Installing Grub on FAT32

[srg]

Hi

Whenever I try to install Grub to the bootsector or a FAT16 partition with the normal stage1 and stage2 it works okay. When I try this with a FAT32 partition is corrupts it. Do I have to use one of the stage 1.5's?

thanks
srg

[Pype.Clicker]

i can't tell for sure, but i'd rather suggest that you install grub on your Master Boot Record rather than on a FAT32 partition. Iirc, grub itself cannot boot DOS or windows. Instead it use a chain-loading technique to execute the MS bootloader (located in the partition boot sector) if it is said so

[Solar]

Pype is correct. The stage1 (512 bytes) traditionally goes into the MBR and gets patched with the sector number of the stage2 (several blocks in size), which is "deposited" somewhere in the file system.

The concatenated stage1 / stage2 install is only for to create a boot media (floppy disk) which launches you into the GRUB shell you can actually do the installation from. Writing stage1 and stage2 to a file system has an excellent chance of corrupting the file system if it holds any significant information in the first few blocks.

See the FAQ entry on GRUB for a step-by-step tutorial that guides you through this two-step process.

[srg]

That FAQ has has some heavy changed sice the last time I looked at it.

srg

[Solar]

Thanks. *bow* ;D