digitaleagle
September 24th, 2010, 10:04 PM
I have been messing with this computer for a while and I can't get Ubuntu to boot. I previously had freeBSD on it with no problems. Before that I think it was gOS that it was running with no problem. But everytime I tried to install Ubuntu, it wouldn't boot after the installation.
I only need one operating system on the machine. It has a single SATA drive (/dev/sda), two CDRom drives, and a floppy. The motherboard is an older motherboard; I can look up the exact model if that makes a difference. I had to buy an SATA controller to be able to use the drive as the motherboard does not have one onboard.
The Live CD works with no problem. The Wireless card even works once booted. The install goes fine without a problem, but when it reboots, Grub hangs. I used the Live CD to install LILO, and that didn't work either. It hangs with "L" showing on the screen.
At first, I thought the problem the was Grub2, but I have tried Lilo and downgrading to the old Grub. None of them would boot the OS on the drive. Now, I am wondering if maybe it is an issue with a newer kernel or something.
I have tried multiple partition configurations. I tried all one partition, and I also tried having a separate partition for the boot directory at the beginning of the drive.
Previously, I tried Ubuntu 10.04. Just last week, I downloaded 10.10 beta and gave that a try. That is what is currently installed.
I have a floppy drive, and I tried to install Lilo to that, but I don't think I am doing it right.
At some point I also installed Xubuntu, and that didn't work either. Back then, I opened another thread, but I decided to go to the mainstream Ubuntu and open a new thread. I hope that isn't bad etiquette. I haven't done a lot of forum posting. Here is the other post:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1107802
http://linuxsagas.wordpress.com/2009/03/17/grub-boot-error/
Here is my current partition setup:
root@ubuntu:/# fdisk -l
Disk /dev/sda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x4cc8779d
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 61 487424 83 Linux
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda2 9718 9730 92160 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda3 61 9718 77568001 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 61 9718 77568000 83 Linux
Partition table entries are not in disk order
Here is basically what I did to install lilo from the Live CD:
sudo mount /dev/sda5 /mnt
sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/boot
sudo mount -o bind /dev /mnt/dev
sudo mount -t proc none /mnt/proc
sudo cp /etc/resolv.conf /mnt/etc
sudo chroot /mnt /bin/bash
apt-get update
apt-get install lilo
liloconfig
lilo -b /dev/sda
Here is my lilo config:
root@ubuntu:/# cat /etc/lilo.conf
# Generated by liloconfig
# This allows booting from any partition on disks with more than 1024
# cylinders.
lba32
# Specifies the boot device
boot=/dev/sda5
# Specifies the device that should be mounted as root.
# If the special name CURRENT is used, the root device is set to the
# device on which the root file system is currently mounted. If the root
# has been changed with -r , the respective device is used. If the
# variable ROOT is omitted, the root device setting contained in the
# kernel image is used. It can be changed with the rdev program.
root=/dev/sda5
# Bitmap configuration for /boot/coffee.bmp
bitmap=/boot/coffee.bmp
bmp-colors=12,,11,15,,8
bmp-table=385p,100p,1,10
bmp-timer=38,2,13,1
# Enables map compaction:
# Tries to merge read requests for adjacent sectors into a single
# read request. This drastically reduces load time and keeps the map
# smaller. Using COMPACT is especially recommended when booting from a
# floppy disk.
# compact
# Install the specified file as the new boot sector.
# LILO supports built in boot sectory, you only need
# to specify the type, choose one from 'text', 'menu' or 'bitmap'.
# new: install=bmp old: install=/boot/boot-bmp.b
# new: install=text old: install=/boot/boot-text.b
# new: install=menu old: install=/boot/boot-menu.b or boot.b
# default: 'menu' is default, unless you have a bitmap= line
# Note: install=bmp must be used to see the bitmap menu.
# install=menu
install=text
# Specifies the number of _tenths_ of a second LILO should
# wait before booting the first image. LILO
# doesn't wait if DELAY is omitted or if DELAY is set to zero.
# delay=20
# Prompt to use certaing image. If prompt is specified without timeout,
# boot will not take place unless you hit RETURN
prompt
timeout=50
# Enable large memory mode.
large-memory
# Specifies the location of the map file. If MAP is
# omitted, a file /boot/map is used.
map=/boot/map
# Specifies the VGA text mode that should be selected when
# booting. The following values are recognized (case is ignored):
# NORMAL select normal 80x25 text mode.
# EXTENDED select 80x50 text mode. The word EXTENDED can be
# abbreviated to EXT.
# ASK stop and ask for user input (at boot time).
# <number> use the corresponding text mode. A list of available modes
# can be obtained by booting with vga=ask and pressing [Enter].
vga=normal
# Defines non-standard parameters for the specified disk.
#disk=/dev/sda
# bios=0x80
# If you are using removable USB drivers (with mass-storage)
# you will need to tell LILO to not use these devices even
# if defined in /etc/fstab and referenced in /proc/partitions.
# Adjust these lines to your devices:
#
# disk=/dev/sda inaccessible
# disk=/dev/sdb inaccessible
# These images were automagically added. You may need to edit something.
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-19-generic
label="Lin 2.6.35img0"
initrd=/boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-19-generic
read-only
image=/boot/memtest86+.bin
label="Memory Test+"
read-only
# If you have another OS on this machine (say DOS),
# you can boot if by uncommenting the following lines
# (Of course, change /dev/hda2 to wherever your DOS partition is.)
# other=/dev/hda2
# label="MS Windows"
Here is my fstab:
root@ubuntu:/# cat /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
/dev/sda5 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# /boot was on /dev/sda1 during installation
/dev/sda5 /boot ext4 defaults 0 2
# swap was on /dev/sda2 during installation
/dev/sda2 none swap sw 0 0
/dev/fd0 /media/floppy0 auto rw,user,noauto,exec,utf8 0 0
I only need one operating system on the machine. It has a single SATA drive (/dev/sda), two CDRom drives, and a floppy. The motherboard is an older motherboard; I can look up the exact model if that makes a difference. I had to buy an SATA controller to be able to use the drive as the motherboard does not have one onboard.
The Live CD works with no problem. The Wireless card even works once booted. The install goes fine without a problem, but when it reboots, Grub hangs. I used the Live CD to install LILO, and that didn't work either. It hangs with "L" showing on the screen.
At first, I thought the problem the was Grub2, but I have tried Lilo and downgrading to the old Grub. None of them would boot the OS on the drive. Now, I am wondering if maybe it is an issue with a newer kernel or something.
I have tried multiple partition configurations. I tried all one partition, and I also tried having a separate partition for the boot directory at the beginning of the drive.
Previously, I tried Ubuntu 10.04. Just last week, I downloaded 10.10 beta and gave that a try. That is what is currently installed.
I have a floppy drive, and I tried to install Lilo to that, but I don't think I am doing it right.
At some point I also installed Xubuntu, and that didn't work either. Back then, I opened another thread, but I decided to go to the mainstream Ubuntu and open a new thread. I hope that isn't bad etiquette. I haven't done a lot of forum posting. Here is the other post:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1107802
http://linuxsagas.wordpress.com/2009/03/17/grub-boot-error/
Here is my current partition setup:
root@ubuntu:/# fdisk -l
Disk /dev/sda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x4cc8779d
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 61 487424 83 Linux
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda2 9718 9730 92160 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda3 61 9718 77568001 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 61 9718 77568000 83 Linux
Partition table entries are not in disk order
Here is basically what I did to install lilo from the Live CD:
sudo mount /dev/sda5 /mnt
sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/boot
sudo mount -o bind /dev /mnt/dev
sudo mount -t proc none /mnt/proc
sudo cp /etc/resolv.conf /mnt/etc
sudo chroot /mnt /bin/bash
apt-get update
apt-get install lilo
liloconfig
lilo -b /dev/sda
Here is my lilo config:
root@ubuntu:/# cat /etc/lilo.conf
# Generated by liloconfig
# This allows booting from any partition on disks with more than 1024
# cylinders.
lba32
# Specifies the boot device
boot=/dev/sda5
# Specifies the device that should be mounted as root.
# If the special name CURRENT is used, the root device is set to the
# device on which the root file system is currently mounted. If the root
# has been changed with -r , the respective device is used. If the
# variable ROOT is omitted, the root device setting contained in the
# kernel image is used. It can be changed with the rdev program.
root=/dev/sda5
# Bitmap configuration for /boot/coffee.bmp
bitmap=/boot/coffee.bmp
bmp-colors=12,,11,15,,8
bmp-table=385p,100p,1,10
bmp-timer=38,2,13,1
# Enables map compaction:
# Tries to merge read requests for adjacent sectors into a single
# read request. This drastically reduces load time and keeps the map
# smaller. Using COMPACT is especially recommended when booting from a
# floppy disk.
# compact
# Install the specified file as the new boot sector.
# LILO supports built in boot sectory, you only need
# to specify the type, choose one from 'text', 'menu' or 'bitmap'.
# new: install=bmp old: install=/boot/boot-bmp.b
# new: install=text old: install=/boot/boot-text.b
# new: install=menu old: install=/boot/boot-menu.b or boot.b
# default: 'menu' is default, unless you have a bitmap= line
# Note: install=bmp must be used to see the bitmap menu.
# install=menu
install=text
# Specifies the number of _tenths_ of a second LILO should
# wait before booting the first image. LILO
# doesn't wait if DELAY is omitted or if DELAY is set to zero.
# delay=20
# Prompt to use certaing image. If prompt is specified without timeout,
# boot will not take place unless you hit RETURN
prompt
timeout=50
# Enable large memory mode.
large-memory
# Specifies the location of the map file. If MAP is
# omitted, a file /boot/map is used.
map=/boot/map
# Specifies the VGA text mode that should be selected when
# booting. The following values are recognized (case is ignored):
# NORMAL select normal 80x25 text mode.
# EXTENDED select 80x50 text mode. The word EXTENDED can be
# abbreviated to EXT.
# ASK stop and ask for user input (at boot time).
# <number> use the corresponding text mode. A list of available modes
# can be obtained by booting with vga=ask and pressing [Enter].
vga=normal
# Defines non-standard parameters for the specified disk.
#disk=/dev/sda
# bios=0x80
# If you are using removable USB drivers (with mass-storage)
# you will need to tell LILO to not use these devices even
# if defined in /etc/fstab and referenced in /proc/partitions.
# Adjust these lines to your devices:
#
# disk=/dev/sda inaccessible
# disk=/dev/sdb inaccessible
# These images were automagically added. You may need to edit something.
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-19-generic
label="Lin 2.6.35img0"
initrd=/boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-19-generic
read-only
image=/boot/memtest86+.bin
label="Memory Test+"
read-only
# If you have another OS on this machine (say DOS),
# you can boot if by uncommenting the following lines
# (Of course, change /dev/hda2 to wherever your DOS partition is.)
# other=/dev/hda2
# label="MS Windows"
Here is my fstab:
root@ubuntu:/# cat /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
/dev/sda5 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# /boot was on /dev/sda1 during installation
/dev/sda5 /boot ext4 defaults 0 2
# swap was on /dev/sda2 during installation
/dev/sda2 none swap sw 0 0
/dev/fd0 /media/floppy0 auto rw,user,noauto,exec,utf8 0 0