DKMS missing on Kubuntu netbook / Virtualbox not working

[oshunluvr]

GRUB, if installed properly should allow you to boot to either chrome or Kubuntu. I've never messed with a chromebook, but maybe you just need to adjust GRUB a bit so you can see the menu. Edit the file /etc/default/grub and comment out

GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=10
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=false

by placing a # in front of each of these lines. Then re-run update-grub and reboot.

To edit the file, you can use "sudo nano /etc/default/grub" in a terminal, or if you prefer a normal text editor, type "kdesudo kate /etc/default/grub" in a terminal and Kate will pop open.

[oshunluvr]

I wouldn't mess with those other partitions yet - lets get you running Kubuntu proper first.

[KubuntuTrouble]

Okay! Changed the "GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0" to "#GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=10"
and "GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true" to "#GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=false"

now I will run update-grub and reboot.

[KubuntuTrouble]

Damn! did everything, but still I get the "Chrome OS" missing warning and after Cntrl+D Kubuntu just normally loads...

[oshunluvr]

You're probably not getting the menu because of the error. I see on the internet that 13.04 supports chromebooks so it should be able to work.

The only thing I'm worried about is leaving your computer un-bootable. Can you boot to a LiveUSB image OK? If yes, then let's tear into it...

Try re-installing GRUB manually. From a Kubuntu terminal, type this:

ls /boot/grub

This is just to make sure GRUB is installed there. You should have a bunch of files in that location. If so, then:

sudo grub-install --boot-directory=/boot /dev/sda
sudo update-grub
sudo reboot

This should put GRUB on your ssd and update it. Let me know what happens next.

[KubuntuTrouble]

I`m Google-ing my eyes out now, to, atleast, get Grub working.

[KubuntuTrouble]

You're probably not getting the menu because of the error. I see on the internet that 13.04 supports chromebooks so it should be able to work.

The only thing I'm worried about is leaving your computer un-bootable. Can you boot to a LiveUSB image OK? If yes, then let's tear into it...

Try re-installing GRUB manually. From a Kubuntu terminal, type this:

ls /boot/grub

This is just to make sure GRUB is installed there. You should have a bunch of files in that location. If so, then:

sudo grub-install --boot-directory=/boot /dev/sda
sudo update-grub
sudo reboot

This should put GRUB on your ssd and update it. Let me know what happens next.

sudo grub-install --boot-directory=/boot /dev/sda gives an error:

/usr/sbin/grub-setup: warn: This GPT partition label has no BIOS Boot Partition; embedding won't be possible!.
/usr/sbin/grub-setup: warn: Embedding is not possible. GRUB can only be installed in this setup by using blocklists. However, blocklists are UNRELIABLE and their use is discouraged..
/usr/sbin/grub-setup: error: will not proceed with blocklists.

EDIT: Also grub is installed correctly according to: ls /boot/grub

[oshunluvr]

Oh yeah - GPT formatting. what a pain. One of those little 512MB partitions is a BIOS boot partition for grub.

Before we go on, what's the output of

df -h

and

sudo blkid -c /dev/null -o list

[KubuntuTrouble]

Oh yeah - GPT formatting. what a pain. One of those little 512MB partitions is a BIOS boot partition for grub.

Before we go on, what's the output of

df -h

and

sudo blkid -c /dev/null -o list

df -h:

/dev/sda7 10G 8.0G 1.6G 85% /
devtmpfs 995M 4.0K 995M 1% /dev
none 200M 680K 199M 1% /run
none 5.0M 0 5.0M 0% /run/lock
none 996M 248K 996M 1% /run/shm

sudo blkid -c /dev/null -o list

device fs_type label mount point UUID
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/dev/sda1 ext4 (not mounted) 7679bd85-100e-41f4-b68b-6c7bd414a235
/dev/sda3 ext4 ROOT-A (not mounted)
/dev/sda5 ext4 (not mounted) bcbb37c0-6a4a-413e-8c26-96e259fe7335
/dev/sda7 ext4 / ecfbd86b-938a-4c16-be63-ff267b27af5a
/dev/sda8 ext4 OEM (not mounted) 66c21686-7456-4236-98d5-a87b2166f875
/dev/sda12 vfat (not mounted) 022B-4FA1

I know 10 Gigs is not much for Linux, but because Chromebooks have really small SSD`s I am planning on buying a big external harddrive

[oshunluvr]

10 Gigs is OK as long as you don't install everything under the sun. Not much room for media files though. Once you clean off all the other crap, it looks like about a 16G disk size. Plenty for Kubuntu.

What does

gdisk /dev/sda

and/or

parted /dev/sda

produce? I'm just trying to get all the info. I'd hate to advise you to break your machine! I don't have any GPT disks yet. I mostly use btrfs which doesn't use "normal" partitions.

Basically, whats happening is GRUB can't install itself until we make a fake MBR for it. When you boot, you're actually booting to the Chrome boot manager - thus the error and odd kernel image. Once we fix GRUB, you'll be good to go with installing virtualbox and the like. Of course, with only 16GB you won't have much room to play!

[KubuntuTrouble]

10 Gigs is OK as long as you don't install everything under the sun. Not much room for media files though. Once you clean off all the other crap, it looks like about a 16G disk size. Plenty for Kubuntu.

What does

gdisk /dev/sda

and/or

parted /dev/sda

produce? I'm just trying to get all the info. I'd hate to advise you to break your machine! I don't have any GPT disks yet. I mostly use btrfs which doesn't use "normal" partitions.

Basically, whats happening is GRUB can't install itself until we make a fake MBR for it. When you boot, you're actually booting to the Chrome boot manager - thus the error and odd kernel image. Once we fix GRUB, you'll be good to go with installing virtualbox and the like. Of course, with only 16GB you won't have much room to play!

Gdisk /dev/sda gives a error saying gdisk is not installed, and I can`t install it via apt-get either.

and parted gives:
GNU Parted 2.3
Using /dev/sda
Welcome to GNU Parted! Type 'help' to view a list of commands.

I would love if we can fix that dang Chrome boot manager, I have been fiddling with it for some time, and it is really annoying. Also, I expect a 2 tb external harddrive to arrive this week, so that give me a little playing room I think .

[oshunluvr]

Try

parted /dev/sda

then enter

unit MB
p free

[KubuntuTrouble]

Try

parted /dev/sda

then enter

unit MB
p free

Welcome to GNU Parted! Type 'help' to view a list of commands.
(parted) unit MB
(parted) p free
Model: ATA SanDisk SSD P4 1 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 16014MB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt

Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
0.02MB 0.03MB 0.02MB Free Space
11 0.03MB 8.42MB 8.39MB RWFW
8.42MB 8.42MB 0.00MB Free Space
9 8.42MB 8.42MB 0.00MB reserved
10 8.42MB 8.42MB 0.00MB reserved
8.42MB 10.5MB 2.06MB Free Space
2 10.5MB 27.3MB 16.8MB KERN-A
4 27.3MB 44.0MB 16.8MB KERN-B
8 44.0MB 60.8MB 16.8MB ext4 OEM
60.8MB 128MB 67.1MB Free Space
12 128MB 145MB 16.8MB fat16 EFI-SYSTEM boot
1 145MB 948MB 803MB ext4 STATE
6 948MB 965MB 16.8MB KERN-C
7 965MB 11702MB 10737MB ext4 ROOT-C
5 11702MB 13850MB 2147MB ext4 ROOT-B
3 13850MB 15997MB 2147MB ext2 ROOT-A
15997MB 16014MB 16.9MB Free Space

(parted)

[KubuntuTrouble]

Hey man! thanks for all the effort you gave today! I really appriciate it, and I have learned a tremendous amount too! in the Netherlands its now almost 1 am, so I am going to sleep.

Talk to you tommorow, and thanks!

[oshunluvr]

Ok, run parted again and then these commands (after coffee,of course )

mkpart primary 15997 16014
p

Then note what the number is of the new partition (I suspect 13). Enter this command using the correct number:

set 13 bios_grub on
q

The last q there will cause parted to quit. Then do:

sudo partprobe
sudo grub-install /dev/sda

We might run into a problem if the remaining free space is too small. Let me know what happens.