10.04 won't boot

[bladefallcon]

My linux instalation stopped working on me months ago..I only just finally got around to trying to get it back. Could not find anything but my old Fiesty Fawn disk, and didn't want to deal with trying to upgrade from that, so I went with a fresh install. All went well, until I rebooted. All it does is go through the POST screen, then when it should begin loading Linux all I get is a blank screen. No errors, nothing. Just a blank screen. After searching on the forums for similar problems (though none of them seemed exactly the same) I found a script to search out my boot info. Below is the results page. Any suggestions?


Boot Info Script 0.55 dated February 15th, 2010

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

=> No boot loader is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda
=> Grub 2 is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb 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 10.04 LTS
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:

sdb1: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows XP
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs:

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

Drive: sda ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___

Disk /dev/sda: 40.1 GB, 40060403712 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4870 cylinders, total 78242976 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition Boot Start End Size Id System

/dev/sda1 2,048 74,940,415 74,938,368 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 74,942,462 78,241,791 3,299,330 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 74,942,464 78,241,791 3,299,328 82 Linux swap / Solaris


Drive: sdb ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___

Disk /dev/sdb: 300.1 GB, 300069052416 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 36481 cylinders, total 586072368 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Partition Boot Start End Size Id System

/dev/sdb1 * 63 204,796,619 204,796,557 7 HPFS/NTFS


blkid -c /dev/null: __________________________________________________ __________

Device UUID TYPE LABEL

/dev/loop0 squashfs
/dev/sda1 5ebde86e-47e4-4aea-b8af-c6695aba9eab ext4
/dev/sda2: PTTYPE="dos"
/dev/sda5 cfba77b1-d02e-477b-9d87-bb94349e9947 swap
/dev/sda: PTTYPE="dos"
/dev/sdb1 6E6CE9EF6CE9B24F ntfs Sata Drive
/dev/sdb: PTTYPE="dos"

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

Device Mount_Point Type Options

aufs / aufs (rw)
/dev/sr1 /cdrom iso9660 (ro,noatime)
/dev/loop0 /rofs squashfs (ro,noatime)


=========================== 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 $prefix/grubenv ]; then
load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ ${prev_saved_entry} ]; then
set saved_entry=${prev_saved_entry}
save_env saved_entry
set prev_saved_entry=
save_env prev_saved_entry
set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
if [ -z ${boot_once} ]; then
saved_entry=${chosen}
save_env saved_entry
fi
}

function recordfail {
set recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then if [ -z ${boot_once} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi
}
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 5ebde86e-47e4-4aea-b8af-c6695aba9eab
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
set gfxmode=640x480
insmod gfxterm
insmod vbe
if terminal_output gfxterm ; then true ; else
# For backward compatibility with versions of terminal.mod that don't
# understand terminal_output
terminal gfxterm
fi
fi
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 5ebde86e-47e4-4aea-b8af-c6695aba9eab
set locale_dir=($root)/boot/grub/locale
set lang=en
insmod gettext
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/light-gray
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-21-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 5ebde86e-47e4-4aea-b8af-c6695aba9eab
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-21-generic root=UUID=5ebde86e-47e4-4aea-b8af-c6695aba9eab ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-21-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-21-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 5ebde86e-47e4-4aea-b8af-c6695aba9eab
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.32-21-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-21-generic root=UUID=5ebde86e-47e4-4aea-b8af-c6695aba9eab ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-21-generic
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 5ebde86e-47e4-4aea-b8af-c6695aba9eab
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 5ebde86e-47e4-4aea-b8af-c6695aba9eab
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}

[darkod]

Because 10.04 is only OS, you are not getting grub boot menu. As soob as POST finishes, start hitting Shift to bring the menu up. But you have to be fast and time it before it starts loading ubuntu.

once the menu shows, highlight the ubuntu normal mode entry, but don't hit Enter, hit 'e' instead. That will show the boot lines. Go at the end of the line starting with linux and delete quiet splash, add nomodeset. Press Ctrl+X to boot.

That is the most often used parameter to try to boot. If that boots OK, check for updates and most importantly for drivers. If no driver is offered automatically, still check in System-Administration-Hardware Drivers.

Most often this is video driver problem. If some drivers get installed, try to leave it to boot normally. If it doesn't work, boot it again as above.

If nothing else works, there is a way to add the nomodeset parameter permanently, so you don't need to edit the boot line every time.

[bladefallcon]

Thank you for the quick reply.

I tried what you suggested (and had actually tried once before as well) but hiting the shift key does nothing. I tried 10 times, thinking maybe I just wan't hitting it fast enough. No menu ever comes up..

[bladefallcon]

well...if no one else has any suggestions, I am going to go ahead and just install 9.10 and see if that will work...then maybe i'll make the upgrade later..

[oldfred]

I do not think it is hit shift but hold shift until menu comes up.

[vwbug]

well...if no one else has any suggestions, I am going to go ahead and just install 9.10 and see if that will work...then maybe i'll make the upgrade later..

Tried 10.04, and went back to 9.10! It does all I need it to do.