Ubuntu installed, doesn't show up in GRUB

[Lijnk]

I recently put Ubuntu 10.04 on my netbook. The installation went perfectly fine, but when I get into GRUB, the entry to load Ubuntu 10.04 is missing. The only thing that I can think of to do is to modify the grub.cfg file since it doesn't seem to be able to find Ubuntu when using this suggestion:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1014708

The terminal said everything was all right and the installation finished, but then when I reboot, GRUB hasn't actually changed at all. I'm pretty much at a loss as to what to do next.

EDIT: Solved. I reinstalled the distro. See this post (http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=9527860&postcount=16) for more details.

[darkod]

What is the other OS you are running?

[Lijnk]

Windows 7 Starter.

[darkod]

Sounds very odd grub2 to have entry for win7 but not for ubuntu. Unless you installed wubi inside windows but are saying you installed ubuntu. Because there is huge difference.

Go to the link in my signature and run the boot info script as per the instructions there. Post the content of the results file as it says, that will show us more details of your setup.

[Lijnk]

Here's the boot info:



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 #6 for /boot/grub.

sda1: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System: Windows 7
Boot files/dirs: /bootmgr /Boot/BCD /Windows/System32/winload.exe

sda2: __________________________________________________ _______________________

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

sda5: __________________________________________________ _______________________

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

sda6: __________________________________________________ _______________________

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

sda7: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ext4
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs:

sda3: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: vfat
Boot sector type: Vista: Fat 32
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs: /bootmgr /boot/bcd

sda4: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ntfs
Boot sector type: Windows Vista/7
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs:

sdb: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: vfat
Boot sector type: Fat32
Boot sector info: No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
Operating System:
Boot files/dirs:

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

Drive: sda ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___

Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders, total 312581808 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 * 2,048 167,772,159 167,770,112 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 167,774,206 208,787,455 41,013,250 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 167,774,208 173,631,487 5,857,280 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 173,633,536 193,163,263 19,529,728 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 193,165,312 208,787,455 15,622,144 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 291,569,664 312,541,183 20,971,520 1b Hidden W95 FAT32
/dev/sda4 208,796,805 291,563,684 82,766,880 7 HPFS/NTFS


blkid -c /dev/null: __________________________________________________ __________

Device UUID TYPE LABEL

/dev/loop0 squashfs
/dev/sda1 2A06D0A206D07075 ntfs
/dev/sda2: PTTYPE="dos"
/dev/sda3 86F4-D40A vfat
/dev/sda4 3F19E35E258F5F75 ntfs
/dev/sda5 cffc7c11-1cc9-456b-9c90-7ffe90ea463e swap
/dev/sda6 bf1f74fb-0f68-4701-81e8-6a7c6e6eaa72 ext4
/dev/sda7 7c57d339-a3c2-4ee0-8117-283786b18b2f ext4
/dev/sda: PTTYPE="dos"
/dev/sdb 9646-389E vfat PENDRIVE

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

Device Mount_Point Type Options

aufs / aufs (rw)
/dev/sdb /cdrom vfat (rw,relatime,fmask=0022,dmask=0022,codepage=cp437, iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,errors=remount-ro)
/dev/loop0 /rofs squashfs (ro,noatime)


=========================== sda6/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 ${boot_once} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi
}
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set bf1f74fb-0f68-4701-81e8-6a7c6e6eaa72
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
set gfxmode=640x480
insmod gfxterm
insmod vbe
if terminal_output gfxterm ; then true ; else
# For backward compatibility with versions of terminal.mod that don't
# understand terminal_output
terminal gfxterm
fi
fi
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set bf1f74fb-0f68-4701-81e8-6a7c6e6eaa72
set locale_dir=($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 ###
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set bf1f74fb-0f68-4701-81e8-6a7c6e6eaa72
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,6)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set bf1f74fb-0f68-4701-81e8-6a7c6e6eaa72
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry "Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda1)" {
insmod ntfs
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 2a06d0a206d07075
chainloader +1
}
menuentry "Windows Vista (loader) (on /dev/sda3)" {
insmod fat
set root='(hd0,3)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 86f4-d40a
chainloader +1
}
### 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 ###

=============================== sda6/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 nodev,noexec,nosuid 0 0
# / was on /dev/sda6 during installation
UUID=bf1f74fb-0f68-4701-81e8-6a7c6e6eaa72 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# /home was on /dev/sda7 during installation
UUID=7c57d339-a3c2-4ee0-8117-283786b18b2f /home ext4 defaults 0 2
# swap was on /dev/sda5 during installation
UUID=cffc7c11-1cc9-456b-9c90-7ffe90ea463e none swap sw 0 0

=================== sda6: Location of files loaded by Grub: ===================


91.1GB: boot/grub/core.img
91.2GB: boot/grub/grub.cfg
91.3GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-21-generic
91.3GB: initrd.img

[Sonsum]

Maybe try booting it manually? https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GrubHowto

And if the method described here doesn't work, do a little Googling. I found a method somewhere which I could use to boot Ubuntu and Windows perfectly when my grub install was messed up.

Once you get back to Ubuntu run "sudo update-grub".

Hopefully that'd fix your problem.

[Lijnk]

tried to boot manually using:



grub> set root=(hd0,6)
grub> chainloader +1
grub> boot


However I got 'invalid signature' after the 'chainloader +1' command.

[confused57]

Here are Herman's instructions for booting from grub's cli:
http://members.iinet.net/~herman546/p20/GRUB2%20How%20To%20Boot%20From%20CLI%20Mode.html#H ow_To_Enter_GRUBs_CLI_MODE

[darkod]

Good luck booting it manually, you have no kernels:

91.1GB: boot/grub/core.img
91.2GB: boot/grub/grub.cfg
91.3GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-21-generic
91.3GB: initrd.img

I have no idea how it happened. Anyone knows how to add a kernel in chroot?

You will need to chroot into your install from live mode:

sudo -i
mount /dev/sda6 /mnt
mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc
mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev
mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys
chroot /mnt

Some people have reported apt-get doesn't work with chroot /mnt, maybe you'll need instead of the last command:
chroot /mnt/bin/bash

Try to add the kernel:

apt-get install linux-image

I have never done this so I don't know if it will work with these exact commands. Maybe someone else will jump in. Update the grub.cfg:

update-grub

Exit the chroot and unmount:

exit
umount /mnt/sys
umount /mnt/dev
umount /mnt/proc

Restart and if it worked, you'll see different menu.

[Lijnk]

Everything worked and showed no error, however when getting the new image, It returned that it was already installed. I skipped to updating the grub and it only returned the same list it already has, so no new changes have been made.

[Lijnk]

Anyone have a solution to what's going on? :confused:

[confused57]

I don't know what's going on with your install, but found this:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/ubuntu-63/crash-and-kernel-reinstall-719188/

Try chrooting into your install per Darko's instructions and running the commands in post#2 from the above link.

Edit: On second thought, it probably wouldn't work, since uname -r wouldn't find a kernel installed.

[Lijnk]

Tried it anyways and, as you said, there was no change.

[wilee-nilee]

Tried it anyways and, as you said, there was no change.

If it was me I would make sure you have a good ISO with a md5sum check and delete the Lucid install and reinstall. I believe this is a fresh install so you have nothing to save just reinstall it. You would use gparted in the install thumb or cd to remove Lucid.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToMD5SUM

[darkod]

We can make another "desperate" attempt, using the full filename of the kernel:

I'll start from the chroot command to save time, you have the previous commands in my earlier post.

chroot /mnt
apt-get update
apt-get --reinstall install linux-image-2.6.32-22-generic

If that still doesn't do anything, make another attempt with /bin/bash in the chroot, I'm still not sure if you need it or not:

chroot /mnt /bin/bash
apt-get update
apt-get --reinstall install linux-image-2.6.32-22-generic

[Lijnk]

I got it to work :p, but I'll put some information for the next person to get the same problem:

I didn't even try the last part and skipped to reinstalling it all. My .iso file was perfectly fine, I do a md5checksum against all linux image files before mounting them. I'm thinking it may have to do with how I partitioned everything. Initially, I had a logical partition (sda2) with everything in it (swap space, /, /home). When I first tried it, it wouldn't let me put the / mount point in, so I had to put swap first, then /, then /home. When I redid the install, I was able to put / first, then /home all in separate partitions (I didn't redo the swap space since that would be redundant).

Thanks to all that helped with my problem (especially darkod).

[darkod]

I don't think the order of the partitions made any difference. The new install probably simply installed the kernel this time, as it was supposed to do it last time too.
Anyway, it's working now. :)

[Lijnk]

Probably one of those weird flukes that happened. At least it's solved and I can go on to fixing other problems like customizing the UI :lol:.