using Knoppix CD as a grub rescue floppy

[Jim Franklin]

Hi folks,
 I've always been a strong advocate of grub. I'm using Knoppix as my rescue
CD and did some figuring on how to use it as a grub rescue floppy in case of
a corrupted MBR. Below are some of my install notes for my Hewlett Packard
Pavilions zd7020. I thought using the Knoppix Live CD as both my rescue CD
and my grub rescue floppy might be helpful and useful to other folks out
there.

Jim Franklin

(excerpt from install notes)
Now is the time to get the grub bootloader installed. The reason for this is
that grub needs to have the same version on the boot floppy (in this case
the Knoppix Live CD will be our boot floppy) that is found on the harddrive
in case you ever need an emergency recovery. We will manually copy the files
we need from the install directory into the working directory. Then should
apt install newer versions of grub in the install directory we don't have to
worry because our working grub directory and the grub floppy(in this case
the Knoppix Live CD will be our boot floppy) never change. Create a
directory for grub. The basic kernel installed is vmlinuz-2.2.20-idepci from
the Debian GNU/linux 3.0r2 CD.

~# mkdir /boot/grub/

create a configuration file for grub called menu.lst

~# joe /boot/grub/menu.lst

#
# configure file for the grub bootloader
#
# timeout is 10 seconds
timeout=10


# for booting Debian GNU/linux operating system
title= Debian GNU/linux
root=(hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.2.20-idepci root=/dev/hda3
boot

# for booting the Windows XP operating system
title= Windows XP
root=(hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader=+1
boot

put the Knoppix CD in the CD drive

reboot:
~# /sbin/shutdown -h now

When the KDE desktop comes up, right mouse click on the hda2 icon
mount the hda2 partition
right click on the hda2 icon
click on Actions
change the read/write permissions to writeable

open a terminal window
superuser to root

~# su root

~# whereis grub

~# ls /usr/lib/grub
~# ls /usr/lib/grub/i386-pc/

~# cp /usr/lib/grub/i386-pc/stage1 /mnt/hda2/grub/
~# cp /usr/lib/grub/i386-pc/stage2 /mnt/hda2/grub/
~# cp /usr/lib/grub/i386-pc/e2fs_stage1_5 /mnt/hda2/grub/
~# ls /mnt/hda2/grub/

install grub in the MBR

~# /sbin/grub

this will initiate the grub bootloader and give you a grub prompt

grub >

use the install command to install grub in the Master Boot Record
usage of the install command can be found in the grub manual
http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/grub.html

grub > install=(hd0,1)/grub/stage1 (hd0) (hd0,1)/grub/stage2 0x8000 p
grub > quit

end Knoppix session
reboot by holding down power button for 7 seconds
the grub prompt appear in boot sequence, run the grub setup command

grub > root=(hd0,1)
grub > setup (hd0)

reboot, [Ctrl][Alt][Del] and try out your new grub bootloader. Use the Up
and Down Arrow keys to choose the operating system you  want to use.