For everyone's reference purposes, here is the solution to my previous
problem.
Thanks again to Forrest Taylor for spending a lot of time on this one...
==============================================================================
Redhat Fedora Core 1 refused to UPGRADE from Redhat 9 as long as
smartbootmgr (SBM) was installed in MBR. Had to remove the SBM (use the
self-removal feature) before the upgrade would proceed. (Reinstall
afterwards, or let Grub be the main boot manager.)
What is the cause of the problem? Apparently the following: Anaconda
uses libparted.so (which is the library for /usr/sbin/parted). Parted
is confused by the MBR when SBM is installed, although the partition
table itself clearly is ok (the system runs fine as rh-9.0).
Parted returns that the disk partition table (aka. "disk label") is of
type "loop". This is what happens when parted cannot find what it deems
to be a valid partition table. The disk is then perceived as a being
raw disk with no structure ("loop" presumably refers to a "loopback").
The installer then decides there is nothing to upgrade, and therefore
does not permit the upgrade option.
Reference: Smart boot manager
http://btmgr.sourceforge.net/
==============================================================================
From the Parted mailing list...
==============================================================================
From: Andrew Clausen
Subject: Re: NTFS bug: partition table image as requested
Date: Sun, 29 Sep 2002 08:34:55 +1000
User-agent: Mutt/1.4i
On Sat, Sep 28, 2002 at 08:35:55PM +0200, Matteo Fiorito wrote:
I believe it is not a virus, never had any problems.
However it might be that the Smart Boot Manager (version 3.7.1) I am using
to boot my dual OS comp is confusing parted recognition of the devices
partition.
Correct. The boot manager has a FAT signature in it. It shouldn't
do this! I can't think of any safe work-arounds.
I think they should fix it.
Cheers,
Andrew
==============================================================================
From the Smart Boot Manager mailing list...
==============================================================================
From: James Su <suzhe98@xxxx>
Date: Sat Nov 1, 2003 5:22 pm
Subject: Re: [btmgr] I can't install linux in drives with smart boot
manager
Should be OK.
--- Unai Uribarri <unaiur@xxxx> %G�����ģ�%@> GNU
Parted gets confused when it reads "FAT" at
position 0x36 of the
boot sector of smart boot manager, and thinks that
the whole disk is a
single FAT partition.
If I replace that string with three spaces, will
btmgr boot correctly?
==============================================================================
_________________________________________________________________
FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar ? get it now!
http://toolbar.msn.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/
