Got grub> after new installation. What next?

[Garth]

Re: Got grub> after new installation. What next?

THanks Jeremy1701. I've rebooted to get to the grub> command line and entered your amended commands, and it's now booted! While it's running, do I now need to amend any files, or will it remember from a cold reboot?

[jeremy1701]

Re: Got grub> after new installation. What next?

start up a terminal and enter:

sudo grub-install /dev/sda

That should fix your boot issue.

edit: changed sda1 to sda.

[Garth]

Re: Got grub> after new installation. What next?

Jeremy, Kubuntu is not happy with this sudo command - quote "attempting to install GRUB to a partition instead of the MBR. This is a BAD idea". Later "/usr/sbin/grub-setup: error: if you really want blocklists, use --force"

Is the command correct?

[jeremy1701]

Re: Got grub> after new installation. What next?

Once again, I apologize... Seems my excitement for Friday has my fingers going a different direction then my brain.

Try:

sudo grub-install /dev/sda

(sda rather than sda1)

[Garth]

Re: Got grub> after new installation. What next?

That's better, or as reported "Installation finished. No error reported."

Now reboot and try?

[jeremy1701]

Re: Got grub> after new installation. What next?

I'll keep my fingers crossed.

[Garth]

Re: Got grub> after new installation. What next?

I'm afraid this didn't work. Yes I can get Kubuntu to boot with the linux and initrd commands, but even after twice entering the sudo command at the terminal, the Thinkpad still just boots to the command line grub>. It also does not shut down cleanly even after being left for a while.

Back to the drawing board. Perhaps a different distro - Mint anyone?

Thanks for your help so far!

[jeremy1701]

Re: Got grub> after new installation. What next?

Trying running

sudo update-grub

frist. And then

sudo grub-install

[Garth]

Re: Got grub> after new installation. What next?

"sudo update-grub" worked, but when I entered "sudo grub-install" I received the message "install_device not specified" with a whole load of options, the relevant bit being "install_device can be a grub device name or a system device filename".

Next action?

[dibl]

Re: Got grub> after new installation. What next?

There's a very comprehensive Grub guide here.

So, to install grub, you need to include the "root-directory=....." option, to tell it where the OS is on your system.

If, for example, you previously installed Kubuntu on the first partition of that hard drive, and you now have that drive connected in your Ubuntu system so that it shows up as /dev/sdb, then Kubuntu would be on /dev/sdb1. So, (assuming /dev/sdb1 is mounted) your installation command would be:

sudo grub-install --root-directory=/dev/sdb1 /dev/sdb

This will install Grub on the MBR of /dev/sdb, and point it to the OS (actually to the /boot directory) that is on /dev/sdb1. After this, you should be able to install the hard drive in your other computer, and (with it set to boot in BIOS) it should boot Kubuntu.

If it does not, then I would suspect there is something about that hard drive -- maybe a problem with the partition table, that needs investigated.

[Garth]

Re: Got grub> after new installation. What next?

To boot at present, I'm following Jeremy1701's instructions in a previous post which include:
linux (hd0,msdos1)/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda1 ro

etc. (see above) and this works, but clearly I need to instruct the notebook to remember this!

There is only Kubuntu on the drive in question. So does that mean that I would enter:
sudo grub-install --root-directory=dev/sda1 /dev/sda

Don't get mislead about my talk of having 2 hard drives. As I've said before, the notebook has only got one drive in it at one time, so it will only boot from the Kubuntu drive as it's the only drive present.

[dibl]

Re: Got grub> after new installation. What next?

Yes, that command should reinstall Grub on the mbr, and pointing to the OS.

And if it still won't boot, I'm going to suggest you use a bootable Live CD or USB stick, that has GParted on it, and re-make the partition table on the drive (which will nuke everything including the partitioning).

[jeremy1701]

Re: Got grub> after new installation. What next?

Yup, this is the command you should use:

sudo grub-install --root-directory=dev/sda1 /dev/sda

Did everything then work out okay?

[Garth]

Re: Got grub> after new installation. What next?

This is sooooooo frustrating! I actually got the Thinkpad booting correctly, consistently, after all the help I've had, then installed all the latest updates, and now it boots to the grub> prompt again! I've tried all the commands again, and it will boot by banging them in manually, but after a terminal session to enter sudo update-grub and then sudo grub-install.........., it will not reboot to Kubuntu. One thought ... after sudo grub-install --root directory etc. is that it, or is there another command to write the updates?

I had thought whether it was trying to boot from the CD drive so I've tried booting with and without the drive, but there is no difference. Also have checked the BIOS and it is definitely set to boot from hard drive first.

I have in the end checked that the essential hardware on my Thinkpad will all work with Kubuntu, and it does, including the Belkin Wireless N card, the integral network port, screen, sound and Thinkpad pointing stick (which replaces a mousepad in older Thinkpad notebooks). It will also load and play mp3 and jpg files, connect to the net and load , copy and read data files from an external drive/memory stick via USB.

I now need to think about where I go from here. As explained in my previous emails, I have the 160 Gb hard disc installed with Kubuntu, which I did to see if the 10-year-old Thinkpad would actually run it. I also have a 320 Gb hard disc with XP installed. I'm thinking now about re-installing my 320 Gb hard disc, and installing and dual-booting Kubuntu alongside XP, and taking the risk that the existing boot problems with this installation of Kubuntu would be resolved.

While I'm thinking about this, how do I prepare a Live CD with GParted on it? I don't think my Thinkpad will boot from a USB stick because of it's age.

[dibl]

Re: Got grub> after new installation. What next?

In the BIOS, what is the "mode" setting for the SATA channel (if it is a SATA drive)? Or, if IDE, we need to review channel settings and jumpers.