error 17

[freeeki]

Hi,

i am a first time ubuntu (or linux) user.
i have installed linux together with vista, which worked fine until i tried to use neogrub as an extension to the vista boot loader.
i followed the instructions as displayed here (http://apcmag.com/how_to_dualboot_vista_with_linux_vista_installed_f irst.htm)

when i start up i get to choose between vista or linux but when i choose linux i get the error 17 message, saying that a specific file cannot be found...

i've looked on the forum for similar problems and based on what was stated there i've done the following

i've mounted the linux partition from the ubuntu live cd to find the content of my menu.lst file:


## ## End Default Options ##

title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-11-generic
uuid 9b3007f0-0cb9-4c24-a198-0f092f3447da
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-11-generic root=UUID=9b3007f0-0cb9-4c24-a198-0f092f3447da ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-11-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-11-generic (recovery mode)
uuid 9b3007f0-0cb9-4c24-a198-0f092f3447da
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-11-generic root=UUID=9b3007f0-0cb9-4c24-a198-0f092f3447da ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-11-generic

title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-7-generic
uuid 9b3007f0-0cb9-4c24-a198-0f092f3447da
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-7-generic root=UUID=9b3007f0-0cb9-4c24-a198-0f092f3447da ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-7-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-7-generic (recovery mode)
uuid 9b3007f0-0cb9-4c24-a198-0f092f3447da
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-7-generic root=UUID=9b3007f0-0cb9-4c24-a198-0f092f3447da ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-7-generic

title Ubuntu 8.10, memtest86+
uuid 9b3007f0-0cb9-4c24-a198-0f092f3447da
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 a non-linux OS
# on /dev/sda3
title Windows Vista/Longhorn (loader)
root (hd0,2)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1


and i've tried the fdisk -l thing (don't really know why), which gave me this:


Disk /dev/sda: 750.1 GB, 750156374016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 91201 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xd8000000

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 5 40131 de Dell Utility
/dev/sda2 6 1964 15728640 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 * 1964 52957 409603068 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4 52958 91201 307194930 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 52958 89647 294712393+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 89648 91201 12482473+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris


so my vista is on the sda3 partition
and ubuntu is on the sda5

hope this helps you help me :)

thanks

[Pumalite]

http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/p15.htm#17

[freeeki]

i tried the filesystem check:


ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo e2fsck -C0 -p -f -v /dev/sda5

125543 inodes used (0.68%)
654 non-contiguous inodes (0.5%)
# of inodes with ind/dind/tind blocks: 5883/49/0
1853822 blocks used (2.52%)
0 bad blocks
1 large file

92404 regular files
15035 directories
69 character device files
26 block device files
3 fifos
101 links
17993 symbolic links (16917 fast symbolic links)
4 sockets
--------
125635 files


gonna try to reboot and see if it makes a difference

[freeeki]

so the filesystem check didn't make a difference

i've also tried to replace this


title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-11-generic
uuid 9b3007f0-0cb9-4c24-a198-0f092f3447da
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-11-generic root=UUID=9b3007f0-0cb9-4c24-a198-0f092f3447da ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-11-generic
quiet


by this


title Ubuntu 8.10, kernel 2.6.27-11-generic
root (hd0,4)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-11-generic root=UUID=9b3007f0-0cb9-4c24-a198-0f092f3447da ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.27-11-generic
quiet


this gave the following message:


Filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 0x83
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.27-11-generic root=UUID=9b3007f0-0cb9-4c24-a198-0f092f3447da ro quiet splash

Error 2: Bad file or directory type

any ideas

[caljohnsmith]

If I remember correctly, the NeoGrub that comes with EasyBCD cannot handle the newer ext3 file system that Intrepid uses, because Intrepid formats its ext3 partitions to sue an inode size 256 bytes instead of 128 bytes that previous Ubuntu versions used. Thus you get a Grub error 2. If you really want to use EasyBCD to boot Ubuntu, I think your best bet is to install Grub to the boot sector of your Intrepid partition, and then "chain load" that boot sector with EasyBCD. They have a tutorial about it here:

http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/Ubuntu

Good luck and let me know how it goes.

[freeeki]

If I remember correctly, the NeoGrub that comes with EasyBCD cannot handle the newer ext3 file system that Intrepid uses, because Intrepid formats its ext3 partitions to sue an inode size 256 bytes instead of 128 bytes that previous Ubuntu versions used. Thus you get a Grub error 2. If you really want to use EasyBCD to boot Ubuntu, I think your best bet is to install Grub to the boot sector of your Intrepid partition, and then "chain load" that boot sector with EasyBCD. They have a tutorial about it here:

http://neosmart.net/wiki/display/EBCD/Ubuntu

Good luck and let me know how it goes.

i am sorry, but could you explain what you've posted a bit further...

do i understand correctly from the link that you have sent me that i should re-install ubuntu all together?

do you suggest an alternative for booting with EasyBCD?
its not that i really want to use it,
being new to this i just did what i was told...
:)

as an alternative i have tried to re-install GRUB using the live cd as instructed here http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/p15.htm#Re-install_Grub_with_Live_CD

i have done

grub> find /boot/grub/stage1

which gave me

(hd0,4)

then i have done

grub> root (hd0,4)

but instead of getting something like this

Filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 0x83

i just got

root (hd0,4)

and then i don't really know how to proceed
(if that is at all possible, considering the strange response i got on the last command)
should i install GRUB to MBR or to a partition?


sorry for the trouble
thanks

[caljohnsmith]

should i install GRUB to MBR or to a partition?

Since you mentioned that it doesn't matter to you whether you use EasyBCD or not, I would definitely recommend just installing Grub to the MBR and using it as your boot manager. From your Live CD, how about doing:

sudo grub
grub> root (hd0,4)
grub> setup (hd0)
grub> quit
Then reboot, and you should be able to boot into Ubuntu if all goes well. If your Grub menu does not all ready have a working entry to boot Vista, how about posting:

sudo fdisk -lu
And we can work from there.

[freeeki]

okay,

i ve continued with the installation of GRUB on (hd0,4)
and then i ve added the entry to EasyBCD as instructed by the link that you provided

and it works now!!

thanks guys

just one final question
apparently ubuntu has created a swap partition
i first tried to add that to EasyBCD but that didn't work
then i used the other partition, the one on which ubuntu is installed, and that worked
what does the swap partition do?
what is it for?
should i have installed GRUB to that partition?

thanks again...
:)

[caljohnsmith]

You don't need to boot the swap partition or install Grub to its boot sector, the swap partition is used basically as virtual memory when you are using all your RAM. Here's some more info:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SwapFaq

Anyway, glad to hear you can boot Ubuntu OK now.