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**GreyGeek** · Jun 11, 2016, 07:01 AM

https://ubuntu-mate.community/t/help...-16-04/5622/19
Be sure to notice the difference between mask and disable

**Ofnuts** · Jun 11, 2016, 04:51 PM

/var/log/demsg tells you what happens during the system boot. Lines have a timestamp (seconds since start of boot) so you can try to figure out what part takes too long.

**elijathegold** · Jun 12, 2016, 03:09 AM

Try running systemd-analyze blame, possibly as root. If you are more of a visual person run systemd-analyze plot > graph1.svg.

**RLynwood** · Jun 13, 2016, 08:01 AM

Thank you all. I'm sorry that I've gotten sidetracked since posting this request. I'm just getting back now.

I forgot that Win7 boots normally, meaning that the problem is in GRUB, not BIOS. In trying to repair GRUB, I inadvertently deleted GRUB. Now It doesn't boot at all. Does anyone know if the Kubuntu iso contains a boot/GRUB repair component? If not, I simply have to reinstall Kubuntu and reconifigure the whole thing. Thanks again.

**Qqmike** · Jun 13, 2016, 08:04 AM

You can use Boot-Repair,

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair

**RLynwood** · Jun 13, 2016, 09:23 PM

Well, it looks like I cannot use Boot Repair Disk. That is exactly what I used to try to repair GRUB (6-'14 version on CD), but at one point it asked me to remove GRUB and reinstall it by copying/pasting a series of CL commands it gave. But I couldn't copy them (don't know why) and entering them by hand didn't work; it succeeded in removing GRUB, but it wouldn't reinstall it. Now the Boot Repair Disk (current version, 2014-11-30, on usb drive this time) says it can't find GRUB. It doesn't enter the GUI; it displays:

error: file '/boot/grub/i386-pc/normal.mod' not found.
Entering rescue mode...
grub rescue> _

But I don't know what command to enter. Now what?

**elijathegold** · Jun 14, 2016, 03:22 AM

A way to fix this is using what I call the magic of chroot. I'll go through the commands first and then explain them. You'll need to boot from a live DVD or USB key.

Code:

mkdir /mnt/rescue
mount -t ext4 /dev/sda(x) /mnt/rescue

mount -t proc none /mnt/rescue/proc
mount -o bind /dev /mnt/rescue/dev
mount -o bind /sys /mnt/rescue/sys
mount -o bind /run /mnt/rescue/run

chroot /mnt/rescue /bin/bash
source /etc/profile

apt-update
grub-install /dev/sd(y)

First create a place to mount your hosed system and mount your root disk, which is often sda1, replace the (x) as appropriate. Note that if you have a separate boot partition you'll need to mount this also. You can use the command mount -t ext4 /dev/sda(y) /mnt/rescue/boot where (y) is the partition number. If you are unsure, post the output of sudo fdisk -l here.

The next few mounts simply give the chrooted environment access to some data provided by the kernel. Then the magic happens. The next two commands tell Linux to pretend that /mnt/rescue is / and to set things up (mostly) as you would be used to.

The grub-install command should have the (y) replaced by the disk identifier which is usually a. If you are booting EFI, I believe it will be ignored.

You can copy and paste to the terminal using Ctrl + C and Shift + INS.

**Qqmike** · Jun 14, 2016, 05:46 AM

Using chroot from your live Kubuntu DVD/USB would be the way to go, as elijathegold says; and you can work with him to get it.

As a backup, I'll post this version, too,
https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...l=1#post374017
Note the Note for BIOS systems: ignore the part involving: mount /dev/sda1 /boot/efi; umount /dev/sda1 /boot/efi; also, for BIOS systems--like yours--the grub-install command will need a target, again as elijathegold has noted above somewhere; thus, you need to modify this line, using the right sdx:
root@kubuntu:/# grub-install /dev/sdx

**GreyGeek** · Jun 14, 2016, 06:38 AM

Chroot is the way to go if you are experienced in the CLI environment and aren't prone to reading errors, misunderstanding (what's the "y" in sda(y) ? ). Or typos.

Considering that grub isn't your only problem I'd recommend that it would be easier and probably faster to just re-install. But, if you can, re-verify the ISO hash key and reburn it, then use the "Verify Media" option on the Live installer before the re-install.

**elijathegold** · Jun 14, 2016, 06:47 AM

Originally posted by GreyGeek View Post

Chroot is the way to go if you are experienced in the CLI environment and aren't prone to reading errors, misunderstanding (what's the "y" in sda(y) ? ). Or typos.

Considering that grub isn't your only problem I'd recommend that it would be easier and probably faster to just re-install. But, if you can, re-verify the ISO hash key and reburn it, then use the "Verify Media" option on the Live installer before the re-install.

Originally posted by me

The grub-install command should have the (y) replaced by the disk identifier which is usually a.

By which I meant sda or the appropriate choice for the system. I could probably come up with a better way of phrasing that if needed?

**RLynwood** · Jun 14, 2016, 08:31 AM

Interim note: I'll be away from this task all day today and return to it tomorrow and ask further questions for clarification. Thank you all for all this help.

**GreyGeek** · Jun 14, 2016, 08:34 AM

Originally posted by elijathegold View Post

By which I meant sda or the appropriate choice for the system. I could probably come up with a better way of phrasing that if needed?

I was aware of what you meant. My question was rhetorical, from the viewpoint of a noob. I could have phrased it better.

**RLynwood** · Jun 16, 2016, 11:50 AM

I wound up taking another day off yesterday, but I'm back now, and with further problems. Now the computer doesn't boot into either Kubuntu or Ubuntu on a flash drive, and it does't even boot into Windows! Rather, it gives the exact same Boot Repair Disk cli error screen I listed immediately below--without the Repair disk flash drive plugged in. But I CAN boot into TAILS on another flash drive, whose file browser does show an Ubuntu partition (actually Kubuntu), and empty partition (where I intend to install Ubuntu-Cinnamon), and a Win7 partition. But I can't look at any of them because I don't have the password (I established a persistent version with a passphrase, but that turns out not to be the required password).

error: file '/boot/grub/i386-pc/normal.mod' not found.
Entering rescue mode...
grub rescue> _

Yes, reinstalling would be much easier than all this GRUB-reinstallation. But I'd spent a few days configuring my Kubuntu and would rather avoid repeating that. Besides, I'd like the experience of reinstalling GRUB and of having instructions for doing it again if necessary.

I'm definitely not a cli guy, but I don't have any problem in either copying/pasting or entering specified command sequences. I can correct errors, unless they're accidentally fatal.

During installation, Kubuntu asked if /dev/sda5 was where I wanted to put it. I said yes; I don't remember if it specifically asked where to put GRUB. Based on your comments, I assume it put it in /dev/sda5. I had intended to list all partitions with their designations; that's why I've tried booting into a Live Ubuntu, but that hasn't worked.

Now what?

**RLynwood** · Jun 17, 2016, 08:43 AM

Update: Rescatux 0.4b6 restored Windows' MBR. Comp. now boots into Windows. And it restored GRUB, but, as before, it still takes 12'-30' to boot into Kubuntu. So I'm now back to my original question: how to repair GRUB so Kubuntu boots normally?

Here, from Rescatux's Gparted, are the hdd's partitions:
sda1 Primary = ntfs System Reserved Flags=boot
sad2 Primary = ntfs Recovery Flags=hidden
sda3 Primary = ntfs Windows 7 200 GB
sda4 Extended
sda5 = ext4 Kubuntu 75 GB
sda6 = ext4 Ubuntu 75 GB
sda7 = Linux swap 4 MB
sda8 = Data 554 GB

Announcement

Booting takes 12-40 minutes. What's wrong?

Booting takes 12-40 minutes. What's wrong?

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