will be a bootloader. You'll still boot into wheezy and need to run update-grub to get devuan into the boot menu.

> ...or will refracta stop being a distro and just be a collection of cool tools

Maybe. Or maybe a skeleton distribution with the tools already installed. A do-it-yourself kit. Not sure. Lately, I've been busy with just keeping the tools working through all the changes in debian. This is nothing like lenny to squeeze or squeeze to wheezy. Those were smooth transitions in terms of keeping the tools working. Not so, this time.
And I'm no closer to deciding on which non-systemd repo to use than I was a month ago. I need to upgrade some hardware before I can do any serious work in jessie. (If anyone has a spare recent nvidia gfx card for pcie they'd like to donate, it would speed things up. I need to use two monitors, and the current card won't do that in jessie.)
golinux

- golinux
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## Re: Really stupid n00bish question

Tue Feb 17, 2015 3:37 pm

> fsmithred wrote:I would put grub in the mbr of the second disk, so when the time comes to move the second disk into first place, there will be a bootloader. You'll still boot into wheezy and need to run update-grub to get devuan into the boot menu.

Ah that';s an even better idea. Thanks.

> ...or will refracta stop being a distro and just be a collection of cool tools

> fsmithred wrote:Maybe. Or maybe a skeleton distribution with the tools already installed. A do-it-yourself kit. Not sure. Lately, I've been busy with just keeping the tools working through all the changes in debian. This is nothing like lenny to squeeze or squeeze to wheezy. Those were smooth transitions in terms of keeping the tools working. Not so, this time.

And you have been doing a fantastic job of solving every issue that has popped up to date.

> fsmithred wrote:And I'm no closer to deciding on which non-systemd repo to use than I was a month ago. I need to upgrade some hardware before I can do any serious work in jessie. (If anyone has a spare recent nvidia gfx card for pcie they'd like to donate, it would speed things up. I need to use two monitors, and the current card won't do that in jessie.)

I figure it's going to take about a year for me to sort out where I'm finally going to land. Hopefully on Devuan but who knows. I would be happy to send a donation for a new video card if you have a way for me to do that. I bet that other appreciative Refracta users would do the same. Maybe I should start a thread encouraging people to do so. Let me know if you want to go that route.
nadir

- nadir
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## Re: Really stupid n00bish question

Wed Feb 18, 2015 7:10 am

> golinux wrote:Grub .... But better safe than sorry with a screwed up Refracta . . .

grub usually isn't a big problem. If something goes south, one can always boot a liveCD, chroot to the installation and re-install grub, via "grub-install /dev/sda.
It is a bit time-consuming and a bit scary, if one doesn't chroot regularly, but there are how-to's online (it's about 5 commands), so one can just copy and paste.
Asking before doing is an option too, of course. My only point is: it is not a operation of sweaty hands.
(I wouldn't call it outstanding noobish. It is an operation some do often, and some never do. I didn't fiddle wtith grub for more than a year, as i only got 1 installation per PC. Soon i will have forgotten it too ...).
Main and only point:
No need to be too "excited" or cautios. grub is easy to repair.
golinux

- golinux
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## Re: Really stupid n00bish question

Wed Feb 18, 2015 9:48 pm

nadir . . . I have never chrooted so yes, there would be sweaty palms. I also want to get it right the first time. And now I have this how-to that I can refer to in the future. Busy tomorrow but will install Devuan over the weekend for sure. Will report how it goes . . .
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