Only able to boot through recovery

[ritzbits]

Previously, I was not able to boot at all due to being in "low graphics mode". Regardless of which option I picked, it always sent me back to the "low graphics mode" warning. At this point, I decided to start with a fresh install... This also caused many problems for me. I tried many times, with different flavors of linux, and different versions. I finally found a thread that mentioned using the "nomodeset" option, which finally allowed me to install kubuntu.

Now here is my issue.. It seems fairly straigtforward, but I can't for the life of me figure this damn thing out.
Upon booting, grub allows me to pick from my windows partition, or kubuntu (normal, and recovery). When choosing the normal one, the text merely disappears from the menu, and freezes there. When choosing recovery, I am prompted with 4 choices, one of which is boot normally. Through that option, I can get through and use kubuntu normally.

Why is this? If recovery can get through with "boot normally", shouldn't the normal option in grub work the same?

Thanks guys.

EDIT: I just ran boot repair and have gotten this link as a result http://paste.ubuntu.com/812584/

[Snowhog]

Re: Only able to boot through recovery

Post your /boot/grub/grub.cfg file in a reply so we can take a look at the differences between the normal kernel boot option and the recovery ones.

[ritzbits]

Re: Only able to boot through recovery

Here you go. Thanks for the help

#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
 set have_grubenv=true
 load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ "${prev_saved_entry}" ]; then
 set saved_entry="${prev_saved_entry}"
 save_env saved_entry
 set prev_saved_entry=
 save_env prev_saved_entry
 set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
 if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then
  saved_entry="${chosen}"
  save_env saved_entry
 fi
}

function recordfail {
 set recordfail=1
 if [ -n "${have_grubenv}" ]; then if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi
}

function load_video {
 insmod vbe
 insmod vga
 insmod video_bochs
 insmod video_cirrus
}

insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos3)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 62253e39-625a-4782-b406-3e3a7cf480ef
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
 set gfxmode=auto
 load_video
 insmod gfxterm
 insmod part_msdos
 insmod ext2
 set root='(hd0,msdos3)'
 search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 62253e39-625a-4782-b406-3e3a7cf480ef
 set locale_dir=($root)/boot/grub/locale
 set lang=en_CA
 insmod gettext
fi
terminal_output gfxterm
if [ "${recordfail}" = 1 ]; then
 set timeout=-1
else
 set timeout=10
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray
if background_color 0,71,115; then
 clear
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
if [ ${recordfail} != 1 ]; then
 if [ -e ${prefix}/gfxblacklist.txt ]; then
  if hwmatch ${prefix}/gfxblacklist.txt 3; then
   if [ ${match} = 0 ]; then
    set linux_gfx_mode=keep
   else
    set linux_gfx_mode=text
   fi
  else
   set linux_gfx_mode=text
  fi
 else
  set linux_gfx_mode=keep
 fi
else
 set linux_gfx_mode=text
fi
export linux_gfx_mode
if [ "$linux_gfx_mode" != "text" ]; then load_video; fi
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 3.0.0-15-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
	recordfail
	set gfxpayload=$linux_gfx_mode
	insmod gzio
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ext2
	set root='(hd0,msdos3)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 62253e39-625a-4782-b406-3e3a7cf480ef
	linux	/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-15-generic root=UUID=62253e39-625a-4782-b406-3e3a7cf480ef ro  quiet splash vt.handoff=7
	initrd	/boot/initrd.img-3.0.0-15-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 3.0.0-15-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
	recordfail
	insmod gzio
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ext2
	set root='(hd0,msdos3)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 62253e39-625a-4782-b406-3e3a7cf480ef
	echo	'Loading Linux 3.0.0-15-generic ...'
	linux	/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-15-generic root=UUID=62253e39-625a-4782-b406-3e3a7cf480ef ro recovery nomodeset 
	echo	'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
	initrd	/boot/initrd.img-3.0.0-15-generic
}
submenu "Previous Linux versions" {
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 3.0.0-12-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
	recordfail
	set gfxpayload=$linux_gfx_mode
	insmod gzio
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ext2
	set root='(hd0,msdos3)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 62253e39-625a-4782-b406-3e3a7cf480ef
	linux	/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-12-generic root=UUID=62253e39-625a-4782-b406-3e3a7cf480ef ro  quiet splash vt.handoff=7
	initrd	/boot/initrd.img-3.0.0-12-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 3.0.0-12-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
	recordfail
	insmod gzio
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ext2
	set root='(hd0,msdos3)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 62253e39-625a-4782-b406-3e3a7cf480ef
	echo	'Loading Linux 3.0.0-12-generic ...'
	linux	/boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-12-generic root=UUID=62253e39-625a-4782-b406-3e3a7cf480ef ro recovery nomodeset 
	echo	'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
	initrd	/boot/initrd.img-3.0.0-12-generic
}
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###
### END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ext2
	set root='(hd0,msdos3)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 62253e39-625a-4782-b406-3e3a7cf480ef
	linux16	/boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ext2
	set root='(hd0,msdos3)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 62253e39-625a-4782-b406-3e3a7cf480ef
	linux16	/boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry "Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda1)" --class windows --class os {
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ntfs
	set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root B420D9F620D9C012
	chainloader +1
}
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
if [ -f $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then
 source $prefix/custom.cfg;
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###

[Snowhog]

Re: Only able to boot through recovery

Well, the nomodset option is only on the recovery kernel entries, not the regular kernel entries. So, I would suggest that you edit (as root) the /etc/default/grub file and add nomodset to one of the following lines:


GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=

[Note: nomodset has to be within the " marks]

Save the file and then run:

sudo update-grub

Reboot and try the regular (first) kernel entry in Grub.

[ritzbits]

Re: Only able to boot through recovery

Okay, I will try that. Just to clarify, I have this now. ( I have omitted the comments)

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
#GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

And I want to change it to

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
#GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="nomodeset"

Is that right? Or should i put it on the same like as "quiet splash" like so, "quiet splash nomodeset"

edit: I edited the file as mentioned above. Didn't seem to work

[Snowhog]

Re: Only able to boot through recovery

As you have shown is fine. Did you run the sudo update-grub command after editing/saving the file?

[ritzbits]

Re: Only able to boot through recovery

Sure did. What exactly does the quiet splash argument do? Would it be feasible to concat it to that line, or replace it all together?

[Snowhog]

Re: Only able to boot through recovery

Okay, it could in fact be the splash option that is giving you your problem. Re-edit /etc/default/grub and remove the splash option, save, and again, re-run:

sudo update-grub

Reboot and try again.

[ritzbits]

Still doesn't work
Did two iterations:
Remove splash, w/ nomodeset
Remove splash