Compaqs have been mentioned, but to my knowledge they are the exception. I knew they did this on servers, but I did not know they did that on desktops too. One more reason to not like Compaq, or at least they're home PCs (like I need one...) Anyone know if this has changed yet with HPs acquisition of Compaq? Or did they stop doing this before they were bought out? John > -----Original Message----- > From: tclug-list-bounces at mn-linux.org > [mailto:tclug-list-bounces at mn-linux.org] On Behalf Of Tom Penney > Sent: Monday, January 12, 2004 9:47 AM > To: TCLUG Mailing List > Subject: RE: [TCLUG] Grubb boot menu options > > > On Mon, 2004-01-12 at 08:26, John T. Hoffoss wrote: > > To my knowledge, almost no desktop computers have separate > partitions. > > Instead, the setup is in the CMOS chip. This is why BIOS > updates can > > change your menu options. > > I haven't been following this thread closely so forgive me if > this has been covered. I have seen computers (old inexpensive > compaq's I think) with the bios info stored on a mini drive > partition. I've trashed this "bios Partion" in the past and > had to download and make bootable floppies to recreate it. > The hard drive bios has to go down as one of the stupidest > ideas ever. > > I couldn't google up anything quickly to support my story so > you may think I'm crazy. I wouldn't believe it either. but > several years ago I did fix a computer that wouldn't boot > without a partition on the primary master drive for bios info. > > - Tom > > > > On Mon, 2004-01-12 at 08:26, John T. Hoffoss wrote: > > To my knowledge, almost no desktop computers have separate > partitions. > > Instead, the setup is in the CMOS chip. This is why BIOS > updates can > > change your menu options. > > > > As for David's boot menu disappearing act, I want to agree with > > Matthew's response in that I have a hard time believing > that would be > > the case, except I've seen this behavior too, in laptops > alone. (I've > > got two old Dells on my workbench behind me right now that > I am having > > trouble with.) I've not tried a BIOS update on them yet, > and I do have > > a feeling that will repair the issue. > > > > Just my two cents, I guess. > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: tclug-list-bounces at mn-linux.org > > > [mailto:tclug-list-bounces at mn-linux.org] On Behalf Of > Samuel MacDonald > > > Sent: Saturday, January 10, 2004 11:52 AM > > > To: TCLUG Mailing List > > > Subject: Re: [TCLUG] Grubb boot menu options > > > > > > > > > Is the F12 the option that puts you into the machines setup? > > > Many manufacturers use this Compaq, Dell, Micron, and > others. It's a > > > partition from 10 - 30 megabytes that contains programs for > > > configuration, hardware testing, remote administration, > etc... Most > > > machines can live without this but it's a good thing to have > > > if you have > > > a hardware problem. This is not exclusive to laptops. > Compaq has long > > > used it in Servers and Desktops. > > > > > > I remember this happening to someone else but it was a long > > > time ago. > > > The person let Red Hat do the automatic partitioning, it > erased the > > > setup partition. The only way "I" know how to fix it is to > > > rebuild the > > > whole thing. Some smarter LUGer may have a way to work around it. > > > > > > You will need to setup and diagnostics disks from the > manufacturer. > > > When you setup Red Hat you will need to manually partition > > > the drive to > > > be sure the setup partition remains on the disk. > > > > > > This should be a topic at an Install Fest. I can do a setup > > > partition > > > clinic on a Compaq if anyone is interested. > > > > > > Sam. > > > > > > David Schiff wrote: > > > > > > >For what its worth the DeadRat manuals state the reason > they use a > > > >/boot partition is so if you have file corruption on / > you can still > > > >have pure kernel to boot and fix things. > > > > > > > >I ha a Dell Inspiron 11. It had this really nice feature of > > > a one time > > > >boot option, you hit f12 at start up and you get a menu of boot > > > >options. I installed Fedora core w/Grubb on mbr now not only > > > wont this > > > >feature work (which is not surprising) but Grubb kicks in > > > before I can > > > >boot a cd or dvd no matter what the bios boot order is set > > > to. To boot > > > >from cd I have to dissable boot from hd in bios. Is > there a HOWTO > > > >to > > > >create a boot from cd munu option ror Grubb like the boot > > > from floppy > > > >option on Mandrake's LILO setup? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > > > >TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota > > > >http://www.mn-linux.org tclug-list at mn-linux.org > > > >https://mailman.real-time.com/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota > > http://www.mn-linux.org tclug-list at mn-linux.org > > https://mailman.real-time.com/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota > > http://www.mn-linux.org tclug-list at mn-linux.org > > https://mailman.real-time.com/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list > -- > Tom Penney <blots at visi.com> > > > _______________________________________________ > TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota http://www.mn-linux.org tclug-list at mn-linux.org https://mailman.real-time.com/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list _______________________________________________ TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota http://www.mn-linux.org tclug-list at mn-linux.org https://mailman.real-time.com/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list