[Boot-Repair] Graphical tool to repair the PC boot in one click

[wilee-nilee]

It looks like your sources.list needs cleaning post

cat /etc/apt/sources.list

The error is in the sources.list.d which is where it should be going though.

Ran fine when I ran your command maybe you need to change the source in software sources.

[Smokin Whale]

It looks like your sources.list needs cleaning post

cat /etc/apt/sources.list

The error is in the sources.list.d which is where it should be going though.

Ran fine when I ran your command maybe you need to change the source in software sources.

I don't know, but this is been causing some serious errors, Ubuntu software centre wouldn't work until I manually deleted the sources.

However, I changed the server from "Server for Australia" to "Main Server" and things work now when I added the PPA normally, not through the provided terminal command. Strange.

It's a top program though, beats re-installing grub manually!! Props to the developer. Makes my job so much easier

[YannBuntu]

E: Type 'b-src' is not known on line 2 in source list /etc/apt/sources.list.d/yannubuntu-boot-repair-precise.list

This means that the /etc/apt/sources.list.d/yannubuntu-boot-repair-precise.list file is incorrect. This is due to a bug of the "add-apt-repository" command.

To fix this problem, please :
- if you have this problem on a live-session Ubuntu, just reboot on the live-CD, and re-install Boot-Repair.
- if you have this problem on an installed Ubuntu, open a terminal and type the following commands (replace "precise" by your Ubuntu version if necessary):

sudo -i

then:

echo 'deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/yannubuntu/boot-repair/ubuntu precise main' > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/yannubuntu-boot-repair-precise.list

then install Boot-Repair if necessary:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install boot-repair

EDIT: i modified Boot-Repair so that it should not be affected by this bug any more.

[YannBuntu]

Following this thread...

Boot-Repair is also designed to improve the efficiency of "boot helpers" (people who help others on the forums/IRC, about subjects concerning GRUB/boot):
- B-R logs are detailed so that helpers understand what B-R will do / have done when using the "Recommended repair" (eg which MBR will be written, which GRUB will be reinstalled, purge or not...) , and also give clues to understand which GRUB option should be tried if the "Recommended repair" does not repair access to all OSs (eg grub-setup output, which allows to detect when the FlexNet option should be used).
- the "Recommended repair" basically:
- generally only reinstalls GRUB in the MBR without any option
- or recover a generic MBR (if there is only 1 OS, Windows)
- it is safe as it does not touch the personal data, nor the partition tables, and backups MBRs/conf files before writing them.
- This is enough to solve "most" GRUB rescue situations. As wilee-nilee correctly said, the "~99%" figure is just a wild guess. It comes from B-R statistics (~800users/day) and the average number of users asking help after having used B-R (1~2/day by email, 5~10 via IRC).

This may be improved however, any suggestion is welcome.

Also, i am surprised to see that some helpers still don't have the reflex of reporting bugs when they see a problem with a GNU/GPL app.

Last thing, I understand that some helpers prefer CLI than GUI, but sometimes it's worth spending a day testing the GUI (or looking at its code... B-R's code is very simple, as it is written in Bash) then saving hours, than loosing 4 hours/day by continuing using the CLI.

I am sad when i see helpers spending hours explaining how to use BootInfoScript or reinstall GRUB by chroot when they could do it by just giving this URL.
Then it would be much more interesting for helpers, as they would spend their time only on special cases. This is now what we (French helpers) do on ubuntu-fr, our conversations are now much more interesting that before the B-R era, and we are much more efficient for the Linux community (by reporting GRUB bugs).
Let's become efficient helping people and improving GRUB !

[wilee-nilee]

Following this thread...

Boot-Repair is also designed to improve the efficiency of "boot helpers" (people who help others on the forums/IRC, about subjects concerning GRUB/boot):
- B-R logs are detailed so that helpers understand what B-R will do / have done when using the "Recommended repair" (eg which MBR will be written, which GRUB will be reinstalled, purge or not...) , and also give clues to understand which GRUB option should be tried if the "Recommended repair" does not repair access to all OSs (eg grub-setup output, which allows to detect when the FlexNet option should be used).
- the "Recommended repair" basically:
- generally only reinstalls GRUB in the MBR without any option
- or recover a generic MBR (if there is only 1 OS, Windows)
- it is safe as it does not touch the personal data, nor the partition tables, and backups MBRs/conf files before writing them.
- This is enough to solve "most" GRUB rescue situations. As wilee-nilee correctly said, the "~99%" figure is just a wild guess. It comes from B-R statistics (~800users/day) and the average number of users asking help after having used B-R (1~2/day by email, 5~10 via IRC).

This may be improved however, any suggestion is welcome.

Also, i am surprised to see that some helpers still don't have the reflex of reporting bugs when they see a problem with a GNU/GPL app.

Last thing, I understand that some helpers prefer CLI than GUI, but sometimes it's worth spending a day testing the GUI (or looking at its code... B-R's code is very simple, as it is written in Bash) then saving hours, than loosing 4 hours/day by continuing using the CLI.

I am sad when i see helpers spending hours explaining how to use BootInfoScript or reinstall GRUB by chroot when they could do it by just giving this URL.
Then it would be much more interesting for helpers, as they would spend their time only on special cases. This is now what we (French helpers) do on ubuntu-fr, our conversations are now much more interesting that before the B-R era, and we are much more efficient for the Linux community (by reporting GRUB bugs).
Let's become efficient helping people and improving GRUB !

Thanks, I think this is a good tool, it is just a matter of orientation in my mind, is all I'm concerned with, with any user. Many have no problems that is for sure.

I wont explain a chroot I just give a page link and at worst just the commands to get it done. I always want to see the bootscript first so the commands are on that setup. I also make sure the user is set, as far as understanding to the best of my ability.

I agree though I see threads upwards of 50 or more posts on a simple fix, I suspect though from observing these, that a portion of these users will be lost with any instructions. They may be given exact instructions and the commands just a simple copy and paste and still fail.

It can be confusing, the user may not know what a mbr is or the sda sdb..etc representation of it, and some are dual booting and have both the Linux and MS OS's, and may not have the correct partition active in Widows for various reasons. They also may have a mixture of grub-legacy and grub 2 as well, I have seen at least three today with this mixed grub problem two of which had used this tool.

We are all here to work together is my motto, and to do no harm to a OS setup, so I'm as careful as I can be to know where I am going, but still fail at times anyway.

I do feel though that taking on the responsibility of changing the way we help people because you feel a bit of angst is a form of social control that hits me in a very close range and I do not like that.

If the forum wants a change I will follow it or just not bother with it anymore, but an individuals attempt at this is not right.

[YannBuntu]

I wont explain a chroot I just give a page link and at worst just the commands to get it done. I always want to see the bootscript first so the commands are on that setup. I also make sure the user is set, as far as understanding to the best of my ability.

IMHO this is a very good approach.

changing the way we help people

AFAIK I just indicated tips to help.

I have seen at least three today with this mixed grub problem two of which had used this tool.

this kind of mix can generally be solved by purging GRUB (via the "Purge GRUB" option of Boot-Repair, or via command lines)

[wilee-nilee]

this kind of mix can generally be solved by purging GRUB (via the "Purge GRUB" option of Boot-Repair, or via command lines)

Right the boot-repair has functions that we use as helpers, but this is an advanced setting and it takes being able to read the bootscript to know this. How many people would default to this tool if they could read the script and know this is a problem, hard to say.

Do you see where I'm going here it may be that just more information to a user is needed I'm not sure. Some just don't want an answer per-say but an easy fix. A mixed grub is more than an easy fix as far as recognizing it.

I'm not against the tool, it is just the response of well it will do this that is confusing to be honest it does not directly cover the issue which is a clean fix with a user knowing what it needs to be and which button to press.

If I have to explain all of this and then how to use the tool, when I can just give someone the code to fix it and a short explanation if they want; which is more time dependent? To be honest I think the helper fix at this point is more efficient, but I'm biased, we all are lol.

If I had a dollar for every time I gave someone a drs305's link I would certainly have more money, not sure how much but I use his threads all the time look through my history of almost 7500 posts and you will see a huge use of his resources and help, they are an excellent resource.

That is just here, I have been on the IRC everyday for about a year and a half for many hours a day and use those links there as well.

I don't really want to keep arguing my point here anymore, so give whatever response that makes you feel satisfied, honestly I have better things to do then argue on moot points. The forum is not for argument per-say but helping the user first, leaving out our personal ego attachments to our feelings or methods or tools, or self appointed responsibilities to change others because we don't agree.

*As an addendum to my rhetoric I rather give a link or tool to be used rather then having to carefully explain and write commands. I would rather people have tools or knowledge that they can use when no help is around or limited for whatever reason.

I'm a casual user here I have studies and interest that have nothing to due with computers I have no want to make a living doing this or get a CS degree. I just happen to enjoy doing it and these other studies fall in the humanities helping others so that is where they criss cross.

[oldfred]

I post Boot-Repair most of the time now but try to suggest running the Boot-Info or boot script. Then those users who want to be adventurous or know a bit more can run repairs on their own. Others hopefully will post the link so we can review issues.

[wilee-nilee]

I post Boot-Repair most of the time now but try to suggest running the Boot-Info or boot script. Then those users who want to be adventurous or know a bit more can run repairs on their own. Others hopefully will post the link so we can review issues.

I noticed that, seems like the best way to start in using the tool.

I have been testing it out, and have taken screen shots of every process it does. I will under the right circumstances recommend it, but make sure the user understands how to use it. The advanced is not tricky to you or me, and many users, but I suspect might be for some so a little description might help.

I like the idea of a point at tool and being able to say try this it seems to work, rather then long explanations and posting commands all the time.

The only thing I did notice with the purge option was it gives you the code to run, rather then just doing it. I have 4 OS though so I was not sure if this was the cause.
Purge popup on boot-repair.png

The community document I think could be improved with some real details of each possibility of use, there are options that are pretty cool really, like fixing flexnet problems and grub_gfxmode.
Grub options.png

[YannBuntu]

Hello

PPA updates:
- B-R should now be able to fix/add the /boot line in the fstab when needed ("separate /boot partition" option). Like usual, a backup is created in the log folder.
- the purge should be selected by default when a menu.lst is detected in the OS to reinstall GRUB.
- translations
- i am trying to make the logs (additional information below the BootInfo) easier to understand (in particular the default settings used by the Recommended repair). This is for the helpers only. (the user can see the settings used by the Recommended Repair by just looking at the default settings in the Advanced options.)

the purge option was it gives you the code to run, rather then just doing it.

Good remark. Boot-Repair does not automatically run commands that will/may pop-up a configuration window (like the blue one on your screenshot), because the blue window would then not appear and B-R would hang infinitely. However, there may be a trick to workaround this, any suggestion is welcome.
Please also note that the commands shown by this window may change (eg if you run B-R from a live-cd).