Wubi megathread

[Steam.]

There are actually a number of known causes for Ubuntu to reject a drive - the mixed GPT/MBR data is one. Another would be partition table errors. Another is the presence of fakeraid metadata (no raid present) or an unsupported fakeraid setup.

It seemed a safe bet to assume your problem was due to the GPT mix. Either way, providing the output to the requested information will help us to help you. If you don't have a bootable CD you can also reinstall with Wubi and when you get that error, drop to a terminal Ctrl+Alt+F2 and get the output from

sudo fdisk -lu

Then you can post the results here. Also, the following can provide useful info...

sudo parted -l
sudo blkid

(the above commands specify lower case -L, not -1)

PS if you have wubi installed on C: and the other drive is plugged in you can just run the commands from your wubi install.

You could've said to press CTRL ALT F2 from wubi earlier ! I'll go over on that PC now and try this.

[bcbc]

You could've said to press CTRL ALT F2 from wubi earlier ! I'll go over on that PC now and try this.

From the install, just open a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T). You can use Ctrl+Alt+F2 but then you need to login and it will be harder to cut and paste (unless you capture the output).

You can also run the bootinfoscript.It wasn't really clear whether you had a current install going

[bcbc]

Is this a Wubi issue or should I post this elsewhere? If elsewhere, where?

Thanks,
D

It's not a wubi issue. I see you found another thread to post in. I haven't seen anything that might explain this. I have an i915 intel chip (on a different computer) and didn't have any issues except the brightness keys. Here is a thread on this which may or may not be relevant: https://launchpad.net/~kamalmostafa/...l-mjgbacklight

Just found a bug report that relates to your issue: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...el/+bug/805586 (doesn't show a workaround, but maybe someone there has some suggestions)

[juanvi]

Hi there,

I installed ubuntu 11.04 (32 bits) from Windows XP using wubi. It was working fine for two months until 2011/09/15. Today, when I try to boot Ubuntu (selecting ubuntu from the boot menu with Windows and Ubuntu) it does not access to the grub menu but to the grub> prompt line.

I have run ubuntu live CD and mounted /dev/sda1, where I have the ubuntu directory. However, I cannot access to ubuntu/disks directory (although I can to ubuntu/winboot or ubuntu/install). When I do:

cd ubuntu
ls -l disks

I get:
d????????? ? ? ? ? ? disks
-rwxrwxrwx 1 root root 0 2011-07-15 11:18 install
-rwxrwxrwx 1 ...
and

cd /ubuntu/disks

bash: cd : disks: Input/output error

Do you have any idea about how can I fix this?

Thank you in advance,

PS. I can boot Windows but I cannot access to c:\ubuntu\disks either.

[srs5694]

juanvi,

Your symptoms sound like a damaged filesystem to me. I recommend running CHKDSK in Windows. (You can do this from a Command Prompt window or by navigating a maze of GUI options that ends in one to check the disk's integrity -- I don't recall the exact phrasing, though.) You may need to run CHKDSK two or three times.

I always get a bit nervous about serious disk damage like this, so if you have the capacity, I recommend backing up everything important that you can from the disk before you run CHKDSK, just in case the damage is so bad that CHKDSK actually makes matters worse.

[juanvi]

Thanks srs5694,

I was already running windows chkdsk and, as a result, ubuntu/disk directory has disappeared!! The only output I got from chkdsk was that a corrupted sector was deleted or something similar.

Now, when I select ubuntu in the windows boot menu, it appears a grub menu with a list of kernels and Windows Vista ¿? (I have XP). But instead of a purple background as usual with ubuntu 11.04, it is white over black. When I select any of them, e.g: 2.6.32-21-generic, I get:

error: file not found
error: no argument specified
error: no such a partition
error: you need to load the kernel first
Press any key to continue...

If I press a key, it goes back to that grub menu.

I am starting to think I have lost the work I have done on ubuntu

[bcbc]

juanvi, check this out: http://ubuntu-with-wubi.blogspot.com...-rootdisk.html

Hopefully there is a \found.000 folder with a dir0000.chk directory and your files will be in there.

[juanvi]

Thanks bcbc!

I found exactly what you told me. I copied the content of this directory as c:\ubuntu\disks, rebooted and I am writting now from ubuntu.

I really appreciate your help!

[PayPaul]

I haven't found this problem listed here but maybe someone can help me. I'm running Wubi on Ubuntu 11.04. While I've seen in the introduction to this thread that major problems with Wubi have been corrected for my version I do see one bootup issue that I'd like to know if it has to do with Wubi or something else. I get a busybox message on booting. I'm told the system is "dropping back to a shell". After hitting the exit command a few times I finally boot up into Ubuntu. It's a nuisance but better than my present Win7 startup problems which take hours if not days to resolve. The message contents also state something about not finding the root. My bootlog results txt file doesn't seem to indicate any of this...

============================= Boot Info Summary: ===============================

 => Windows is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda.
 => Windows is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb.
 => Windows is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdc.
 => Windows is installed in the MBR of /dev/sde.

sda1: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ntfs
    Boot sector type:  Windows XP
    Boot sector info:   No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        

sdb1: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ntfs
    Boot sector type:  Windows Vista/7
    Boot sector info:   No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        

sdb2: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ntfs
    Boot sector type:  Windows Vista/7
    Boot sector info:   No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        

sdb3: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ntfs
    Boot sector type:  Windows Vista/7
    Boot sector info:   No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        

sdc1: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ntfs
    Boot sector type:  Windows XP
    Boot sector info:   No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        

sdc2: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ntfs
    Boot sector type:  Windows XP
    Boot sector info:   No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        

sde1: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ntfs
    Boot sector type:  Windows Vista/7
    Boot sector info:   No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        /bootmgr /Boot/BCD

sde2: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ntfs
    Boot sector type:  Windows Vista/7
    Boot sector info:   No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        

sde3: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ntfs
    Boot sector type:  Windows Vista/7
    Boot sector info:   No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System:  Windows 7
    Boot files:        /Windows/System32/winload.exe /wubildr /wubildr.mbr

sde4: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       Extended Partition
    Boot sector type:  -
    Boot sector info:  

sde5: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ntfs
    Boot sector type:  Windows Vista/7
    Boot sector info:   According to the info in the boot sector, sde5 starts 
                       at sector 2048.
    Operating System:  
    Boot files:        /ubuntu/winboot/wubildr /ubuntu/winboot/wubildr.mbr 
                       /ubuntu/disks/root.disk /ubuntu/disks/swap.disk

sde5/Wubi: _____________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ext4
    Boot sector type:  -
    Boot sector info:  
    Operating System:  Ubuntu 11.04
    Boot files:        /boot/grub/grub.cfg /etc/fstab

============================ Drive/Partition Info: =============================

Drive: sda _____________________________________________________________________

Disk /dev/sda: 2000.4 GB, 2000396746752 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 243201 cylinders, total 3907024896 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition  Boot  Start Sector    End Sector  # of Sectors  Id System

/dev/sda1               2,048 3,907,024,895 3,907,022,848   7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS


Drive: sdb _____________________________________________________________________

Disk /dev/sdb: 2000.4 GB, 2000398934016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 243201 cylinders, total 3907029168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition  Boot  Start Sector    End Sector  # of Sectors  Id System

/dev/sdb1               2,048 1,302,343,679 1,302,341,632   7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS
/dev/sdb2       1,302,343,680 2,604,685,311 1,302,341,632   7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS
/dev/sdb3       2,604,685,312 3,907,024,895 1,302,339,584   7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS


Drive: sdc _____________________________________________________________________

Disk /dev/sdc: 750.2 GB, 750156374016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 91201 cylinders, total 1465149168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition  Boot  Start Sector    End Sector  # of Sectors  Id System

/dev/sdc1                  63   778,654,484   778,654,422   7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS
/dev/sdc2         778,654,485 1,465,144,064   686,489,580   7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS


Drive: sde _____________________________________________________________________

Disk /dev/sde: 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

Partition  Boot  Start Sector    End Sector  # of Sectors  Id System

/dev/sde1    *          2,048       206,847       204,800   7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS
/dev/sde2             206,848    65,538,047    65,331,200   7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS
/dev/sde3          65,538,048   219,138,047   153,600,000   7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS
/dev/sde4         219,138,048   976,771,071   757,633,024   f W95 Extended (LBA)
/dev/sde5         219,140,096   976,771,071   757,630,976   7 NTFS / exFAT / HPFS


"blkid" output: ________________________________________________________________

Device           UUID                                   TYPE       LABEL

/dev/loop0       00f8a910-f8d1-42b3-8df0-063ea1c858fd   ext4       
/dev/sda1        402C6F232C6F12E8                       ntfs       Elements
/dev/sdb1        C018134E181342B8                       ntfs       Free Agent Files And Videos
/dev/sdb2        56BE6AA4BE6A7BFD                       ntfs       Photos
/dev/sdb3        10309D75309D6290                       ntfs       Photos And Videos II
/dev/sdc1        8A8805C68805B22D                       ntfs       Jellybabies
/dev/sdc2        34D451CBD4518FCA                       ntfs       SarahJane
/dev/sde1        16B89432B89411FB                       ntfs       System Reserved
/dev/sde2        765249145248DB0F                       ntfs       Program Files
/dev/sde3        F8A4BC21A4BBDFF4                       ntfs       
/dev/sde5        BEB23740B236FD09                       ntfs       Data And Documents

================================ Mount points: =================================

Device           Mount_Point              Type       Options

/dev/loop0       /                        ext4       (rw,errors=remount-ro,commit=0)
/dev/sda1        /media/Elements          fuseblk    (rw,nosuid,nodev,allow_other,blksize=4096,default_permissions)
/dev/sdb1        /media/Free Agent Files And Videos fuseblk    (rw,nosuid,nodev,allow_other,blksize=4096,default_permissions)
/dev/sdb2        /media/Photos            fuseblk    (rw,nosuid,nodev,allow_other,blksize=4096,default_permissions)
/dev/sdb3        /media/Photos And Videos II fuseblk    (rw,nosuid,nodev,allow_other,blksize=4096,default_permissions)
/dev/sdc1        /media/Jellybabies       fuseblk    (rw,nosuid,nodev,allow_other,blksize=4096,default_permissions)
/dev/sdc2        /media/SarahJane         fuseblk    (rw,nosuid,nodev,allow_other,blksize=4096,default_permissions)
/dev/sde5        /host                    fuseblk    (rw,nosuid,nodev,relatime,user_id=0,group_id=0,allow_other,blksize=4096)


======================== sde5/Wubi/boot/grub/grub.cfg: =========================

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
  set have_grubenv=true
  load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ "${prev_saved_entry}" ]; then
  set saved_entry="${prev_saved_entry}"
  save_env saved_entry
  set prev_saved_entry=
  save_env prev_saved_entry
  set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
  if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then
    saved_entry="${chosen}"
    save_env saved_entry
  fi
}

function recordfail {
  set recordfail=1
  if [ -n "${have_grubenv}" ]; then if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi
}

function load_video {
true
}

insmod part_msdos
insmod ntfs
set root='(/dev/sda,msdos5)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root BEB23740B236FD09
loopback loop0 /ubuntu/disks/root.disk
set root=(loop0)
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
  set gfxmode=auto
  load_video
  insmod gfxterm
fi
terminal_output gfxterm
if [ "${recordfail}" = 1 ]; then
  set timeout=-1
else
  set timeout=10
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray
if background_color 44,0,30; then
  clear
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_lupin ###
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.38-11-generic" {
    insmod part_msdos
    insmod ntfs
    set root='(/dev/sda,msdos5)'
    search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root BEB23740B236FD09
    loopback loop0 /ubuntu/disks/root.disk
    set root=(loop0)
    linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-11-generic root=UUID=BEB23740B236FD09 loop=/ubuntu/disks/root.disk ro   quiet splash
    initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-11-generic
}
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.38-11-generic (recovery mode)" {
    insmod part_msdos
    insmod ntfs
    set root='(/dev/sda,msdos5)'
    search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root BEB23740B236FD09
    loopback loop0 /ubuntu/disks/root.disk
    set root=(loop0)
    linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-11-generic root=UUID=BEB23740B236FD09 loop=/ubuntu/disks/root.disk ro single 
    initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-11-generic
}
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.38-8-generic" {
    insmod part_msdos
    insmod ntfs
    set root='(/dev/sda,msdos5)'
    search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root BEB23740B236FD09
    loopback loop0 /ubuntu/disks/root.disk
    set root=(loop0)
    linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-8-generic root=UUID=BEB23740B236FD09 loop=/ubuntu/disks/root.disk ro   quiet splash
    initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-8-generic
}
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.38-8-generic (recovery mode)" {
    insmod part_msdos
    insmod ntfs
    set root='(/dev/sda,msdos5)'
    search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root BEB23740B236FD09
    loopback loop0 /ubuntu/disks/root.disk
    set root=(loop0)
    linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-8-generic root=UUID=BEB23740B236FD09 loop=/ubuntu/disks/root.disk ro single 
    initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-8-generic
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_lupin ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###
### END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry "Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda1)" --class windows --class os {
    insmod part_msdos
    insmod ntfs
    set root='(/dev/sda,msdos1)'
    search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 16B89432B89411FB
    chainloader +1
}
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries.  Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment.  Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
if [ -f  $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then
  source $prefix/custom.cfg;
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

============================= sde5/Wubi/etc/fstab: =============================

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid -o value -s 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    nodev,noexec,nosuid 0       0
/host/ubuntu/disks/root.disk /               ext4    loop,errors=remount-ro 0       1
/host/ubuntu/disks/swap.disk none            swap    loop,sw         0       0
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

================= sde5/Wubi: Location of files loaded by Grub: =================

           GiB - GB             File                                 Fragment(s)

   4.254676819 = 4.568424448    boot/grub/grub.cfg                             1
  25.754463196 = 27.653644288   boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-11-generic              3
   2.508926392 = 2.693939200    boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-8-generic               2
  25.597969055 = 27.485609984   boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-11-generic                 1
  12.258090973 = 13.162024960   boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-8-generic                  1
  25.754463196 = 27.653644288   initrd.img                                     3
   2.508926392 = 2.693939200    initrd.img.old                                 2
  25.597969055 = 27.485609984   vmlinuz                                        1
  12.258090973 = 13.162024960   vmlinuz.old                                    1

========= Devices which don't seem to have a corresponding hard drive: =========

sdd

When it is said that Wubi is installed inside of windows I don't quite understand that. When I did install it from Win7 I chose in the installation to allocate space for Ubuntu inside another partition on that main drive. Wn7 is on another partition altogether. What can I do to eliminate this bootup snag? I'm thinking of just reinstalling using a livecd and backing up all my current packages and settings. A chore but maybe I don't have a choice if I want a trouble free boot??

[Rubi1200]

I see you have 4 drives; which one is set to boot first in BIOS?

I don't see any immediate problems in the boot script, but let's wait and see what bcbc thinks about the situation.