Problem getting Grub to recognise alternative operating system, SCO Open Server

[Roy]

Hello all,

The machine is a Pentium ll  333Mhz,  524meg Ram

The primary HD (master) has SCO Open Server 5.04 on it
Sparky is on a second HD as (slave).

The SCO 5.04 has to be set as master otherwise it won't install or boot.
I realise that it dates back to 1997 but it supports some very old software that I need.

After installing Sparky nothing would boot so I ran the live DVD of Sparky and went into "Preferences/Boot Repair" and at the end of the routine as message said to set my bios boot to D.

That worked an I get a grub menu showing an entry to boot Sparky and Memory test options but there is no entry to boot SCO Open Server 5.04 installed on drive C

If I run fdisk -l  both HD's are found
SCO openserver 5.04 is on sdb /dev/sdb4
Sparky is on sdc /dev/sdc1

If I boot with a Parted Majic live CD and use the extra menu options I can boot into /dev/sdb4 (SCO open server 5.04)
I am assuming that the Grub2 probe utility is having a problem recognising the SCO Unix and that I need to make a manual entry in a script in /etc/grub.d but I don't have a clue what to enter.

I would be very grateful for any help offered.

Roy

[pavroo]

Hi

If !
1. You don't have /dev/sda disk
2. Grub installed by Sparky has been installed in MBR, not the Sparky's root partition
then:

In a case like that, edit the file (as root): /etc/grub.d/40_custom
and add your entry:

Code Select Expand

menuentry "SCO Open Server" {
set root=(hd1,4)
drivemap -s (hd0) (hd1)
}

Then update grub:

Code Select Expand

sudo update-grub
It's an old Unix system so the config file can be a little bit different, not sure.
Here is a nice post about Grub too: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1195275

[Roy]

Hi Pavroo,

Thanks for replying.

I did what you said but unfortunately it did not work, the menu option showed but all that happened was that the screen blanked for 1/2 second and returned to the menu options.   I did try changing set root to different obvious variables from (hd1,4) to hd0,4) etc, etc but to no effect. I also tried commenting out the drivemap line but again to no effect.

One clue though.  When I run the GParted live boot disc and took the "Local Boot Routines Menu / [first option]. Local Boot" a message displayed showing -
Bypass the SYSLINUX Loader, and use the Boot Loader on your hard disc.

This worked fine.

Is there some way I can do as the message implied within Grub2.

Many thanks again

Roy

[pavroo]

You should find out how the SCO Open Server's bootloader boots the system (SCO Open Server docs, faq, wiki - find its bootloader config) and use it to configure the '40_custom' file. It's what I can do now.