Ubuntu 9.04 - Install problem - Initramfs

[psychnaut]

I have encountered a problem with my installation and I never had this problem with 8.10 installations.
So I downloaded the 9.04 Ubuntu from the ubuntu website. I installed ubuntu through windows, uninstalling the previous installation. When I reboot to go into ubuntu I get this message,

Busybox v1.10.2 (ubuntu 1:1.10.2-2ubuntu7) Built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for A list of Built-in commands.

I was reading on another form that you an change your setting in bios to Raid. However mine is set to SATA same thing right? and my only other choice is IDE.
Where to go from here?

[Duggeek]

Re: Ubuntu 9.04 - Install problem - Initramfs

I was reading on another form that you an change your setting in bios to Raid.

Actually, that's not a good idea. RAID causes more problems than it could ever solve, and switching it on will only make troubleshooting the problem even more complicated.

The "busybox" prompt is the unusual part; it's the built-in shell for initrd. (a small boot-image that loads into memory before the full Linux system, sort of like a boot floppy, but it lives on the hard drive)

The strange part is how your system stops there; normally, it would continue to the login screen and you would never see it. It's possible that something in the initrd image is missing or corrupted. It probably needs to be re-built.

To fix this, you'll need your Kubuntu LiveCD.

• Let the LiveCD boot fully (if you've got the "alternate" CD, boot to a command prompt)
• When you see the desktop appear, press Ctrl+Alt+F1 to get to a text screen, or "CLI". The CLI will already have a user prompt (ending with "$") ready for you.
• Start by mounting your *buntu partition to an empty directory:

sudo mkdir /mnt/mydrive
sudo mount /dev/xxx1 /mnt/mydrive

...the xxx stands for the device-path to your *buntu boot partition... like /dev/sda1 or /dev/hda1. If you're not sure, type blkid, look for the first line with "ext3" and use that device-path.

• Next, we need to switch the system over to your drive so it doesn't try to re-build initrd on the CD:

sudo chroot /mnt/mydrive

To check, type ls /home and you should see your username appear. (If not, reboot again to the LiveCD again and go back... that was the wrong "ext3" drive)

• If everything checks-out, you can use this command to fix the boot image:

sudo update-initramfs -u -v

• After a moment or two, the prompt will return. Reboot without the CD.
• You should be at your login screen.

If any of this doesn't pan out, please give details. Good luck!

[Guest]

Re: Ubuntu 9.04 - Install problem - Initramfs

I'm having a similar problem. I typed the first two lines (sudo mkdir /mnt/mydrive & sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/mydrive), but this is what happens when I try the third line:

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo chroot /mnt/mydrive
chroot: cannot run command `/bin/bash': No such file or directory

What does this mean?

Thanks for your help.

[Duggeek]

Re: Ubuntu 9.04 - Install problem - Initramfs

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo chroot /mnt/mydrive
chroot: cannot run command `/bin/bash': No such file or directory

What does this mean?

It means that it cannot find the main shell-interpreter, "bash". The "chroot" command launches a new shell (CLI) and relies on bash. That's very odd, since it appears to be a bash error message.

In that environment, maybe bash is somewhere other than in /bin?

Here's how you can work around that: (WARNING: not a permanent solution)

locate "^bash$"

Find one of the places where bash actually appears. Several locations could be '/sbin', '/usr/bin' and '/usr/sbin'

You don't have to copy it, just put a "symlink" in /bin to get things working.
Let's say you found bash in /usr/sbin for instance, then you type:

ln -s /usr/bin/bash /bin/bash

If you now look at ls /bin/bash, you will see it appear... even though it's only a link to the other copy of bash. The chroot command should now work.

[utkjamie]

Re: Ubuntu 9.04 - Install problem - Initramfs

Here's how you can work around that: (WARNING: not a permanent solution)

locate "^bash$"

This returns nothing for me. Bash is actually located at /bin/bash, however. I can't understand why I keep getting an error that this file doesn't exist when I'm sitting here staring at it.

[Duggeek]

Re: Ubuntu 9.04 - Install problem - Initramfs

Must be my mistake, I presumed the regular-expression argument would filter the search.

You can also try just:

locate bash

...but the list will be much longer.

If you're getting that message when /bin/bash actually exists, then I suspect you may have an incorrect $PATH environment.

A typical $PATH (locations to find executables) should show:

/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/games

...where directories are separated with a colon (":")

You can see for yourself with the command:

echo $PATH

Unlike DOS or Windows, Linux will not be able to find its own programs—even in the current directory—when $PATH is not pointing to the right place.

[utkjamie]

Re: Ubuntu 9.04 - Install problem - Initramfs

I was able to work around it by creating symbolic links of the files needing to be accessed in my grub directory and placing those links in the ramfs directories created by the live CD. Everything is up and running now. Thanks for the response, though!