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**analyticalman** · Oct 08, 2006, 12:08 PM

Re: GRUB doesn't boot my OS's after installing Kubuntu

While you are in knoppix, have a look at the partitions you have (use gparted) then mount your kubuntu filesystem and go to the /boot/grub directory and open the menu.lst file. Go to the end of the file and make sure that the command to boot kubuntu actually points to the partition that kubuntu is on (remembering that Grub starts counting from 0 (i.e. your first partition on your first hard disk is hd(0,0) Grub is complaining that it doesn't recognise the partition format.

Thats a very outline explanation. If you need more help post your menu.lst and a picture of your partition structure - we should be able to work out what is happening from there

**9a3eedi** · Oct 09, 2006, 04:40 AM

Re: GRUB doesn't boot my OS's after installing Kubuntu

output of fdisk -l

Code:

Disk /dev/hda: 40.9 GB, 40982151168 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4982 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

  Device Boot   Start     End   Blocks  Id System
/dev/hda1        1    4569  36700461  83 Linux
/dev/hda2      4570    4961   3148740  82 Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/hdb: 30.0 GB, 30020272128 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3649 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

  Device Boot   Start     End   Blocks  Id System
/dev/hdb1  *      1    3649  29310561  7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sda: 150.0 GB, 150038863360 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 18241 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

  Device Boot   Start     End   Blocks  Id System
/dev/sda1  *      1    18240  146512768+  7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdc: 524 MB, 524288000 bytes
16 heads, 32 sectors/track, 2000 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 512 * 512 = 262144 bytes

  Device Boot   Start     End   Blocks  Id System
/dev/sdc1  *      1    1999   511728  b W95 FAT32

/dev/sdc is my flash disk.
/dev/sda is a SATA hard disk which contains the windows partition
/dev/hda is my Linux hard disk which contains an ext3 parition and a swap partition
/dev/hdb is just a normal NTFS hard disk

contents of /boot/grub/device.map in my linux hard disk (hda1)

Code:

# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
#      grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
#      grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
#      and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not change this entry to 'saved' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default		0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout		10

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
#hiddenmenu

# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line) and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
#   password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title		Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root		(hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader	+1
#
# title		Linux
# root		(hd0,1)
# kernel	/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
##   kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
##   kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,0)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
##   alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
##   lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
##   altoptions=(recovery mode) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
##   howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
##   memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title		Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-26-amd64-generic
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-26-amd64-generic root=/dev/hda1 ro quiet splash
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-26-amd64-generic
savedefault
boot

title		Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-26-amd64-generic (recovery mode)
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-26-amd64-generic root=/dev/hda1 ro single
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-26-amd64-generic
boot

title		Ubuntu, memtest86+
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/boot/memtest86+.bin 
boot

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title		Other operating systems:
root


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda1
title		Microsoft Windows XP Professional
root		(hd2,0)
savedefault
makeactive
map		(hd0) (hd2)
map		(hd2) (hd0)
chainloader	+1

to tell you the truth, I posted this in another forum, but to no avail... thought maybe kubuntu themselves have something to say about this ^__^

**analyticalman** · Oct 09, 2006, 05:56 AM

Re: GRUB doesn't boot my OS's after installing Kubuntu

THe answers not jumping out at me

Could you check the order in which the drives boot in your bios. THis scheme working depends on your Sda drive booting third (after hda and hdb)

**9a3eedi** · Oct 09, 2006, 06:14 AM

Re: GRUB doesn't boot my OS's after installing Kubuntu

What you're saying is that I should check and make sure that hda boots first?

**analyticalman** · Oct 09, 2006, 01:23 PM

Re: GRUB doesn't boot my OS's after installing Kubuntu

Yes, and that your Sata drive with Windows on is the third (actually I don't know anything about Sata drives in the bios but I assume that there has to be an order) Your Grub Menu is saying that it wants to boot windows off the third hard disk then it does the mapping bit to convince the system that the third disk is really the first (which you have to do if you are booting windows of anything other than the first disk)

Another thing that I'm not sure about in your menu.lst is the command root (hd2,0). I would change the "root" command to "rootnoverify"

**9a3eedi** · Oct 10, 2006, 04:42 AM

Re: GRUB doesn't boot my OS's after installing Kubuntu

well I did reorder the hard disk priority sequence, and guess what?

WINDOWS WORKS!!

however, I tried booting Kubuntu. The splash screen started working.. however, it just stops for like 2 minutes on "Waiting for root filesystem" and then I get sent to a limited shell because "/dev/hda1 does not exist!"

**analyticalman** · Oct 10, 2006, 11:33 AM

Re: GRUB doesn't boot my OS's after installing Kubuntu

Oh well - getting there!

What did you do to the hard disk order - I'm just curious - what order did the SATA drive boot at?

Have you altered your bios boot sequence or your menu.lst?

Anyway, it looks like we have a completely different issue now - Grub has done its job and it boots whatever is there - it looks like you now have a problem with your kubuntu installation. Did you erase and format your partition with Suse? What happened to it? Is the disk very full?

Also please post the contents of your etc/fstab. If we can't solve this one next go around it might be good to repost your new problem in the forums with a descrptive title as someone may well have come on this before.

**9a3eedi** · Oct 13, 2006, 06:52 AM

Re: GRUB doesn't boot my OS's after installing Kubuntu

Originally posted by analyticalman

Oh well - getting there!

What did you do to the hard disk order - I'm just curious - what order did the SATA drive boot at?

Have you altered your bios boot sequence or your menu.lst?

Anyway, it looks like we have a completely different issue now - Grub has done its job and it boots whatever is there - it looks like you now have a problem with your kubuntu installation. Did you erase and format your partition with Suse? What happened to it? Is the disk very full?

Also please post the contents of your etc/fstab. If we can't solve this one next go around it might be good to repost your new problem in the forums with a descrptive title as someone may well have come on this before.

The SATA drive was number 3 in the hard disk boot sequence. Number 1 belonged to hda which is my linux partition, then number 2 which belongs to a normal NTFS drive.

Contents of my fstab

Code:

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point>  <type> <options>    <dump> <pass>
proc      /proc      proc  defaults    0    0
/dev/hda1    /        ext3  defaults,errors=remount-ro 0    1
/dev/hdb1    /media/hdb1   ntfs  defaults,nls=utf8,umask=007,gid=46 0    1
/dev/sda1    /media/sda1   ntfs  defaults,nls=utf8,umask=007,gid=46 0    1
/dev/sdf1    /media/sdf1   vfat  defaults,utf8,umask=007,gid=46 0    1
/dev/hda2    none      swap  sw       0    0
/dev/scd0    /media/cdrom0  udf,iso9660 user,noauto   0    0

If the code isn't broken correctly then its due to the fact that I'm using notepad in windows to read fstab.

And what I did, is that I used to have openSuSE in hda1 and a swap partition of 2 GB in hda2. But then my SuSE got messed up, and I had to delete it and reinstall linux. I decided to use Kubuntu because I heard it's more for desktop users. So I formatted hda1 (can't remember which file system i chose though, but I think it was ext3.. it must be one of the ext's because it's mountable in windows). I didn't delete any partition. I just formatted my old linux partition and installed kubuntu on it.

**analyticalman** · Oct 13, 2006, 01:14 PM

Re: GRUB doesn't boot my OS's after installing Kubuntu

OK - this is what we know
Grub is installed correctly
It now boots Windows fine
It boots Kubuntu - but the OS does not boot up correctly - hda1 apparently is not recognised
It should boot to hda1 which you formatted as ext3 and you have a swap drive hda2

So if your disk is OK - then everything should be OK

But I'm worried about your hda1. When my system halts at "waiting for root filesystem - its because its checking it (1 in 30 boots approx). Yours could be doing the same and it doesn't like what it sees. So we don't have the info yet to know what is wrong.

In your position I would be tempted to try two things:

1) get a Gparted live disc (burn it from Distrowatch) and examine your partition for problems. Fix if there is anything there

2) I suspect your installation - so I would download the alternate installer (making a note of the md5 for download and checking that the download has an equal number) and burn it - again checking that your new CD is binary equal with the download - and finally reinstall making sure the installer formats your hda1 and hda2 (don't install grub to your mbr)

I'm sorry this has turned into such a saga - you obviously have had (at least two) issues. We fixed the boot but it looks to me like the install is terminal- copy the menu.lst somewhere before you do anything

**9a3eedi** · Oct 15, 2006, 06:25 AM

Re: GRUB doesn't boot my OS's after installing Kubuntu

Alternate installer?

Definition please >__<

Anyway I'm downloading gparted and will check it out as soon as the download finished..

EDITL: I downloaded and burnt gparted on a CD-RW.. and I tried booting it.. and it worked fine..

I didn't know what to do exactly... The only thing that I saw is resize partition, make partition, change file system type, and delete partition, but I didn't see any "examine partition for problems" or something similiar to that...

**analyticalman** · Oct 15, 2006, 12:28 PM

Re: GRUB doesn't boot my OS's after installing Kubuntu

The alternate installer is needed if you are doing anything other than putting grub on your mbr - get it e.g. here

http://ubuntu.cs.utah.edu/releases/kubuntu/6.06.1/

With the gparted live cd - look at your hda1. You had an error message before saying it wasn't there (although fdisk says it is) - but if gparted sees it - and it doesn't look too full (you can check for that visually - or under "information" after you click on the partition) and it recognises the format OK then I'm thinking that it must be your kubuntu install. Although its never happened to me in kubuntu I have had other distro's drop me to a shell because of a defective iso image. Thats really all I can suggest now.

**9a3eedi** · Oct 15, 2006, 01:50 PM

Re: GRUB doesn't boot my OS's after installing Kubuntu

Well, my partition had nothing wrong with it when I checked it with gparted..

I'm going to download the alternate installer right now.

EDIT: I used the DVD iso to install kubuntu. All I see in the links here are CD iso's.. Does it make a difference? Just to make sure.

**analyticalman** · Oct 16, 2006, 03:22 AM

Re: GRUB doesn't boot my OS's after installing Kubuntu

If you have the DVD iso, then you already have the alternate installer - its the text based one. But if that iso has not been checked for binary equality I would download the new one and check it both at Download and on burning (as I said below)

For an alternative approach - check out Nirvana's installation advice on this forum here

http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/index.php?topic=5621.0

**9a3eedi** · Oct 18, 2006, 06:07 AM

Re: GRUB doesn't boot my OS's after installing Kubuntu

Wait.. if It's text based, then there is probably no GUI of some sort. Are there any instructions to do the alternate install?

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