9.10 not booting *INITRAMFS*

[davesbrain]

Please help. This is getting frustrating.
I have one hard drive and one operating system on that one drive. No dual boot, no raid, no windows, no usb boot. Just 9.10 installed on one 40 gb drive. After trying the various techniques from this forum, I'm now stuck at Grub loading, error, grub rescue prompt. No menu list to choose from or edit (e).
Here is the output of 'sudo fdisk -l'

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 40.0 GB, 40000000000 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4863 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xd0f4738c

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 4677 37567971 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 4678 4863 1494045 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 4678 4863 1494013+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/ /dev/sda
cp: not writing through dangling symlink `/mnt//boot/grub/gfxterm.mod'
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
mount: /dev/sda1 already mounted or /mnt busy
mount: according to mtab, /dev/sda1 is already mounted on /mnt
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo grub-install --recheck --root-directory=/mnt/ /dev/sda
cp: not writing through dangling symlink `/mnt//boot/grub/gfxterm.mod'
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo update-grub
grub-probe: error: cannot find a device for /.

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$
In the past this fixed it, now I get

cp: not writing through dangling symlink `/mnt//boot/grub/gfxterm.mod'
never seen that before.

And when I try and reboot it gets stuck at grub loading, can't find file, grub rescue.

(This started with a spontaneous reboot(don't know why), which of course didn't reboot properly and dumped me at the initramfs prompt)

[bcbc]

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt/ /dev/sda


try removing the extra /

But it seems grub is already your boot loader so there may be another issue. Run the bootinfoscript (http://bootinfoscript.sourceforge.net/) if that doesn't fix it.

[davesbrain]

I will try that. In the mean time, here is the output of that script:


Boot Info Script 0.55 dated February 15th, 2010

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

=> Grub 2 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

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: 40.0 GB, 40000000000 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4863 cylinders, total 78125000 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xd0f4738c

Partition Boot Start End Size Id System

/dev/sda1 * 63 75,136,004 75,135,942 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 75,136,005 78,124,094 2,988,090 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 75,136,068 78,124,094 2,988,027 82 Linux swap / Solaris


blkid -c /dev/null: __________________________________________________ __________

Device UUID TYPE LABEL

/dev/loop0 squashfs
/dev/ramzswap0 swap
/dev/sda1 f4e6ace5-8939-4de8-a7ff-1b65ffce7ce9 ext4
/dev/sda5 69043dc6-350c-490b-a1e9-df32122bc3a1 swap

============================ "mount | grep ^/dev output: ===========================

Device Mount_Point Type Options

aufs / aufs (rw)
/dev/sr1 /cdrom iso9660 (rw)
/dev/loop0 /rofs squashfs (rw)
/dev/sda1 /media/f4e6ace5-8939-4de8-a7ff-1b65ffce7ce9 ext4 (rw,nosuid,nodev,uhelper=devkit)


=========================== 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
if [ ${recordfail} = 1 ]; then
set timeout=-1
else
set timeout=5
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 "GNU/Linux, Linux 2.6.31-19-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 f4e6ace5-8939-4de8-a7ff-1b65ffce7ce9
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-19-generic root=UUID=f4e6ace5-8939-4de8-a7ff-1b65ffce7ce9 ro
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-19-generic
}
menuentry "GNU/Linux, Linux 2.6.31-19-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 f4e6ace5-8939-4de8-a7ff-1b65ffce7ce9
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-19-generic root=UUID=f4e6ace5-8939-4de8-a7ff-1b65ffce7ce9 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-19-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 ###
### 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=f4e6ace5-8939-4de8-a7ff-1b65ffce7ce9 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# swap was on /dev/sda5 during installation
UUID=69043dc6-350c-490b-a1e9-df32122bc3a1 none swap sw 0 0
/dev/scd1 /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: ===================


.8GB: boot/grub/grub.cfg
9.6GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-19-generic
.9GB: boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-19-generic
.1GB: grub/stage2
9.6GB: initrd.img
.9GB: vmlinuz

[davesbrain]

Tried removing the extra / as suggested. Here is the result:


ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sda
grub-probe: error: cannot find a device for /mnt/boot/grub.

No path or device is specified.
Try ``grub-probe --help'' for more information.
Auto-detection of a filesystem module failed.
Please specify the module with the option `--modules' explicitly.
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$

[bcbc]

Tried removing the extra / as suggested. Here is the result:


ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sda
grub-probe: error: cannot find a device for /mnt/boot/grub.

No path or device is specified.
Try ``grub-probe --help'' for more information.
Auto-detection of a filesystem module failed.
Please specify the module with the option `--modules' explicitly.
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$


This looks similar to a problem on one of Meierfra's boot problem pages (http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/bootinfoscript/index.php?title=Boot_Problems:Cannot_Find_A_Device _For_boot/grub). His suggestion is (substituting your sda1):

sudo mount dev/sda1 /mnt
sudo grub-install --recheck --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sda

Also, here's a link to Meiefra's boot problem index (http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/bootinfoscript/index.php?title=Main_Page) in case that doesn't solve your problem.

[davesbrain]

It's now 2 AM. When I booted with live cd for internet help, I opened my home directory (not the live cd home) to be clear, and it was EMPTY! Perhaps a noob thing, but all my stuff should have been there. EMPTY! So I thought at that point I might as well just do a clean install from fresh. Install went smoothly, applied all updates. When it was finished a reboot was required...wait for it......INITRAMFS!

I'm beginning to think this is just garbage. Our IBM 8088 downstairs boots up just fine.

Any ways, I do appreciate the help. This is ridiculous.

Boot
Up
My
Box

[bcbc]

It's now 2 AM. When I booted with live cd for internet help, I opened my home directory (not the live cd home) to be clear, and it was EMPTY! Perhaps a noob thing, but all my stuff should have been there. EMPTY! So I thought at that point I might as well just do a clean install from fresh. Install went smoothly, applied all updates. When it was finished a reboot was required...wait for it......INITRAMFS!

I'm beginning to think this is just garbage. Our IBM 8088 downstairs boots up just fine.

Any ways, I do appreciate the help. This is ridiculous.

Boot
Up
My
Box

So it works with the kernel on liveCD (14) but when you update to the latest (20) it fails? You could try booting the old kernel - hold SHIFT when the computer starts, that should bring up your grub menu and then select the 14 kernel. If that still works then it points to a buggy kernel update.

I find it quite strange how your /home could just disappear when all you were doing is re-installing grub. But since you've reinstalled now, I suppose the current challenge is just to get ubuntu working again.

Edit: I reread your first post, and you mentioned this has happened before (more than once?), also that the last time it happened was with a spontaneous reboot. Your bootinfoscript also shows that you didn't have the latest kernel (20). So it seems it's unrelated to the kernel update. Maybe it's a hardware failure/compatibility issue? I would check your system logs to see if there's anything there that will help identify the problem.

[uRock]

Nevermind. Didn't see that you had reinstalled.

When you reinstalled did you try creating a new partition table?

[davesbrain]

Bad sectors- none
Self assessment- passed
Overall assessment- disk is healthy

and all green in the attributes.


After installing the OS a second time...I carefully picked through the updates and omitted ones regarding grub and kernel. After the selected updates (minus grub and kernel stuff), the mandatory reboot went ok. After more than 24 hours I'm almost back to where I was.

[davesbrain]

Grrrr! That installation lasted 4 days. House had a power hiccup, just enough to dim the lights just slightly, and trip the computer into a reboot. And OF COURSE ubuntu, the only os on the one and only hard drive went straight to the initramfs prompt.
With the LiveCD I tried this:

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

then this:

If it complains about not being able to open /boot/grub/device.map, you might need to hold it's hand and specify the path to the device.map file with the -m option, as follows,
Code:

sudo grub-setup -d /media/my UUID/boot/grub -m /media/my UUID/boot/grub/device.map /dev/sda


After doing those two things I rebooted. Now I get a grub error, file not found. Booted back into the LiveCD, looked in my installation and the Home directory turned into a file called Home.

My only dilemma now is figuring out which is worse...XP and ALL of it's inherent problems, or a Ubuntu 9.10 that only boots when a perfect syzygy is in place during a lunar equinox.

I'm going to try this one last time

[davesbrain]

Actually, the ONLY thing I can think of is my mobo has a built in Promise Technologies Ultra ATA100 controller host on board. And that is what my Ubuntu drive is plugged into.(And is set to be the boot devise in the Bios) The other drive on the main primary IDE channel are physically unplugged.

Primary master = XP (unplugged)
primary slave = empty drive for storage (also unplugged)
secondary master = cd burner
secondary slave = dvd burner
Promise controller = Ubuntu drive


This motherboard is an old Asus A7V classic with the built in extra IDE controller host.
http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=1303