problem booting 2 os's on 2 drives

[birdzerk]

I am trying Vector Linux (soho) for the first time, I have always used Ubuntu.  Little background, I have 2 HD's, an sata that I am currently running Ubuntu 12.04 and a pata that I just installed soho 7 on.  When I installed soho I disconnected the sata, so I didn't accidentally mess up Ubuntu, everything installed and ran just fine.  The problem began when I plugged the sata back in, when I try to boot soho on the pata, the ubuntu on sata tries unsuccessfully to start.  As long as the sata is not plugged in soho starts, but when the sata is plugged in ubuntu tries to start.  When I change the boot drive to the sata ubuntu starts like normal, but when I switch the boot drive back to the pata and leave the sata plugged in ubuntu tries unsuccessfully to start.  I tried the grub-update command in both os's with no change.  Can some one help me get grub corrected so I can start soho while the sata is connected?

[bobpur]

There might be a miracle cure for your problem that one of the Gurus could fix in a second; but, as I haven't ascended to that level of experience, I have no idea what it might be.

I have the most trouble with computers combining SATA and PATA drives in one machine. The lo-tech cure is to partition your PATA drive for both OS's and go from there. I do this in one of my machines and use the SATA drives for storage. OR take one or the other clear out of the machine and go with what's left.

One of my machines has an option in the BIOS for switching the boot order between SATA or PATA. This is an option you might check. I don't recommend running through your BIOS unless you know what you're doing. Just a warning as I don't know your level of experience.

This machine I'm running now is a 13 or 14 year old Compaq that has two PATA drives with WinXP on one drive and Vector 7 std-Gold on the other. Both OS's take up the whole of their respective drives and it runs good. Otherwise, I'd say to keep both OS's on one drive use the rest for storage and not mix SATA with PATA drives.

Sorry if this all seems a little disjointed. I don't have enough coffee in me yet. Good luck.

[rokytnji]

As long as the sata is not plugged in soho starts, but when the sata is plugged in ubuntu tries to start.

Bios setting is booting sata first. I run 4 Linux distros including VL7 STD Gold on 2 IDE hard drives on my Motorcycle Desktop
Shop Computer (IBM M41 I let the customers use).

I use Legacy Grub in  AntiX to boot everything and just add chainload grub entries for grub 2 distros where I install grub to root instead of mbr.
Semplice, AntiX12,MacPup 529, and VL7 Std Gold run on that old clunker just fine and it uses a wireless usb for internet connection.

Since Ubuntu and VL7<at least on mine> use grub 2.

I would just make sure OS prober is installed in ubuntu

Code:

apt-cache policy os-prober

Then run

Code:

sudo update-grub

while running Ubuntu or even VL7 (if os-prober is installed in VL-7, not sure though if os-prober is even needed though so wait for other replies)

To pick up other OS installs and add them to grub 2 menu. I am not at my shop right now. The weather is just too nice for working. So I can't post my /boot/grub/menu.lst from that Desktop Computer.


Edit: Sounds like also you installed grub to mbr on both hardrives. One of the grub installs needs to be installed to /

[overthere]

Are both drives still jumpered master

heed the edit in the above post