ubuntu 12.04 -- no gui after update -- hangs during update

[ss1133xx]

Hi Bashing. I'm generally indifferent to which (ubuntu or linux mint) is the primary OS. I've been using ubuntu for 6 months (versus just installed LM), so I guess making it primary makes sense.

At the moment, I cannot boot to a grub menu. When I boot, its says: "Attemptng Bootfrom Hard Drive. error: file not found. grub rescue>".

If you can get me to a grub menu, I can run the command ("sudo fdisk -lu") and report back. (I think sda6 is linux mint, but best to run the command to be sure.)

Thanks for your help!

[Bashing-om]

ss1133xx: My good morning to ya !

OK, in small steps, and not rushing into things, let's look and see what is before (re-)installing grub.

From the liveDVD of ubuntu:
Boot the liveDVD (bios set as 1st priority to the booting device) ;
As soon as the bios screen clears, depress and hold the right shift key -> language screen, escape key to accept the default ->
Boot menu -> "try ubuntu" -> desk top -> key combo ctl+alt+t -> terminal:

Post back the output of terminal command:

sudo fdisk -lu

So I have an idea of what we are working with, and have a notion of where to go from here. With the notion to (re-)install grub properly into the ubuntu install.

it can happen

[ss1133xx]

Hey Bashing: I booted to liveUSB using Linux mint usb, When I ran your command, I got this:

sudo fdisk -lu

Disk /dev/sda: 80.0 GB, 80000000000 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9726 cylinders, total 156250000 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: 0x0007ead8

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 2048 118290431 59144192 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 118292478 156248063 18977793 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 147863552 156248063 4192256 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 118294528 147861503 14783488 83 Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order

WARNING: GPT (GUID Partition Table) detected on '/dev/sdb'! The util fdisk doesn't support GPT. Use GNU Parted.


Disk /dev/sdb: 3000.6 GB, 3000592982016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 364801 cylinders, total 5860533168 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: 0x00000000

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 4294967295 2147483647+ ee GPT

Disk /dev/sdc: 16.0 GB, 16008609792 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1946 cylinders, total 31266816 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: 0x0007a4ec

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 * 32 31266815 15633392 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)


Is that what you need? Or do you need me to boot in a different way?

Thanks.

[Bashing-om]

ss1133xx; Well,

The 1st hard drive is sda and contains the operating systems (2) linux. One of which is 'buntu, the other being your Mint install.
(sdb -2nd hard drive 3TB- I assume is a data disk - CORRECT my assumption if this is not so !)

Still not knowing what is where or if the liveMint DVD is compatible with ubuntu's booting. But, can not see that it will hurt to go ahead and see what results. Let's (re-)install grub to the MBR of sda ( because we now know that disk is partitioned in the legacy "msdos" format and that sda has a boot flag marking it as containing '/').

Try'n !
Boot the liveMint DVD to a terminal:
Terminal Commands:

sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
sudo grub-install --boot-directory=/mnt /dev/sda
sudo umount /mnt

Reboot ->installed operating system to grub; WHATEVER is installed to sda1 is the Primary booting system;
Select the system that is on sda1 to boot;
When booted to the desktop of the sda1 install -> terminal:
Do terminal command:

sudo update-grub

Reboot !

Now advise status. Depending on how you use your dual boot system, you may want to dis-able os-prober in that alternate system. Else it is forseeable that an update to the kernel will break grub. Then one must access the primary system once more and (re)-install grub to that primary system. I say again, there can only be one primary grub, and you have to maintain that primacy.

I quad-boot and I personally do not disable any of the os-prober function in any of the installs. I maintain Grub on each hard drive/system enabling me to boot from bios in the event I do mess up my primary booting system and can not boot from it's grub. Just the way I think. And yeah, I do have to fix grub on occasion ! As you have both systems on the same hard drive, you do not have that amenity.

Else :

we will do something different (from ubuntu liveDVD)

[ss1133xx]

Hi Bashing. (Been out of pocket a bit.)

I entered the first set of your suggested commands in terminal as follows:

mint@mint ~ $ sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
mint@mint ~ $ sudo grub-install --boot-directory=/mnt /dev/sda
grub-probe: error: cannot find a device for /boot (is /dev mounted?).
Installation finished. No error reported.
mint@mint ~ $ sudo umount /mnt
mint@mint ~ $

Then I rebooted, but did not get a grub menu. Instead, I got a message which said: "Minimal BASH-like line editing is supported ...." followed by "grub>"

Any suggestions?

(I asked earlier about starting over with a brand new Ubuntu install. Any thoughts about that approach? Also, can I contact you by email? Or is this the preferred/only way to correspond?)

Thanks for your support!

[Bashing-om]

ss1133xx; Humm,

let's say Mint is slightly different and take a slightly different approach.
From the liveDVD

sudo mkdir /mnt/work
sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/work
sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sda
sudo umount /mnt/work

where we make an explicit mount point (/mnt/work);
and let's try the target as "root" rather than "boot".

as to my contact, I rarely open up my email account, here is the better place to catch me, else on IRC @ #ubuntu on freenode.net.

And I see no present need to take that nuclear solution of (RE-)installing. Just a matter of installing grub properly. I think we can do that !

If at first we do not succeed ->

try try again (skydiving is excepted !)

[ss1133xx]

Hi Bashing:

The third command does not appear to have worked:

mint@mint ~ $ sudo mkdir /mnt/work
mint@mint ~ $ sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/work
mint@mint ~ $ sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sda
grub-probe: error: cannot find a device for /boot (is /dev mounted?).
/usr/sbin/grub-probe: error: cannot find a device for /mnt/boot/grub (is /dev mounted?).
mint@mint ~ $ sudo umount /mnt/work
mint@mint ~ $

More suggestions for me?

It would be great if I can get ubuntu workig again without the nuclear option.

Thanks for your help.

[Bashing-om]

ss1133xx; Welp,

How does this now relate to the situation ?

Ubuntu 12.04 only (with virtualbox).

Grub not installing in both instances is kind of weird. Maybe a mismatch of distributions/versions of the kernel ?
What operating system is installed onto the partition sda1 ?
The live medium that is being used to install grub MUST be the same version/distro as what is present on sda1.
Does sda1 still exist as the /rooted booting device ?

sudo fdisk -lu

Another thought, is that liveMedium a USB stick ? And when booting with it, is the operating system assigning sda to the USB device ?
Maybe pull a number like this to see what is sda1:
from the liveMedium:

sudo mkdir /mnt/work
sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/work
ls -la /mnt/work/home/<your_user_name>
sudo umount /mnt/work ##when all done looking around, DO THIS ##

I expect that you will be able to recognize what is sda1 from the files that are present. (ubuntu, Mint, or the liveUSB ??).

Further advise pending knowing what is prevalent in the install.

It is cause and effect

we are trying to learn both

[ss1133xx]

Bashing: here are the results:

---------------------------------------------------------------
mint@mint ~ $ sudo fdisk -lu

Disk /dev/sda: 80.0 GB, 80000000000 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9726 cylinders, total 156250000 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: 0x0007ead8

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 2048 118290431 59144192 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 118292478 156248063 18977793 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 147863552 156248063 4192256 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 118294528 147861503 14783488 83 Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order

WARNING: GPT (GUID Partition Table) detected on '/dev/sdb'! The util fdisk doesn't support GPT. Use GNU Parted.

Disk /dev/sdb: 3000.6 GB, 3000592982016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 364801 cylinders, total 5860533168 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: 0x00000000

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 4294967295 2147483647+ ee GPT

Disk /dev/sdc: 16.0 GB, 16008609792 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1946 cylinders, total 31266816 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: 0x0007a4ec

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 * 32 31266815 15633392 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
mint@mint ~ $

---------------------------------------------------------
If I am reading it correctly, it looks like the LinuxMint liveUSB is identifying sda1 as the ubuntu partition. Sda6 is the LM partition. Sdc1 looks like the liveUSB. (sdb is data disk.)

Then I ran the other commands you suggested:
--------------------------------------------------------

mint@mint ~ $ sudo mkdir /mnt/work
mkdir: cannot create directory `/mnt/work': File exists
mint@mint ~ $ sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/work
mint@mint ~ $ ls -la /mnt/work/home/<mint@mint>
bash: syntax error near unexpected token `newline'
-----------------------------------------------------------

Does the foregoing answer your question? I'm pretty sure that sda1 is the ubuntu partition, and sda6 is the LM partitition.

---------------------------------------------------------
I'm not sure what you meant by this:

How does this now relate to the situation ?
Ubuntu 12.04 only (with virtualbox).

But I had virtualbox installed under ubuntu,
--------------------------------------------------------

Please let me know if you want/need additional info, and thanks again for your help.

[Bashing-om]

ss1133xx; welp, like this

1. This:

mkdir: cannot create directory `/mnt/work': File exists

indicates to me that you are not booting from a liveDVD/USB
2. This:

mint@mint ~ $ ls -la /mnt/work/home/<mint@mint>

indicates to me that you did not use the appropriate username for whatever the username you use for the system that is installed to sda1.

We need to mount sda1 OR sda6, depending on what you have for the liveDVD/USB - to match -.
Once the match is established, we can try and install grub once more ( looking like we should be working from sda6, instead of sda1, huh ?)

There is absolutely no reason that I know of - short of a corrupted file system - that prevents mounting and accessing to see what is on those partitions, to determine absolutely what operating system we are working with.

so once more try:
Boot the liveDVD/USB to a terminal;
Terminal codes

sudo mkdir /mnt/work ##from the liveDVD this mount point will not persist
sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/work
##Now the install on sda1 is accessable, let's look:
ls -la /mnt/work/home/the_user_name_for_the_system_on_sda1
##because we are mounting sda1##

##while we are here:##
ls -la /mnt/work/boot
##for a listing of the kernels, so I know weather to use "root" or "boot" as the grub install target.##

example: Mine
"ls -la /mnt/work/home/sysop" where "sysop" is my user_name

I believe once we have the partitions matched to the liveDVD/USB, we can (RE-)install grub.

ain't nothing but a thing