Installation of SSD fails to boot

[Shabakthanai]

Motherboard is M3N-HT Deluxe by ASUS
8gb memory
AMD quad @2300mhz

Kubuntu 12.04 RC latest download

After a fresh install, how do I get the OS to boot from the SSD?

Here is what I have done so far.

I purchased and installed a new 128gb SSD. Using Gparted, I formatted and set the partitions for a new install of Kubuntu 12.04. After the partitions were initialized, I booted to a Live DVD of 12.04 and installed the new operatine system.

I deleted the former boot partition and Linux Swap, formatted an renamed those partitions.

I set the previous installed partitions to their ext4 file systems and named their mount points consistent with their previous names.

The new SSD contains only 2 partitions an approx. 12gb swap partition, (I do a lot of Movie stuff), with the balance formatted to ext4 Primary (/) boot partition.

I then closed Gparted and booted to a live CD of Kubuntu 12.04, and installed Kubuntu 12.04 in the (/) partition. I restarted when requested to do so and got a message ??Cannot find Operating System?? or something like that. I rebooted again, entered the BIOS and reset the defaults then saved and closed the BIOS.

When the system booted this time, I depressed F8 to enter the boot menu. I selected the SSD drive and pressed enter.

The next window contained a blinking cursor in the upper left hand corner, the balance of the screen black. I allowed this to continue for about 20 minutes, (I thought this excessive, but sufficient to believe the system was locked in that position) before booting again.

In the BIOS, under boot order, the first item is listed as 'removable', second 'HDD', third CDROM with no fourth. Although the new SSD was recognized in the HDD entry of the BIOS, as well as, in the Gparted portion of the work, it is not identified in the Boot Order portion of the BIOS. I did not know if the SSD was same as HDD or 'Removable' because it is much like a thumb drive, but I assume the computer runs the entire list when It looks for but has trouble finding the /boot partition.

I have tried four times to boot to the SSD drive, but always it stays on the black screen with the blinking cursor in the upper left corner of the screen.


Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders, total 976773168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000cee28

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 206848 976773167 488283160 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 * 0 0 0 0 Empty
/dev/sda4 * 0 0 0 0 Empty

Disk /dev/sdb: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders, total 1953525168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000a81aa

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 2046 70313983 35155969 5 Extended
/dev/sdb3 70316505 1046875724 488279610 83 Linux
/dev/sdb4 1046876160 1953523711 453323776 83 Linux
/dev/sdb5 2048 31246335 15622144 83 Linux
/dev/sdb6 31248384 70313983 19532800 83 Linux

Disk /dev/sdc: 128.0 GB, 128035676160 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 15566 cylinders, total 250069680 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0004e2e4

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 2048 24788991 12393472 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdc2 24788992 250068991 112640000 83 Linux

Disk /dev/sdd: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders, total 1953525168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0007250a

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdd1 2048 1953523711 976760832 83 Linux
kubuntu@kubuntu:~$

Thanks for any help.

[HalationEffect]

The next window contained a blinking cursor in the upper left hand corner, the balance of the screen black.

I had that problem the first time I installed Kubuntu on my new PC. I think the cause of the problem was that during the Kubuntu setup process, I didn't correctly set the option "Device for boot loader installation".

To fix it, I simply went through the installation process again, making sure to correctly set that option. For me (and for most people) the correct option is /dev/sda.

[james147]

When the system booted this time, I depressed F8 to enter the boot menu. I selected the SSD drive and pressed enter.

The next window contained a blinking cursor in the upper left hand corner, the balance of the screen black. I allowed this to continue for about 20 minutes, (I thought this excessive, but sufficient to believe the system was locked in that position) before booting again.

That sounds exactly like there is no mbr record on the ssd, are you sure you installed the boot loader there? Try booting from the HDD as I think that is where the mbr is (it doesn't really matter which drive the mbr is on though I like to keep it on the one with the root partition to make moving the disks about easier)

This can easily be fixed by reinstalling grub's mbr to the ssd with

sudo grub-install --recheck /dev/sda

assuming /dev/sda is your ssd.

[Shabakthanai]

Thank you Halation Effect for trying to help. I took your advice and went through the installation process again. I had difficulty directing the boot loader to /dev/sda. I have read that is the correct setting. Unfortunately, I do not remember what the prior boot location was, I think it was /dev/sdb1. It worked fine at that address. In any event, at the bottom of the partition editor was the place to select the boot loader location. I attempted to rename the SSD drive to that identity, however, although I highlighted the SSD partition and selected /dev/sda1, the sellection did not change anything.

Apparently the computer sets these addresses without our help, because I could not find a mechanism to make the change. Nevertheless, when I checked the identities that were set in the previous failed installation attempt, I noticed that there were many changes that were inconsistent with the settings I made. I also noticed that certain partitions were locked, including the boot and swap partitions. In any event, I thought I would attempt to direct the boot loader to the identity the computer had set for the larger SSD partition to see if it might load from there. That had been identified as /dev/sdc2, so I attempted to make /dev/sdc2 the boot location. That also failed.

Can you tell me what to do to get the SSD partition identified as /dev/sda1? My computer is acting very funny since so many failed attempts at trying to get it to accept things it apparently does not want to accept.

I have a 500gb drive that I do not want to lose. It contains a TV series of over 200 episodes. I enjoy them and prefer not having to reload a DVD each time I want to view a previously viewed program. There are so many to view that reruns stay pretty fresh each time. Additionally, I have the 128gb SSD drive that I would like to use as my boot drive. Also, I have 2 1TB drives that I want to use for Movie storage and backup. I am willing to lose all data on the two - one TB drives, if that will help stabilize and correct any incorrect addressing on the drives and their partitions. But as I mentioned I want to salvage the 500gb and its contents, and use the SSD drive for the operating system. Unfortunately, the 500gb drive is the one with the /dev/sda1 identification.

Since I only have the four drives to contend with, should I perhaps remove the ones I am willing to format, disconnect the 500gb drive, and install the OS on the SSD drive.

With only one drive in the computer, it should use the /dev/sda1 address for the SSD drive, like I want. Next, I could re-attach the 500gb drive and the two 1TB drives and allow them to get new addresses. I am not knowledgeable enough to know if that is an appropriate solution, but it is something I think I could handle even at my level of experience. I don't really care what those identities are, excepting I don't want them as /media as they have become.

Too much fiddling around. My computer is going to have a heart-attack if I don't freshen things up a bit. In fact, it isn't running too well right now, but I give that to the fact that I am communicating from a live CD and not the normal OS.

I am sorry to take so much time, but I am worried that so many changes over the years have complicated the internal working of my computer. Could all this confusion have a negative affect on my BIOS? It was starting to act up a bit too. Would an update to the BIOS freshen that up too?

Thanks friend for any future response.

[Shabakthanai]

Hello James:

Actually my SSD is /dev/sdc2, and I don't know how to correct that. Since the address of my SSD is wrong, I will wait for a response before I attempt your code. I don't have your knowledge, so I have to be careful. Thanks for the help.

[HalationEffect]

the larger SSD partition to see if it might load from there. That had been identified as /dev/sdc2, so I attempted to make /dev/sdc2 the boot location. That also failed.

OK, from your post, I see that your SSD is /dev/sdc. So, you should make sure the / (root) partition is on that drive, and set your boot-loader location to /dev/sdc (note - do not put a number at the end).

However, if you remove all other drives and then do the installation, you are right that the drive will become (and the boot-loader location will need to be set to) /dev/sda (no number).

[james147]

You don't need to worry about the ssd not being the first disk, it doesn't matter to linux... just install the boot loader to that disk (/dev/sdc in your case). Note that you install it to the mbr record on the disk (ie /dev/sdX) and not the partition (ie not /dev/sdXY) which is why some of your attempts have failed to work.

As far as I know the only time you can pick where to install the bootloader is if you pick the manual partitioning option.

You should not need to lose any data when installing to the ssd (except that which is on the ssd) so I would be wary of any process that would do this.

You can unplug the extra drives but once you plug them back in the numbering will revert to what it is now (assuming you plug them back in teh same slots), the best way to change this is to plug the ssd into the first sata slot on your motherboard as that is where the order is generally taken from. But this should not be needed to get the system working and should make little difference in the long run (you just have to remember which disk is which).

Note also that you can install the boot loader to any of the disks mbr records as long as you pick that disk in the bois to boot from, so if you cannot boot off /dev/sdc after the install try to boot the other disks until you find the correct one, then you can reinstall the bootloader after you boot your system with the command I gave previously.

[Shabakthanai]

I disconnected all drives and then connected the SSD then installed. It worked fine then. I have since reconnected the other HDDs. Thanks!