[extended]"Error 2" and "no setup signature found" after installing gfx-grub

[bartho]

Hello guys...
Lately I've been tampering with gfx-grub... learning gfx THE HARD WAY because right now, i can't boot permanently, even with kubuntu install CD's

First of all, let me explain the situation. Here's my computer specifications:
- IBM Thinkpad T22 Laptop
- Kubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex kernel release 7 with KDE 4.1
- KDE 4.2 Nightly (when I'm installing this, apt-get updates to kernel release 11)

I followed this link to install gfx-grub in my system, but i sensed something wrong while doing it, so i canceled it and i tried to restore the previous grub.

What I've done, referring to link above:

• uninstall grub (sudo apt-get remove grub)
• installed gfx-grub using dpkg
• edit my /boot/grub/menu.lst, only adding one line "gfxmenu /boot/grub/message.kubuntu"
• sudo grub, and typed "find /boot/grub/stage1" ---> This is when I realized that something's wrong, because it shows "error: file not found"
• contemplating, changed my mind and tried to re-install grub:
• sudo apt-get install grub (this automatically removes the gfx-grub)
• sudo grub, and typed "find /boot/grub/stage1" (did it again), and the result is hd0,3
• still in grub, typed root (hd0,3) and setup (hd0)
• sudo grub-install /dev/sda3

After I restart my computer, GRUB won't load at all, message "Error 2" appears.
Then I tried to boot using the 8.10 install CD (hoping that i can alter the /boot/grub/ files), but when I chose the live cd option, the CD fails to load, showing the only message "no setup signature found."

Now I'm really confused, what went wrong? and how to fix this?
Any replies will be much appreciated. Thanks guys

[bartho]

Re: GRUB problem "Error 2" and "no setup signature found" after installing gfx-grub

Oh yeah, already googled for several hours, but no avail

tomorrow i'll try the super grub disk, maybe it will help.

[Qqmike]

Re: GRUB problem "Error 2" and "no setup signature found" after installing gfx-g

I posted this somewhere at the forum some time ago, don't have time to look, so here it is again, it might apply to your situation, YMMV, of course:

GRUB Error 2--8.10 Multiboot w HH or prior

If you have an existing multiboot setup using HH or previous versions of Kubuntu, and if you install II 8.10 and wish to include 8.10 in your existing multiboot configuration, you may get GRUB error 2 upon reboot.

There are three subcases:
-- Booting your OSs from an existing HH (or previous) Kubuntu installation.
-- Using a separate GRUB partition (that boots all OS's and from which the GRUB is installed to the MBR of the BIOS first boot drive).
-- Using a full /boot partition that includes both /grub and the kernel & initrd files.

My case is the first: separate GRUB partition.
I've given enough references for you to deal with all cases. My solution here will work with all three cases, though ... (I think).


FACT – Here's what appears to be the problem in II:

“... the new Intrepid release defaults to using a 256 byte inode size for its ext3 file system rather than the older 128 bytes used in Hardy and in prior releases. Unfortunately the Grub version in Hardy and before can't handle the larger inode size, so you will typically get a Grub error 2 if you try to boot one of the newer ext3 partitions {using a GRUB from HH or prior] ...”
Caljohnsmith:
http://ge.ubuntuforums.com/showthrea...8b3cc&t=960714


SOLUTION:
See references.
For my case, it was simple; here it is:

sda1 Windows XP
sdb1 Dedicated GRUB partition containing the grub files you find inside /boot/grub.
I used this grub to install GRUB to the MBR of the BIOS boot drive hd0 = sda (root (hd1,0), setup (hd0))
sdb2 HH 8.04
sdb3 II 8.10 – the new installation.
I included an entry for 8.10 in the existing sdb1 menu.lst: configfile (hd1,2)/boot/grub/menu.lst).

Reboot: GRUB Error 2

Solution:
I simply replaced the grub files in sdb1 /boot/grub with the new 8.10 GRUB files in 8.10's /boot/grub.
Then reset GRUB to the booting MBR: root (hd1,0), setup (hd0).
=> That fixed everything.

NOTE:
Various cases/options. See references. For example, you might try to install 8.10 to a 128-byte inode partition, pre-formatted, using the Alternate installer. However, the solution I used is simple and quick and unfettered with technicalities.

- - - - - - - - - -

http://ge.ubuntuforums.com/showthrea...8b3cc&t=960714
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=968592
http://pressf1.co.nz/showthread.php?p=723331
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...ty/+bug/260001
http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplan...orials/6480/1/

[bartho]

Re: GRUB problem "Error 2" and "no setup signature found" after installing gfx-grub

Ah, solved!!!
after booting from super grub disk, i chose "boot from partition" option.
I can't boot from MBR so I assume that my MBR is corrupted...

So after booting from partition where i installed root, my old GRUB appears again.
then, I access konsole and typed these commands:
sudo grub
grub>find /boot/grub/stage1 ---> (the result is hd0,5)
grub>root (hd0,5)
grub>setup (hd0)
grub>quit

For detail information, take a look at Case 1 written Here.

[Qqmike]

Re: GRUB problem "Error 2" and "no setup signature found" after installing gfx-g

It looks like (hd0,5) is your new II 8.10, right?
And, if so, you re-installed GRUB to the MBR using the GRUB from 8.10.
If so, that makes sense.

And, so, then, the boot menu is NOW controlled by the menu.lst in 8.10 (in (hd0,5)), NOT from your previous menu.lst (in (hd0,3), I think?).
If so, that's OK, too, as long as you know/keep track of it.


BTW, I re-wrote that how -- did you see the new version?
I think Case 1 refers to the original version.
Doesn't matter -- it's all valid and relevant.

[bartho]

Re: GRUB problem "Error 2" and "no setup signature found" after installing gfx-grub

thx a lot for your help Qqmike I didn't see the new version of that howtos, lol
btw I only have one menu.lst, because I did a fresh-install from my previous kubuntu HH.

here's my fdisk -l information:
Device boot Start End Id System
/dev/sda1 1 1403 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 1403 9729 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5 1403 7298 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6 7299 7784 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 7785 9486 83 Linux
/dev/sda8 9487 9729 82 Linux Swap

trouble occurs when I tried to install gfx-grub, menu.lst is still intact and I didn't change them at all,
I don't know what happened but for some reasons gfx-grub changes the MBR record. I don't recommend using them for Kubuntu 8.10.
problem solved thank you

[Qqmike]

Re: [Solved]"Error 2" and "no setup signature found" after installing gfx-grub

Ah, I get it. As you have said, apparently gfx-grub changes the GRUB MBR code.
The other recent occurence of Error 2 is as I posted above.
Either way, casuing bad directory reads.
Glad you got this fixed -- nice work, btw.

[bartho]

Re: [solved]"Error 2" and "no setup signature found" after installing gfx-grub

Hello everyone, sorry, I'm re-activating this thread again :P
Currently I am trying to re-install Kubuntu on my same IBM machine, but as I boot from the Kubuntu 8.10 CD (the CD menu shows up) and select either:
"Try Kubuntu without any change to your computer"
or
"Install Kubuntu"

The CD won't start at all, and showing "no setup signature found" message again. (CD works fine on my PC)

I'm really confused now, because AFAIK the CD has already bypass GRUB, so why did it happen? I don't know whether I installed grub in windows MBR or Linux MBR?