8.10 Botched upgrade on two machines

**TiberiusDRAIG** · October 31st, 2008

Okay, so there are two Ubuntu machines running in my flat - mine and my flatmates. His machine has updated but by the looks of it, it is running the old kernel :S

Code:

dave@dave-desktop:~$ uname -a
Linux dave-desktop 2.6.24-19-generic #1 SMP Wed Aug 20 22:56:21 UTC 2008 i686 GNU/Linux

should that not be 2.6.27? I think it's related to the /boot/grub/menu.lst file:

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		5

## 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=23c4de34-0c1a-4bc2-bf90-25131fd1e4d8 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,4)

## 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=vga=775

## 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

## 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 8.04.1, kernel 2.6.24-19-generic
root		(hd0,4)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-19-generic root=UUID=23c4de34-0c1a-4bc2-bf90-25131fd1e4d8 ro quiet splash vga=794
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-19-generic
quiet

title		Windows XP
root		(hd0,2)
makeactive
chainloader	+1

title		Ubuntu 8.04.1, kernel 2.6.24-19-generic (recovery mode)
root		(hd0,4)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-19-generic root=UUID=23c4de34-0c1a-4bc2-bf90-25131fd1e4d8 ro single
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-19-generic

title		Ubuntu 8.10, Intrepid
root		(hd0,4)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-7-generic root=UUID=23c4de34-0c1a-4bc2-bf90-25131fd1e4d8 ro quiet splash vga=794
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-7-generic
quiet

title		Ubuntu 8.04.1, kernel 2.6.24-16-generic (recovery mode)
root		(hd0,4)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-16-generic root=UUID=23c4de34-0c1a-4bc2-bf90-25131fd1e4d8 ro single
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic

title		Ubuntu 8.04.1, memtest86+
root		(hd0,4)
kernel		/boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

The 8.10 addition towards the end of the file was my attempt to manually edit the file, but that just borked after login and left loads of artifacts all over the screen. The odd thing is that it boots fine with this kernel but it is klunky as hell.

Onto my machine
The update-manager brought up the new distro notification and everything went smoothly. I noticed that the files it was downloading were significantly less than dave's machine, mine being around 40mb whilst his were around 1.4gb. It all installed silently though so I let it run, but it hung towards the end of the upgrade in the 'Cleaning Up' part. I left it for a couple of hours and nothing happened so I read up and a few people said that the install had actually completed but the update-manager was buggy so to just kill it and reboot. I did just that and now my machine is extremely slow, xorg seems to be broken and it doesn't look like Intrepid has even installed, just borked Hardy. update-manager tells me I have to do a partial upgrade which fails giving the error that I can't upgrade Intrepid to Hardy.

Crazy stuff but yeah, two borked machines once again with a dodgy Ubuntu update. Any help sorting it would be appreciated because we've both been looking forward to Intrepid for months.

Cheers, Draig.

**lelmo85** · October 31st, 2008

If you have backed up your personal stuff on a CD or other, I suggest you go to Windows XP and download the 8.10 iso and burn it at 4X to a DVD, repartition, reinstall.Reason I say XP is in my setup its about 6X as fast. Also use "bit torrent" if you have it. ( The 8.04 UUID probably is still going to try to give you 8.04 in 8.10-the hex numbers you use are the same. You can try "hashing ( #) (remarking out} all the 8.04 lines but probably wont work, but easy to try. You are using a text editor like vi or gedit?

PS: No guarantees! Les

**TiberiusDRAIG** · October 31st, 2008

I'm hoping to fix them both without having to do a fresh install as both have large hard drives and a lot of data would be lost. I don't particularly trust the partition editor on the liveusb but I willhave to do it if it comes to that I guess.

**TiberiusDRAIG** · October 31st, 2008

I've fixed my flatmate's PC by manually editing the /boot/grub/menu.lst then running

Code:

sudo update-grub

and now

Code:

dave@dave-desktop:~$ uname -a
Linux dave-desktop 2.6.27-7-generic #1 SMP Thu Oct 30 04:18:38 UTC 2008 i686 GNU/Linux

I still have the problem of the 'partial upgrade' on my own machine where it's telling me that that i can't update intrepid->hardy which is obviously not what I'm trying to do =P

Cheers

**Xidiot** · November 5th, 2008

How exactly do you edit the menu.lst, what do you type on it, to show Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid and so on...?

**TiberiusDRAIG** · November 5th, 2008

To edit the menu.lst file, just type...

Code:

sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

All you have to do is add an entry like this:

Code:

title		Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-7-generic
root		(hd0,0)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-7-generic root=UUID=51596e7e-da67-47ac-81af-8127471a4272 ro splash vga=794 quiet 
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-7-generic
quiet

...where you have the kernel options, such as 8.04 kernel 2.6.24 etc. Just make sure that the path to the kernel is correct and that the menu.lst is pointing at the right partition. Once you have done that, simply reboot and hit escape to get your GRUB menu up and select your newly added kernel. If it doesn't work, just reboot, hit escape and choose one of the working ones again and keep tinkering.

Just make sure to keep backups and your LiveCD to hand.

Hardy -> Intrepid is easily one of if not the worst OS upgrade I have ever encountered >_<