Second hard drive issue

In order to assist we need to know the following

(1) Which Linux you are able to boot? as you have 2, one in hda and one in hdb. You show us the fstab and complaining a mounting problem with partitions in hda. That implies you are running a Linux in hda. If it runs then hda2 must have been mounted or else you Linux won't boot. If you boot Linux from hdb then why show us the fstab of the Linux in hda? Linux in hdb has its own fstab for mounting only hdb partitions. Your post suggests none of the partitions can be mounted.

(2) output of "fdisk-l" as you have now. As we do not know if hda1 has been deleted or not or if additional partitions created since then, as you mentioned a reboot. You started thread with a reference to a second computer and what is the connection? Is hda in one computer and hdb in another?

(3) Your problem in mounting is associated with the difficulties experienced by the filing manager. Can you mount the partitions manually yourself? Show us the /mnt directory of the boot up Linux.

Yes all the things you want can be done but you need to get your hands dirty.

You can boot a Linux originally installed in a master (hda) but subsequently moved to a slave (hdb).

You can have Grub to boot either system for you.


Both will not happen automatically.


Your first priority is to readjust the partition referenece of the Linux installed in hda but now resides in hdb. If this is an Ubuntu then you need to edit

(1) /boot/grub/menu.lst
(2) /etc/fstab

After editing the above you can then edit the Linux in the master disk hda's boot loader to boot the second Linux. Again if it has Grub it will be editing its /boot/grub/menu.lst but this time it is the one in hda.

Take a look at the last link of my signature on how to mount the second Linux with the boot-up first one. You need root privileges to edit the system files and this can either by obtained by "su" at the terminal followed by the password or prefix every command with "sudo".

Like I said previously you need to post the output of "fdisk -l" for others to advise you on the correct steps.

You don't need to re-install any system but need to change the partition reference of the two above-mentioned system files. A re-install can get you out of the difficulty at the expense that you don't learn anything from it.

OK we are getting somewhere. You now have two disks.

The next thing I need to know is which part does not work and requires help. Equally tell us which parts boot satisfactorily.

Regarding your queries on the partition table. My explanation would be as follow:-

You fstab is only relevent to the Linux installed in hda6 because it is to be mounted as the root "/" .

The reason you have no swap is because you ran out of disk space and the Linux was forced to do without it at the expense of a slower speed.

According to your hda disk you could have told the partitioner to start the logical partition from the bottom of the hard disk so that hda5 occupies the very rear of the disk. In the middle is hda6. The front end of the disk is hda3. hda1 is just an extended partition defining the two extremes of you logical partitions.

Your partition is healthy but OS always alerts you any unusual feature.

It looks to me you have another Linux in hdb and there should be another /etc/fstab in possibly hdb4 since you talk about /home in hdb3.

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From now on please do not change the disk order.

If you have access to Grub issue these commands and post its output here
as the output confirm which is the 1st and 2nd disk.

I shall assume that you are booting from hda. That means you have access to the Linux in hda6.

Your Grub output confirms hda is the 1st disk (hd0), as Grub counts from 0. Your hda6 is shown up there as the partition 5.

I don't know why you say "partition hdb1 is / on this drive" as your fstab does not indicate any of the partition from hdb would be mounted.

To get the second /etc/fstab you need to mount the partition first by commands
The above should return two location of /etc/fstab. Post the missing one here.

Also post the /mnt/hdb1/boot/grub/menu.lst and the /boot/grub/menu.lst of the boot up Linux in hda6.

I shall need you boot the second system

I colored the red bits to assist you to do less typing. The black bits are from your original fstab untouched by me. Basically I delete the UUID references and replace them with the device names. UUID is new and haven't been used in many Linux but the device names can be found by all Linux kernels.

You need the full line in each case. If I were you I copy and paste the whole lot over the existing file.

I have requested that you should never unplug the hard disk connections from now on. If you do the disk order can be messed up again. Therefore to boot the system manually you boot up sda6 Linux's Grub screen and press "c" to get a Grub prompt. You then type line by line as shown in Post #25 to boot the Ubuntu in sdb1 manually.

I like you getting the hands dirty by manually boot up a Linux and your Post #26 suggests you have done that. Did you cheat? Believe me it gives us a kick in the feeling if you manage to boot up a system manually. You are then grabbing Grub by its horns and has this bugger serve you as a slave forever.

OK here is the menu.lst you should have (just copy and paste the whole lot) in the sda6's /boot/grub/menu.lst (I delete the lines with # as those are not acted on)
Again I have colored the bits red that you would have to add.