Big Grub Issue

[Fintan]

I guess I'll use the server iso for my next install.

I read through some stuff on dd and cp, but can't figure out how to copy directories including their files from one drive to another.
As you can see I am not really comfortable with the cl yet and don't want to lose / corrupt my data

[Fintan]

Thanks Teunis

Well I think I have found the culprit. Since I don't have a HD win7 install I had room for a second distro, so Installed the latest mint KDE with its grub to sda.

This grub sticks vene after over night shut down. My thinking is that something happened after a Kubuntu update/grade with its grub.
I will try reinstalling grub from Kubuntu and see what happens then.

Keep you posted.

[SteveRiley]

this grub sticks vene after over night shut down.

lolwut?

[Fintan]

Sorry, I was writing from my phone. Grub installed from Mint KDE sticks (is still there) even after an over night shut down.

[Fintan]

Sorry I haven't gotten back to you for so long. Busy working.
After almost 6 months of peace from this issue it has arisen again. I have had kubuntu 13.04 and 13.10 running side by side since 13.10 final. Have not done any major updates/grades to 13.10 since. For two mornings running I get an error which only boot-repair can fix. What are the tricks for making this work with grub?

[SteveRiley]

What's the error?

[Fintan]

"Loading error" most of the time, sometimes it throws me something else.

[SteveRiley]

When does this happen -- while GRUB itself is loading, or after you choose one of your two Kubuntu options?

[Fintan]

Neither. I get no grub boot menu at all,, instead I get that error

[Fintan]

That would not be good. At all. Just a question. I have been going into sleep mode (closing the lid) a lot lately. would that compromise the HD? This lapptop is barely 2 years old, I don't see the HD failing so quickly.

[SteveRiley]

I'm not (yet) convinced it's a hardware problem. See if you can try to find a pattern. First, run Boot-Repair. Then boot into 13.10. Observe how it behaves. Reboot into 13.10 again. Can you consistently boot 13.10 without problems? Now boot 13.04. Then reboot 13.04 again. Does it work? Finally, boot back into 13.10 again. Does the error appear?

[Fintan]

@tuenis: Yes suspemd to RAM / disk.

I will run the S.M.A.R.T tools

@Steve: Rebooting the running machine is no problem. The problem occurs when I boot after the machine has been shut down for a longer period of time.

I ran

fdisk -l

this gives nothing:

fintan3@fintanws4:~$ fdisk -l
fintan3@fintanws4:~$

[SteveRiley]

SWAG: how old is the CMOS battery in your computer? I have seen some pretty flaky stuff happen when the button cell battery on the motherboard starts to die.

[Fintan]

OK, I have to use sudo fidisk -l:

fintan3@fintanws4:~$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 320.1 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders, total 625142448 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xa42bb74f

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 2048 1251327 624640 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 1253374 624928767 311837697 5 Extended
/dev/sda3 624928768 625140399 105816 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sda5 1253376 49899519 24323072 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 616402944 624928767 4262912 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda7 112007168 571004927 229498880 83 Linux
/dev/sda8 49901568 112005119 31051776 83 Linux
/dev/sda9 571006976 616400895 22696960 83 Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order
fintan3@fintanws4:~$

A short gave me this:

fintan3@fintanws4:~$ sudo smartctl -t short -d ata /dev/sda
smartctl 6.2 2013-04-20 r3812 [x86_64-linux-3.11.9-031109-generic] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-13, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

=== START OF OFFLINE IMMEDIATE AND SELF-TEST SECTION ===
Sending command: "Execute SMART Short self-test routine immediately in off-line mode".
Drive command "Execute SMART Short self-test routine immediately in off-line mode" successful.
Testing has begun.
Please wait 2 minutes for test to complete.
Test will complete after Fri Dec 13 08:39:27 2013

Use smartctl -X to abort test.
fintan3@fintanws4:~$ sudo smartctl -l selftest -d ata /dev/sda
smartctl 6.2 2013-04-20 r3812 [x86_64-linux-3.11.9-031109-generic] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-13, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART Self-test log structure revision number 1
Num Test_Description Status Remaining LifeTime(hours) LBA_of_first_error
# 1 Short offline Completed: read failure 90% 7019 110709179
# 2 Short offline Completed: read failure 90% 7019 110709179
# 3 Short offline Completed: read failure 90% 6934 110709179
# 4 Extended offline Completed: read failure 80% 6933 110709179
# 5 Short offline Completed without error 00% 6933 -
# 6 Short offline Aborted by host 90% 6933 -
# 7 Short offline Completed without error 00% 6933 -

fintan3@fintanws4:~$

and error log:

fintan3@fintanws4:~$ sudo smartctl -l error /dev/sda
smartctl 6.2 2013-04-20 r3812 [x86_64-linux-3.11.9-031109-generic] (local build)
Copyright (C) 2002-13, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org

=== START OF READ SMART DATA SECTION ===
SMART Error Log Version: 1
No Errors Logged

fintan3@fintanws4:~$

I will do a long test now.

[Fintan]

cmos battery is still the original. about 2 years +/-