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nakile
December 22nd, 2009, 03:30 AM
I'm trying to install Ubuntu 9.10 on an old Windows XP system. I just want Ubuntu 9.10 on it.

After two install attempts I keep having the same issue. After the BIOS does its thing I see GRUB trying to start for a split second (just a few words in the upper left corner of the screen), then the monitor blanks and the system does nothing.

I used DBAN to quick erase the whole drive and then installed 9.10 again, but same issue. I reinstalled GRUB using the Live CD, still the same issue.

Ubuntu is installed on the drive, I checked using the Live CD. So I don't see what the issue could be with anything except GRUB or the MBR.

What do you all think?

Thanks in advance!

wilee-nilee
December 22nd, 2009, 05:00 AM
What is your computers specs and what do you actually want running on it.

presence1960
December 22nd, 2009, 05:01 AM
I'm trying to install Ubuntu 9.10 on an old Windows XP system. I just want Ubuntu 9.10 on it.

After two install attempts I keep having the same issue. After the BIOS does its thing I see GRUB trying to start for a split second (just a few words in the upper left corner of the screen), then the monitor blanks and the system does nothing.

I used DBAN to quick erase the whole drive and then installed 9.10 again, but same issue. I reinstalled GRUB using the Live CD, still the same issue.

Ubuntu is installed on the drive, I checked using the Live CD. So I don't see what the issue could be with anything except GRUB or the MBR.

What do you all think?

Thanks in advance!

Let's get a better look at your setup & boot process. Boot the Ubuntu Live CD/USB. Choose "try ubuntu without any changes", when the desktop loads come back here and use the link in my signature to download the Boot Info Script to the desktop. Once on desktop open a terminal (Applications > Accessories > Terminal) and run this command
sudo bash ~/Desktop/boot_info_script*.sh This will create a RESULTS.txt file on the desktop. Paste the entire contents of that file back here. Once pasted highlight all text and click the # sign on the toolbar to place code tags around the text.

nakile
December 22nd, 2009, 05:29 AM
Ok, here's what the script gave me:


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

=> Grub 1.97 is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda and looks on the same drive
in partition #1 for /boot/grub.
sda1: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ext4
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
Operating System: Ubuntu 9.10
Boot files/dirs: /boot/grub/grub.cfg /etc/fstab /boot/grub/core.img

sda2: __________________________________________________ _______________________

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

sda5: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: swap
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:

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

Drive: sda ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___

Disk /dev/sda: 20.0 GB, 20020396032 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2434 cylinders, total 39102336 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0000675f

Partition Boot Start End Size Id System

/dev/sda1 * 63 37,383,254 37,383,192 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 37,383,255 39,102,209 1,718,955 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 37,383,318 39,102,209 1,718,892 82 Linux swap / Solaris


blkid -c /dev/null: __________________________________________________ __________

/dev/loop0: TYPE="squashfs"
/dev/sda1: UUID="a5ac71dc-9774-4eee-8561-ae600973db1e" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sda5: TYPE="swap"
/dev/ramzswap0: TYPE="swap"

=============================== "mount" output: ===============================

aufs on / type aufs (rw)
none on /proc type proc (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
none on /sys type sysfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
udev on /dev type tmpfs (rw,mode=0755)
/dev/sr0 on /cdrom type iso9660 (rw)
/dev/loop0 on /rofs type squashfs (rw)
none on /sys/fs/fuse/connections type fusectl (rw)
none on /sys/kernel/debug type debugfs (rw)
none on /sys/kernel/security type securityfs (rw)
none on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,noexec,nosuid,gid=5,mode=0620)
none on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,nodev)
tmpfs on /tmp type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,nodev)
none on /var/run type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,mode=0755)
none on /var/lock type tmpfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
none on /lib/init/rw type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,mode=0755)
binfmt_misc on /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc type binfmt_misc (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
gvfs-fuse-daemon on /home/ubuntu/.gvfs type fuse.gvfs-fuse-daemon (rw,nosuid,nodev,user=ubuntu)


=========================== sda1/boot/grub/grub.cfg: ===========================

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

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s /boot/grub/grubenv ]; then
have_grubenv=true
load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ ${prev_saved_entry} ]; then
saved_entry=${prev_saved_entry}
save_env saved_entry
prev_saved_entry=
save_env prev_saved_entry
fi
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,1)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set a5ac71dc-9774-4eee-8561-ae600973db1e
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
set gfxmode=640x480
insmod gfxterm
insmod vbe
if terminal_output gfxterm ; then true ; else
# For backward compatibility with versions of terminal.mod that don't
# understand terminal_output
terminal gfxterm
fi
fi
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/white
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-14-generic" {
recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
set quiet=1
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,1)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set a5ac71dc-9774-4eee-8561-ae600973db1e
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic root=UUID=a5ac71dc-9774-4eee-8561-ae600973db1e ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
}
menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-14-generic (recovery mode)" {
recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,1)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set a5ac71dc-9774-4eee-8561-ae600973db1e
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic root=UUID=a5ac71dc-9774-4eee-8561-ae600973db1e ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
if [ ${timeout} != -1 ]; then
if keystatus; then
if keystatus --shift; then
set timeout=-1
else
set timeout=0
fi
else
if sleep --interruptible 3 ; then
set timeout=0
fi
fi
fi
### 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 ###

=============================== sda1/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 defaults 0 0
# / was on /dev/sda1 during installation
UUID=a5ac71dc-9774-4eee-8561-ae600973db1e / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
/dev/sda5 none swap sw 0 0
/dev/scd0 /media/cdrom0 udf,iso9660 user,noauto,exec,utf8 0 0
/dev/fd0 /media/floppy0 auto rw,user,noauto,exec,utf8 0 0

=================== sda1: Location of files loaded by Grub: ===================


.0GB: boot/grub/grub.cfg
.0GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
.0GB: boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic
.0GB: initrd.img
.0GB: vmlinuz

As for the system I'm trying to put this on, here's the spec page (http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?dlc=en&lc=en&product=93920&lang=en&cc=us&docname=c00009542). Only difference is I've upgraded the RAM to 448MB.

presence1960
December 22nd, 2009, 05:36 AM
your info from the script looks good to me, but the thing that concerns me is your video card. Video area is not my expertise, but I would tend to think that is the problem. Maybe someone else can come along who knows more in that area.

Edit: I found this (http://georgia.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1329112). Although the OP could boot he had resolution problems with the same card. maybe this can point you in the right direction.

nakile
December 22nd, 2009, 06:02 AM
your info from the script looks good to me, but the thing that concerns me is your video card. Video area is not my expertise, but I would tend to think that is the problem. Maybe someone else can come along who knows more in that area.

Edit: I found this (http://georgia.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1329112). Although the OP could boot he had resolution problems with the same card. maybe this can point you in the right direction.
The Live CD runs fine and at 1280x960 (it boots at higher resolution than that but I switch it down). I don't see how this could be causing a boot error?