Dual Booting kubuntu option error

[drobster]

I burned the kubuntu 9.10 alpha 4 (64bit) image and selected the middle option to dual boot. On r I selected kubuntu instead of XP. then each attempt loops me back to chosing between XP and kubuntu. I did the same for kubuntu 9.10 alpha 5 (32bit) and this time I got the following error message;

syntax error
incorrect comand
syntax error
could not find a bootloader configuraton
syntax error
incorrect command
syntax error
sh:grub>

I got this same message after installing kubuntu 9.10 alpha 5 (64 bit) as I have an AMD 64 bit processor. The comand prompt gives a short list of linux commands "chainloader" etc. but I can't get, install, update or upgrade grub. I am a newbie and I've tried to find the google answer with no clear direction. I do not want to start from scratch by moping my hard drive or use the alternate kubuntu 64 bit image. I don't know if or how (where) to install hopefully the best version of grub or lilo but have a filling the bootloader isn't on the live disks as I have seen(read) that the alternate disks have more on them. Does anyone know what I should do next?

The KDE graphics are better than windows and I would like to have the dual boot work so I have the 17-24 gb of hard drive partition to dedicate to kubuntu. At work I built my own computer with ubuntu karmic 9.10 alpha 4 (desktop i386).
It looks slightly outdated and I can't get cube to work because compiz doesn't run in metacity, but when I turn it on I'm automatically on the internet in a 30 second boot time.

Thanks,

drobster

P.S.- I read on wiki that people who use fedora like it because there is less "noise" than ubuntu. Meaning less knowledgeable people giving wrong advice. Since kubuntu and KDE is much less popular/used than gnome this forum provides the opportunity to reduce the noise and still use ubuntu. Thanks for your help.

[dibl]

Re: Dual Booting kubuntu option error

Welcome! I'll try not to be noisy!

Because you chose the developmental 9.10, which introduces Grub 2, there are more than once possible contributors to your problem. However, let's start simple and challenge the CD burn itself, since that is a famous cause of errors. Please review #1 on the FAQs in my signature, and if the md5sum of the CD does not match the md5sum on the download site and/or the ISO image file, you'll need to burn it again. 4X is the correct speed to burn it.

If it turns out that your CD passes the test, then I'm going to suggest that there's some issue with Grub 2 and your dual boot setup. Grub 2 is not well-developed -- I myself reverted back to legacy Grub after finding that Grub 2 would not actually put my second OS on the boot menu, even when the script was edited correctly and the config file rebuilt. But that was before the 1.97 version came out a couple days ago, so it might work correctly now.

Maybe some guidance here:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php...2&postcount=18

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelTeam/Grub2Testing

http://blogs.koolwal.net/2008/12/16/...splash-images/

[drobster]

Re: Dual Booting kubuntu option error

dibl,

Thank you for you in depth response. The md5sum downloads from cnet etc., try to open a black screen window for .5 second on both my laptop and desktop (P4 and AMD 64 respectively) so unfortunately I couldn't verify if the link below let me download this iso with a matching size of 296

http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/re...armic/alpha-5/

I tried to download many times and this one was close but froze for me;

http://download.cnet.com/MD5-SHA-1-C...-10911445.html

I used fastsum 1.7 which works like a charm and found the iso checksum\state to be

F3EF24D73747166509D99A29E1266EF0

but I don't see any info for this kubuntuhashes for 9.10 to compare it with, I am also limited by ner-o to 16x for image burns (4x for data burns). In any case the I feel the download is probably fine as well as the burn albeit I can't sudo this or sudo that for grub-pc, so its possible I need to request a disk. I uninstall ed kubuntu several times and the kubuntu option shows up regardless leaving the only way I know to get rid of it is to mop the hard drive. I noticed that slack has the same background as the kubuntu default and now I'm wondering who came first ...the kubuntu or the slack? I plan to try Suse 10.1 and hope it dual boots the first time with cube/ compiz working out of the gate. There is a fine line between the interest to acquire esoteric skills and the fact that time is more important than perpetual problem solving for no good reason than saving the cost of windoze. I hope grub2 and KDE work soon. Thanks again and I'm honored that the only avatar I recognize responded to my first kubuntu post...yours are noiseless indeed!

drobster

[dibl]

Re: Dual Booting kubuntu option error

yours are noiseless indeed!

Cool --- I'm writing this down!


Your md5sum is a match to the 9.10 Alpha 5 "amd-64" image file, as reported here:

http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/re...lpha-5/MD5SUMS

The 16X lower limit of Nero is a concern, however. In contrast to music CDs, which can tolerate the occasional bad bit without the listener noticing, a Linux Live CD must be 100% bit-true to the image file, or errors will occur. Slow burning (4X or 8X) is the best way to prevent burn errors. Is there another burning package that you can use? I used to use an inexpensive app called "AV Burning Studio" on Windows -- it appears to be still available:

http://www.rmbsoft.com/avb.asp

I'm sure there are many others -- probably free, if you can chase them down.

[drobster]

Re: Dual Booting kubuntu option error

Thanks for confirming the match-up. I can burn on my laptop at 10x(1764kb/s) using the avb program you mentioned, 10x (undetermined) with magic iso so I think I'll try to bring home different CD-R's from work as the ones I have are HP 52X.

I think Its a hardware limitation because on my desktop, using avb for an image, I am still at 16X as the slowest burning option. I am also going to snoop around for another burner program and try to find a 4X option that works. In any case I will continue to try to get kubuntu to dual boot at home and use ubuntu karmic at work. Thanks for your help and guidance, and I will post any successful updates that are sure to pass...after vacation. 8)

drobster

[drobster]

Re: Dual Booting kubuntu option error

I am not alone with this syntax error;

http://www.mail-archive.com/ubuntu-b...sg1681494.html