Announcement

**oshunluvr** · Jan 13, 2014, 11:37 AM

Managing grub on older computers like this one can be tiresome. I'm going to explain some grub basics as I know them and hopefully, your solution will be presented. By the way, your English is much better than my Deutsch, so if you don't understand something, please ask for explanation.

Grub works by having a very small portion of code (446 bytes) in the MBR that points to the location of the actual bootloader and it's files. Likely, what you did was: By removing one of your linux installs, you also removed the files grub needed to boot.

As you install or re-install a distro, the normal default behavior for most installers is to replace the current grub with it's own. The way to prevent this is to:
#1 Know which install is "hosting" grub and thus where the needed files are.
#2 Don't allow every installer to over-write your grub every time you install.
#3 If/when you plan on removing your grub "host" install, know you are wiping out grub and you will have to replace it or you will be leaving your computer un-bootable.

I manage this by having a dedicated install that I never remove that only manages grub for me. Then when I install a new distro, I set it to install it's grub to a partition instead of the MBR thus avoiding over-writing my current grub.

As far as your specific request: From what I get from your post, you are able to boot to something on your sda drive but you want to boot from your sdb drive? This isn't really necessary to fix your other issue of not being able to boot Kubuntu on sdb. grub will boot from any partition that the MBR points to. They don't have to reside on the same drive.

First, try this: From the install you can boot to (kanotix?), run sudo update-grub and see if Kubuntu appears in your boot menu as it should. If it does, boot to Kubuntu, run sudo update-grub again and then install grub to either or both drives using sudo grub-install /dev/sda (or sdb). I would suggest installing to both MBRs so if one drive fails to boot you can try the other.

If Kanotix does not detect Kubuntu at all, try booting to a live Kubuntu USB or CD. You then run sudo grub-install --recheck /dev/sdb this should leave sdb bootable to Kubuntu - assuming Kubuntu is on sdb.

If none of this works, report back on your results and what you attempted. There are one or two more things to try.

**edgar.T.maier** · Jan 14, 2014, 06:06 PM

Hallo oshunluvr,
thank you for your answer.

By the way, your English is much better than my Deutsch

You flatter me!

Your reply shows me that things stil need some clarification.

My present setup is like this:

Code:

burwicc@burwicc-PX542AA-ABD-t3030-de:~$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
240 heads, 63 sectors/track, 20673 cylinders, total 312581808 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: 0x1549f232

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1              63    14621039     7310488+   c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/sda2   *    14622720    44011519    14694400   83  Linux
/dev/sda3        44013566   312580095   134283265    5  Extended
/dev/sda5        44013568   312580095   134283264   83  Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders, total 312581808 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: 0x0006c8ae

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1   *        2048    26212351    13105152   83  Linux
/dev/sdb2        26214400   312580095   143182848    5  Extended
/dev/sdb5       156246016   181420031    12587008   83  Linux
/dev/sdb6       181422080   309940223    64259072   83  Linux
/dev/sdb7       309942272   312580095     1318912   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdb8        26216448   156243967    65013760   83  Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order
burwicc@burwicc-PX542AA-ABD-t3030-de:~$

And

Code:

burwicc@burwicc-PX542AA-ABD-t3030-de:~$ sudo update-grub
Generating grub.cfg ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.11.0-15-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.11.0-15-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-35-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.8.0-35-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Found Windows NT/2000/XP on /dev/sda1
Found Debian GNU/Linux (7.3) on /dev/sdb1
Found Ubuntu 13.10 (13.10) on /dev/sdb5
done
burwicc@burwicc-PX542AA-ABD-t3030-de:~$

Sooooo

1) Kubuntu 13.10 is installed on sda2, grub is installed in MBR of sda. WinXp I wiped off sda2.

2) Kanotix is installed on sdb1, grub was installed in MBR of sda, but now it is overwritten by Kubuntu 1)

3) Kubuntu 13.10 is also installed on sdb5, grub is installed in the "first sector of the boot partition" (or something like that).
This was the initital Kubuntu install, when the bootloader was still working.

Now i understand that Kanotix cannot boot because the MBR of sda does not point to it anymore. Kubuntu on sdb5 should start, though.
It does not.

It is as if sdb does not exist, only via Dolphin I have access to it and can, for example, copy files to and fro.

Before writing to the forum Itried this:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2/Installing

Reinstalling GRUB 2 from a Working System
If Ubuntu is operating normally, boot into the working installation and run the following command from a terminal.

X is the drive (letter) on which you want GRUB to write the boot information. Normally users should not include a partition number, which would produce an error message as the command would attempt to write the information to a partition.

sudo grub-install /dev/sdX # Example: sudo grub-install /dev/sda

This will rewrite the MBR information to point to the current installation and rewrite some GRUB 2 files (which are already working). Since it isn't done during execution of the previous command, running sudo update-grub after the install will ensure GRUB 2's menu is up-to-date.

That did not help a thing, neither did your first suggestion.

First, try this: From the install you can boot to (kanotix?), run sudo update-grub and see if Kubuntu appears in your boot menu as it should. If it does, boot to Kubuntu, run sudo update-grub again and then install grub to either or both drives using sudo grub-install /dev/sda (or sdb). I would suggest installing to both MBRs so if one drive fails to boot you can try the other.

And

If Kanotix does not detect Kubuntu at all, try booting to a live Kubuntu USB or CD. You then run sudo grub-install --recheck /dev/sdb this should leave sdb bootable to Kubuntu - assuming Kubuntu is on sdb.

Returned this:

Code:

kubuntu@kubuntu:~$ sudo grub-install --recheck /dev/sdb
Path `/boot/grub' is not readable by Grub on boot. Installation is impossible. Aborting.
kubuntu@kubuntu:~$

I used a Kubuntu 13.04 live DVD for this but I could also use a Kanotix DVD for a Grub install, couldn`t I?

Come to think of it:
I do not need a second Kubuntu on my computer so the Kubuntu on sdb is actually superfluous.
But I would be very happy about a bootable Kanotix on sdb1!
The thought came to my mind just now and I better let you know right away so that you do not go according to wrong presuppositions......

So Kubuntu on sda2 works fine and should stay there while Kanotix on sdb1 is fine too, it just has to be made bootable. Kubuntu on sdb5
I can erase/wipe at a later stage with Gparted. That will be no problem.

Thank you so much for your help!

Eddie

P.S.: Goodness gracious me! It is already 1:00 AM!

**oshunluvr** · Jan 14, 2014, 06:18 PM

Just so I'm clear: The above setup information was posted from Kubuntu booting from sda2 and that's where you were running update-grub from?

If this is true, it appears to me that your Kanotix is being detected, it just doesn't have it's release name set properly. This:

Found Debian GNU/Linux (7.3) on /dev/sdb1

is a linux install on sdb1. Kanotix is Debian based, so this is how grub is picking it up. Have you tried booting to it?

This:

Found Ubuntu 13.10 (13.10) on /dev/sdb5

is your other Kubuntu install.

**oshunluvr** · Jan 14, 2014, 06:20 PM

By the way, if you wanted to fix the partition numbering on sdb, fdisk can do it.

**edgar.T.maier** · Jan 16, 2014, 06:41 PM

Hello

The above setup information was posted from Kubuntu booting from sda2 and that's where you were running update-grub from?

Yes, that is correct.

If this is true, it appears to me that your Kanotix is being detected, it just doesn't have it's release name set properly. This:
Found Debian GNU/Linux (7.3) on /dev/sdb1
is a linux install on sdb1. Kanotix is Debian based, so this is how grub is picking it up.

Yep.

This:
Found Ubuntu 13.10 (13.10) on /dev/sdb5
is your other Kubuntu install.

Right. So it is.

Kanotix is Debian based, so this is how grub is picking it up. Have you tried booting to it?

Until last night it was not possible to boot to it.

This is what I did:

http://www.google.com/search?client=...tloader%20menu
Grub2 - Community Ubuntu Documentation
http://www.ubuntu-forum.de/artikel/52032/grub-2-neu-installieren-ubuntu-10-04.html
I put a Live DVD (Kubuntu 13.04) into the drive, opened a terminal and typed the following commands:

Code:

 sudo -s

 mkdir /syspart
 mount /dev/sdb1 /syspart
 mount -o bind /dev  /syspart/dev
 mount -o bind /proc /syspart/proc
 mount -o bind /sys  /syspart/sys
 chroot /syspart
 update-grub
 grub-install /dev/sdb
 exit

I restarted the computer booting to Kubuntu and ran

Code:

sudo update-grub

A bootloader menu is still not being displayed but by pressing the ESC key while booting I can now choose the second hd (sdb) to start from and I do not end up with a black screen anymore but with Kanotix starting... So there is some slight progress...

So now I wonder how to implement the bootloader menu... there is lots of information about that on the internet which rather confuses me... many suggestions do not seem to apply to my particular situation.....

Eddie

**edgar.T.maier** · Jan 17, 2014, 07:34 PM

So now I wonder how to implement the bootloader menu... there is lots of information about that on the internet

I must correct myself. There is lots of information about repairing Grub(2), but none about implementing the bootloader menu as far as I can see....

Grub2/Installing
Seems to me quite interesting. Especially this:

6.

Code:

grub-install

will restore missing files in the grub folder but will not restore intentionally deleted or corrupted files. To accomplish these tasks GRUB 2 must be completely removed and reinstalled.

Maybe I do have to completely remove and reinstall GRUB 2 to get the bootloader menu again?

In all the other howtos the MBR gets overwritten as far as I can see and I wonder whether that is so helpful in my case....

**edgar.T.maier** · Jan 26, 2014, 04:35 PM

Hello...
Success at last!
All I had to do was to uncomment

Code:

#GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480

in

Code:

/etc/default/grub

Now I have got the GRUB2 menu again!

I realized that I did not ask correctly. No wonder that I did not get the right answers....
Instead of asking / searching for the bootloader I should have asked / searched for "GRUB2menu".
So at first I installed the bootloader umpteen times from a running system and also by means of a Live DVD (Kubuntu 13.04). I was all in vain. No menu....
On my search I stumbled across the expression "GRUB2 menu". So I started to search along that line. That got me on the right track and I found the answer.

All is well now.

@oshunluvr: Thanks for your time and your help!

Happy greetings

Eddie

Announcement

Grub Menu is gone

Grub Menu is gone

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment