9.10 upgrade (error: unknown command 'initrd')

[rjackson1969]

HP mini
Dual boot XP & Ubuntu

Just upgraded my Ubuntu Netbook Remix 9.04 to 9.10 and now when I get to Grub, if I choose any Ubuntu...
Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-14-generic
Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-14-generic (recovery mode)
Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-16-generic
Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-16-generic (recovery mode)
I get this error:
error: unknown command 'initrd'

Press any key to continue
This loops me back to the Grub menu. Then if I choose either:
Memory test (memtest86+)
Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)
I get this error:
error: unknown command 'linux16'

Press any key to continue
Also, if I choose:
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition (on /dev/sda1)
I get this error:
error: unknown command 'chainloader'

Press any key to continue
If I try to boot from my live USB thumb drive, I can't. It just ignores my boot order and goes into Grub.

So now my mini is a paper-weight that can't boot into anything. Any help would be appreciated.

[tommcd]

See the section "unkown command 'initrd'" in this tutorial on grub2 from the Ubuntu wiki:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Grub2
Also, I would recommend that you fully upgrade to grub2 as per that tutorial.

[rjackson1969]

See the section "unkown command 'initrd'" in this tutorial on grub2 from the Ubuntu wiki:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Grub2
Also, I would recommend that you fully upgrade to grub2 as per that tutorial.

I went to the "unknown comman 'intrd'" section in that tutorial and followed the instructions. If I leave a blank line where the line I deleted was, when I try to boot I get this error:

=================
syntax error
Incorrect command
error: Unkown argument '-n'
=================

If I remove the line they say and don't leave a blank line there, when I try to boot I get this error:

=================
error: You need to load the kernel first.
=================

[Crimson Valiant]

I'm having the exact same problem, with the exception that I'm running (or trying to at any rate) the desktop version of 9.10 and my Windows 7 partition boots up fine. I can't seem to find this issue discussed anywhere else, unfortunately. I had Grub 1.96 installed before I upgraded to 9.10, and I guess something got screwed up somewhere.

If it helps, my Windows 7 boot command looks like the following:


set root = (hd0,4)
chainloader +1

And my "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-14-generic" looks like this:


recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
set quiet=1
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,5)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx

linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic root=UUID=xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic

I've checked all the paths with using a Live CD, any everything seemed to check out.

Unfortunately I'm still pretty new to Ubuntu and don't know enough to troubleshoot.

[tommcd]

I went to the "unknown comman 'intrd'" section in that tutorial and followed the instructions. If I leave a blank line where the line I deleted was, when I try to boot I get this error:

=================
syntax error
Incorrect command
error: Unkown argument '-n'
=================

If I remove the line they say and don't leave a blank line there, when I try to boot I get this error:

=================
error: You need to load the kernel first.
=================
The tutorial says to remove the line completely, so do that. Then after removing the line, did you:
1. Press Ctrl-C to enter the GRUB command line
2. Type in insmod linux and press ENTER
3. Press ESC to go back
4. CTRL-X to boot
as it says in the tutorial? Just want to make sure you followed the steps correctly.
The only other thing I can suggest is to reinstall grub from the live CD as is discussed in the tutorial. I don't know if the UNR CD has the ability to reinstall grub or not.

[rjackson1969]

The tutorial says to remove the line completely, so do that. Then after removing the line, did you:
1. Press Ctrl-C to enter the GRUB command line
2. Type in insmod linux and press ENTER
3. Press ESC to go back
4. CTRL-X to boot
as it says in the tutorial? Just want to make sure you followed the steps correctly.
The only other thing I can suggest is to reinstall grub from the live CD as is discussed in the tutorial. I don't know if the UNR CD has the ability to reinstall grub or not.

Yep. Did the instructions several times. Here's the catch, this is a netbook. There is no ROM drive. I have an external USB ROM drive but if my USB was being recognized I'd just reinstall my OS altogether.

[augustasn]

We managed to load ubuntu by writing down on paper the UUID=73b2b033-654b-4efa-8e11-17138c4d0333 (you find it by pressing 'e' on your desired OS line) and manually entering required commands to the grub command line (CTRL-C enters the command line).
It was similar to:

linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.30-10-generic UUID=73b2b033-654b-4efa-8e11-17138c4d0333

initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.30-10-generic

bootAnd after booting doing a

sudo grub-install /dev/sdaWorked for me :)

[glomack]

This post has helped me a lot! Thank you all. Actually the last post was the one that worked for me since with the other workaround I got the same error message about having to load the kernel first :-(

One thing that I wanted to point out is that I had to do a subtle change to the first command shown by augustasn:



linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.30-10-generic root=UUID=73b2b033-654b-4efa-8e11-17138c4d0333


And after that I managed to boot and reinstall grub like it was already stated!

Thank you all again and I hope this can help other people too!

[rjackson1969]

For all having this problem it is fixed.

augustasn is absolutely correct with what you need to do.

glomack is also correct.

To fix this problem follow all of augustasn's steps but the first step will require you to find your own number. Mine was different.

augustasn's number was:

linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.30-10-generic UUID=73b2b033-654b-4efa-8e11-17138c4d0333
Your's will probably be different. Also the next instruction where augustasn has this:
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.30-10-generic

Make sure your number in this (2.6.30-10-generic) matches the same number in the first instruction behind the "vmlinuz-?????"

You follow the rest of the instructions augustasn give and you should be golden.

[llazarte]

I was victim of the same bug. Has anybody discovered what is happening? Is that a new version of grub? Is UNR 9.10 substituting the old grub?

None of these commands work: "linux" "initrd", etc...

All I can do is "ls", "help", "root"

And now, grub enters in rescue mode, I no longer get the (useless) blinking options.

Any suggestion as to what I can do?

Thanks in advance,
Leonardo

[A_Fiachra]

We managed to load ubuntu by writing down on paper the UUID=73b2b033-654b-4efa-8e11-17138c4d0333 (you find it by pressing 'e' on your desired OS line) and manually entering required commands to the grub command line (CTRL-C enters the command line).
It was similar to:

linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.30-10-generic UUID=73b2b033-654b-4efa-8e11-17138c4d0333
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.30-10-generic
bootAnd after booting doing a

sudo grub-install /dev/sdaWorked for me :)


After this, I end up at a prompt:



(initramfs)

[A_Fiachra]

We managed to load ubuntu by writing down on paper the UUID=73b2b033-654b-4efa-8e11-17138c4d0333 (you find it by pressing 'e' on your desired OS line) and manually entering required commands to the grub command line (CTRL-C enters the command line).
It was similar to:

linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.30-10-generic UUID=73b2b033-654b-4efa-8e11-17138c4d0333
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.30-10-generic
bootAnd after booting doing a

sudo grub-install /dev/sdaWorked for me :)


Actually the first sign of trouble is:




linux : unknown command