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Install without grub

VanR

Wed Jun 13, 2012 10:55:13 pm

Trying to install Zorin OS 6 in a spare partition to give it a run until the 64 bit Zorin 6 comes out. I don't want to install grub but it doesn't seem to give that option at install. I'll update grub from my main OS of SolusOS after install of Zorin 6. Anyone got any idea how to install Zorin without installing grub?

Wolfman

Thu Jun 14, 2012 6:11:23 am

Hi,

as far as I know; you cannot as it is an integral part of the OS, you can use "Boot Repair" to recover GRUB after install:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1895

A very good tool, I recommend it, burn an ISO CD copy for future use!!.

Regards Wolfman :D

VanR

Thu Jun 14, 2012 5:47:03 pm

Not sure why you can't though as most other distros I have used allow you to install without installing grub. I have multiple OS's (Windows 7, Solus OS 1, Solus OS 2, and now Zorin OS 6) on my machine. Now when I remove Zorin OS I will have to re-install grub. That's a trouble that could have been avoided.

Wolfman

Thu Jun 14, 2012 5:49:33 pm

Hi Van,

if you didn't use GRUB, what did you use??. You need a bootloader of some sort or another!!.

Regards Wolfman :D

DanYHKim

Thu Jun 14, 2012 6:48:13 pm

Wolfman wrote:Hi Van,

if you didn't use GRUB, what did you use??. You need a bootloader of some sort or another!!.

Regards Wolfman :D


I think what is meant is that many distributions let you install and then modify the menu.lst file for a pre-existing GRUB. A small distro like Puppy Linux, for instance, can be "installed" by copying the VMLINUZ and INITRD.GZ files to the hard drive, then pointing GRUB to them using commands added to menu.lst.

Zorin's installer insists on installing and configuring GRUB2, and doesn't have an option just to extract files and directories from the .iso image, and then create a menu.lst entry to load it.

The .iso image has a directory called "casper" that has initrd.gz and vmlinuz, as well as a .squashfs file that probably contains the basic filesystem.

When I make a liveUSB drive with unetbootin, the syslinux.cfg file contains the entry:

Code:
label unetbootindefault
menu label Default
kernel /ubnkern
append initrd=/ubninit file=/cdrom/preseed/custom.seed boot=casper quiet splash -- persistent


The file ubnkern is about the same size as the vmlinuz.x.x.x file that I find in /boot on a regular installation of Zorin, and the ubninit file is about the same size as the initrd.x.x.x file that is there as well.

The grub.cfg file in a regular installation of Zorin seems to reference initrd.gz and vmlinuz derived files, except that these are files that live in /boot

I imagine one may be able to copy the contents of a Zorin installation to another disk, or to a directory in another disk, and then put together a menu.lst or grub.cfg entry to launch it, with some modifications to paths, etc.

Sure looks like a ton of work, though.

VanR

Thu Jun 14, 2012 7:31:28 pm

Wolfman wrote:Hi Van,

if you didn't use GRUB, what did you use??. You need a bootloader of some sort or another!!.

Regards Wolfman :D

I already have GRUB install on /dev/sda by Solus OS 1 so when I install Zorin without overwriting the GRUB I already have. I then boot into the Solus OS 1 partition and update-grub and it picks up the new Zorin OS. This allows Solus OS to control the GRUB. The main thing is I'm just trying out the 32-bit version of Zorin OS 6 which I like very much, so I already know I will be removing it and moving to 64 bit when it is available.

Wolfman

Fri Jun 15, 2012 8:36:11 am

Hi VanR,

I really can only recommend downloading "Boot Repair" for any future use!!.

Regards Wolfman :D