HD Install :: GRUB error - /dev/cloop & the BIOS



I'm trying to do a traditional HD install on an old laptop, which has no CDROM.  I've got DSL running (as if from CD) using loadlin: the files from the ISO are on /dev/hda5.

When I run the installation, GRUB is not installed - the installation bombs out with an error but the window closes too fast to see it.   Running

$ sudo grub-install /dev/hda  

produces an error:

/dev/cloop has no corresponding BIOS drive

Rebooting now drops me straight back into Windows, with no GRUB involvement - so it's not installed.   The advice on similar errors elsewhere relies on being able to amend /boot/grub/devices.map - but at this stage of the installation that file is on a read-only device

Any suggestions, anyone?   I've run this process for an HD install before without issues, but on a previous version - has something changed that I should have known about?
Try editing /cdrom/boot/grub/devices.map
Quote (^thehatsrule^ @ Feb. 05 2007,15:01)
Try editing /cdrom/boot/grub/devices.map

/cdrom/boot doesn't exist (/cdrom is the cdrom iso extract - so it's got Knoppix and isolinux directories only for a loadlin boot.  The actual cdrom image would have a boot directory, but that only contain the isolinux directory - even if this was a real cdrom /cdrom/boot/grub/ wouldn't exist).

I've tried editing /dev/hda6/boot/grub/device.map, but that has no effect on the error.

I also tried to mount /dev/hda6 onto / ; that still gave the same error when I tried to run grub-install.  I then tried unmounting /dev/cloop - but /dev/cloop is busy (presumably being addressed by the system which is running from it!).

Aaargh.....  Any ideas?
Quote (daldred @ Feb. 05 2007,17:21)
Quote (^thehatsrule^ @ Feb. 05 2007,15:01)
Try editing /cdrom/boot/grub/devices.map

/cdrom/boot doesn't exist (/cdrom is the cdrom iso extract - so it's got Knoppix and isolinux directories only for a loadlin boot.  The actual cdrom image would have a boot directory, but that only contain the isolinux directory - even if this was a real cdrom /cdrom/boot/grub/ wouldn't exist).

I've tried editing /dev/hda6/boot/grub/device.map, but that has no effect on the error.

I also tried to mount /dev/hda6 onto / ; that still gave the same error when I tried to run grub-install.  I then tried unmounting /dev/cloop - but /dev/cloop is busy (presumably being addressed by the system which is running from it!).

Aaargh.....  Any ideas?

That proved to be the issue.  

Although the loadlin boot instructions on the Wiki say to put isolinux at the same directory level as KNOPPIX (eliminating the /boot/ level), actual booting works with /boot still in place - and the HD install then works and installs the bootloader.

Once I've got this machine fully as I want it I'll post something about how it worked...

original here.