Boot failes after upgrade to 9.10 => initramfs prompt

**slamelov** · November 1st, 2009

Before unplugging HD, I have checked the menu.lst

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 use 'savedefault' 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=UUID=03ee0623-e91b-4b13-a285-ac700528fc99 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=03ee0623-e91b-4b13-a285-ac700528fc99

## 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

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
##      lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

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

## specify if running in Xen domU or have grub detect automatically
## update-grub will ignore non-xen kernels when running in domU and vice versa
## e.g. indomU=detect
##      indomU=true
##      indomU=false
# indomU=detect

## 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

## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title		Ubuntu 9.10, kernel 2.6.31-14-generic
uuid		03ee0623-e91b-4b13-a285-ac700528fc99
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic root=UUID=03ee0623-e91b-4b13-a285-ac700528fc99 ro quiet splash 
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
quiet

title		Ubuntu 9.10, kernel 2.6.31-14-generic (recovery mode)
uuid		03ee0623-e91b-4b13-a285-ac700528fc99
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic root=UUID=03ee0623-e91b-4b13-a285-ac700528fc99 ro  single
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic

title		Ubuntu 9.10, kernel 2.6.28-16-generic
uuid		03ee0623-e91b-4b13-a285-ac700528fc99
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-16-generic root=UUID=03ee0623-e91b-4b13-a285-ac700528fc99 ro quiet splash 
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-16-generic
quiet

title		Ubuntu 9.10, kernel 2.6.28-16-generic (recovery mode)
uuid		03ee0623-e91b-4b13-a285-ac700528fc99
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-16-generic root=UUID=03ee0623-e91b-4b13-a285-ac700528fc99 ro  single
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-16-generic

title		Ubuntu 9.10, memtest86+
uuid		03ee0623-e91b-4b13-a285-ac700528fc99
kernel		/boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### 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 an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sdc1.
title		Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-13-generic (on /dev/sdc1)
root		(hd2,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-13-generic root=UUID=a3c5ad4c-e754-4ed7-b626-aa5410b7b19e ro quiet splash 
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-13-generic
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sdc1.
title		Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-13-generic (recovery mode) (on /dev/sdc1)
root		(hd2,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-13-generic root=UUID=a3c5ad4c-e754-4ed7-b626-aa5410b7b19e ro single 
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-13-generic
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sdc1.
title		Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic (on /dev/sdc1)
root		(hd2,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=a3c5ad4c-e754-4ed7-b626-aa5410b7b19e ro quiet splash 
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sdc1.
title		Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic (recovery mode) (on /dev/sdc1)
root		(hd2,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=a3c5ad4c-e754-4ed7-b626-aa5410b7b19e ro single 
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sdc1.
title		Ubuntu 9.04, memtest86+ (on /dev/sdc1)
root		(hd2,0)
kernel		/boot/memtest86+.bin  
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sde1.
title		Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-3-rt (on /dev/sde1)
root		(hd4,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-3-rt root=UUID=38fd650c-92a1-45d7-92a7-b04a07a9c907 ro quiet splash 
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-3-rt
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sde1.
title		Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-3-rt (recovery mode) (on /dev/sde1)
root		(hd4,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-3-rt root=UUID=38fd650c-92a1-45d7-92a7-b04a07a9c907 ro single 
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-3-rt
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sde1.
title		Ubuntu 9.04, memtest86+ (on /dev/sde1)
root		(hd4,0)
kernel		/boot/memtest86+.bin  
savedefault
boot

May be the problem has something to do with menu.lst , but not sure.

**Tristan_F** · November 1st, 2009

Be sure to backup menu.lst before doing what I will siggest. According to your menu.lst, the root uuid for 9.10 and 9.04 doesn't seem to be the same. Maybe you can try to copy the uuid number of the 9.04 menu to the 9.10...i.e. replacing root=UUID=03ee0623-e91b-4b13-a285-ac700528fc99 by root=UUID=a3c5ad4c-e754-4ed7-b626-aa5410b7b19e

**slamelov** · November 1st, 2009

It says "Error 15 File Not Found"

**slamelov** · November 1st, 2009

Unplugging HD's does not work.

I have done this:

Code:

root@ubuntu:/# sudo update-grub
sudo: unable to resolve host ubuntu
Searching for GRUB installation directory ... found: /boot/grub
findfs: imposible resolver «UUID=03ee0623-e91b-4b13-a285-ac700528fc99»
Cannot determine root device.  Assuming /dev/hda1
This error is probably caused by an invalid /etc/fstab
Searching for default file ... found: /boot/grub/default
Testing for an existing GRUB menu.lst file ... found: /boot/grub/menu.lst
Searching for splash image ... none found, skipping ...
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-16-generic
Found kernel: /boot/memtest86+.bin
sed: advertencia: falló al obtener el contexto de seguridad de /tmp/fileZDhsgI: No hay datos disponiblessed: advertencia: falló al obtener el contexto de seguridad de /tmp/fileRg066e: No hay datos disponiblesUpdating /boot/grub/menu.lst ... done

And the FSTAB:

Code:

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'vol_id --uuid' to print the universally unique identifier for a
# device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name devices
# that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>
proc            /proc           proc    defaults        0       0
# / was on /dev/sda1 during installation
UUID=03ee0623-e91b-4b13-a285-ac700528fc99 /               ext3    relatime,errors=remount-ro 0       1
# swap was on /dev/sda5 during installation
UUID=68ce092d-7006-4df2-a22f-a13f33934811 none            swap    sw              0       0
/dev/scd0       /media/cdrom0   udf,iso9660 user,noauto,exec,utf8 0       0
/dev/fd0        /media/floppy0  auto    rw,user,noauto,exec,utf8 0       0

I think that there is anything bad in those files, but I don't know what. I have read this link:

https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu...question/63005

But I'm lost here:

Browse to /media/root/boot/grub and look at menu.lst and make sure that references the correct sda# value.
Browse to /media/root/etc/ and look at fstab and see if the values are correct (you can also replace the uuid values with the sda# values in the comments),

How do I check references are correct?

**slamelov** · November 3rd, 2009

Is there anybody out there?

**RevMike** · November 3rd, 2009

I found a solution to this issue...

When prompted I hit ESC to get to the grub menu. The default boot option was "Ubuntu 9.10, kernel 2.6.31-14-generic-pae".

On a whim, I booted the third option for me, which was "Ubuntu 9.10, kernel 2.6.31-14-generic". That booted fine. So, running under sudo I edited /boot/grub/menu.lst and made the non-pae kernel the default. Now everything is running fine.

FYI, I am running Ubuntu under VM-Ware Fusion on a MacBook Pro with Snow Leopard.

**slamelov** · November 7th, 2009

It does not work for me, but thanks anyway

**slamelov** · November 12th, 2009

Any other suggestion?

**pigphish** · November 13th, 2009

Had the same issue. FSCK fixed it.

I believe the problem was that there were errors that wouldn't let the main partition mount to boot.

I booted from a 9.10 cd and did an fsck from terminal:

Code:

sudo fsck /dev/sda3

obviously replace sda3 with your drive. Gparted may be helpful in deciding which is yours. Incidentally my grub and 9.10 partition are on sda3

Fsck found some issues which it corrected. Once the issues were gone the drive became mountable and bootable. You can check if its mountable through the places menu. Select the appropriate hard drive. Or manually mount it in the terminal.

Hope this helps.