Grub rescue after usb install

[mastron]

I'm installing ubuntu 10.10 to an external drive from a stick.

So i boot from the usb-stick and preform the install from there. No internal hdd attached, just computer, usb-stick and usb-hdd.

The installation goes well to the point of rebooting. Than it gives me a grub rescue> prompt.

I've been trying to fix this for days now, but I come back in the same circle ...

Anybody knows a solution?

Thanks in advance!!

[sikander3786]

Welcome to the forums :-)

Please boot a live cd/usb and post the output of bootinfoscript as per instructions here.

http://bootinfoscript.sourceforge.net

Wrap your output with proper code tags # from post menu. [/code] at the end [code] at the beginning.

Seems like you installed Grub to some of your internal drives rather than the external one. Bootinfoscript will tell us....

Make sure your external drive is connected while you run that script ;-)

[mastron]

Thanks for the welcome :popcorn:

Here is what the scipt outputed:


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 (,msdos1)/boot/grub.
=> Syslinux is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb

sda1: __________________________________________________ _______________________

File system: ext4
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
Operating System: Ubuntu 10.10
Boot files/dirs: /boot/grub/grub.cfg /etc/fstab /boot/grub/core.img

sda2: __________________________________________________ _______________________

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

sda5: __________________________________________________ _______________________

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

sdb1: __________________________________________________ _______________________

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

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

Drive: sda ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___

Disk /dev/sda: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders, total 1953525168 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 1,941,235,711 1,941,233,664 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 1,941,237,758 1,953,523,711 12,285,954 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 1,941,237,760 1,953,523,711 12,285,952 82 Linux swap / Solaris


Drive: sdb ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___

Disk /dev/sdb: 8019 MB, 8019509248 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 974 cylinders, total 15663104 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 15,663,059 15,662,997 b W95 FAT32


blkid -c /dev/null: __________________________________________________ __________

Device UUID TYPE LABEL

/dev/loop0 squashfs
/dev/sda1 b631ec78-c5dc-44c7-9be9-407d62df8ad4 ext4
/dev/sda2: PTTYPE="dos"
/dev/sda5 361cf95a-3896-4b66-bd04-74637961e22f swap
/dev/sda: PTTYPE="dos"
/dev/sdb1 96F3-84D0 vfat PENDRIVE
/dev/sdb: PTTYPE="dos"
error: /dev/sdc: No medium found
error: /dev/sdd: No medium found
error: /dev/sde: No medium found
error: /dev/sdf: No medium found
error: /dev/sdg: No medium found

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

Device Mount_Point Type Options

aufs / aufs (rw)
/dev/sdb1 /cdrom vfat (rw,relatime,fmask=0022,dmask=0022,codepage=cp437, iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,errors=remount-ro)
/dev/loop0 /rofs squashfs (ro,noatime)


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

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

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
set have_grubenv=true
load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ "${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
}

function load_video {
insmod vbe
insmod vga
}

insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set b631ec78-c5dc-44c7-9be9-407d62df8ad4
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
set gfxmode=640x480
load_video
insmod gfxterm
fi
terminal_output gfxterm
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set b631ec78-c5dc-44c7-9be9-407d62df8ad4
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 2.6.35-22-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set b631ec78-c5dc-44c7-9be9-407d62df8ad4
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-22-generic root=UUID=b631ec78-c5dc-44c7-9be9-407d62df8ad4 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-22-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.35-22-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set b631ec78-c5dc-44c7-9be9-407d62df8ad4
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.35-22-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-22-generic root=UUID=b631ec78-c5dc-44c7-9be9-407d62df8ad4 ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-22-generic
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###
### END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set b631ec78-c5dc-44c7-9be9-407d62df8ad4
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set b631ec78-c5dc-44c7-9be9-407d62df8ad4
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
if [ "x${timeout}" != "x-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 ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
if [ -f $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then
source $prefix/custom.cfg;
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/41_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 nodev,noexec,nosuid 0 0
# / was on /dev/sda1 during installation
UUID=b631ec78-c5dc-44c7-9be9-407d62df8ad4 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# swap was on /dev/sda5 during installation
UUID=361cf95a-3896-4b66-bd04-74637961e22f none swap sw 0 0

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


917.1GB: boot/grub/core.img
8.7GB: boot/grub/grub.cfg
.6GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-22-generic
917.1GB: boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-22-generic
.6GB: initrd.img
917.1GB: vmlinuz
=========================== Unknown MBRs/Boot Sectors/etc =======================

Unknown BootLoader on sda2

00000000 31 5c 9c 15 84 6b 4d 49 24 76 3b bb 09 43 b5 60 |1\...kMI$v;..C.`|
00000010 f4 61 4b b5 55 6b 84 67 bf cf c5 af 99 75 61 91 |.aK.Uk.g.....ua.|
00000020 dd ac 87 83 a2 df 00 db de 70 89 74 57 cc a1 53 |.........p.tW..S|
00000030 a0 b0 e8 8a 67 99 f9 b9 ac 39 19 a5 f6 10 03 bd |....g....9......|
00000040 49 bd 32 cf 0c cc 43 e1 a6 98 6e 4d 58 54 01 c8 |I.2...C...nMXT..|
00000050 dc 3e b8 35 79 82 bd b5 41 63 86 cf a7 19 f9 13 |.>.5y...Ac......|
00000060 4d 27 c3 82 2c 9f 64 ec 0d 6c 9f 31 0c b4 fc d9 |M'..,.d..l.1....|
00000070 98 21 be 1c 53 49 a3 e0 7d d7 f5 a3 da 8f 41 95 |.!..SI..}.....A.|
00000080 86 c0 47 e5 1f b8 d4 8a ee 7b ea 9e dc 30 d0 30 |..G......{...0.0|
00000090 e0 cd 7b 80 75 22 b0 25 07 ab 73 e2 2d 62 0e 3d |..{.u".%..s.-b.=|
000000a0 c3 8e 4b ea 48 9f ff e8 08 df 68 42 f4 44 f0 76 |..K.H.....hB.D.v|
000000b0 fd 76 5e 23 a8 2d ce 50 4f 71 05 3d b2 e1 cf d5 |.v^#.-.POq.=....|
000000c0 47 48 e4 91 59 cc c4 0f a6 4e 48 68 c2 1e 34 30 |GH..Y....NHh..40|
000000d0 28 9c de 1a de d7 69 df db e6 6c 17 12 13 01 85 |(.....i...l.....|
000000e0 1f 1c 54 3b 84 c5 34 d0 35 ab c6 b5 a2 d0 1a fc |..T;..4.5.......|
000000f0 d3 fa ce e2 33 80 e1 fc 25 3b 33 2e c7 37 ce 5e |....3...%;3..7.^|
00000100 6d dd 64 50 3e 20 91 62 3b 9f 7a fd 2e 6a f6 d6 |m.dP> .b;.z..j..|
00000110 d6 c7 73 9e 2b de 87 cc 20 c7 ed 9f a6 bc 81 4f |..s.+... ......O|
00000120 b6 4d a5 8f bd 0d ac af 2a c6 ef 53 4c cd b4 ac |.M......*..SL...|
00000130 57 db 60 03 b6 7a 9c 99 7c 98 c2 23 5f c6 50 8e |W.`..z..|..#_.P.|
00000140 b3 eb 07 fb 56 4c 65 47 ce d5 e2 fd f7 2a da 07 |....VLeG.....*..|
00000150 54 0d b7 59 5c 6e 7e 26 9e e2 47 2f 7b 4c e4 13 |T..Y\n~&..G/{L..|
00000160 51 6a 67 8d 74 05 9d fd 1f 5f ae fc 3f 37 94 f9 |Qjg.t...._..?7..|
00000170 bb 27 db ae ef 3b 69 d7 fd 97 05 f6 8e 6c 56 ad |.'...;i......lV.|
00000180 67 4e 55 c4 eb a3 c2 a8 63 31 29 5c 53 42 cc a5 |gNU.....c1)\SB..|
00000190 ef a5 26 78 09 4b 1c 7e 03 1a 52 5b 84 92 1f e3 |..&x.K.~..R[....|
000001a0 b7 2a 24 46 a9 db 37 1a 27 be 8b fe 70 5e 69 1a |.*$F..7.'...p^i.|
000001b0 5d 81 79 66 ee 33 16 0a 9f e3 b0 a2 4d 07 00 fe |].yf.3......M...|
000001c0 ff ff 82 fe ff ff 02 00 00 00 00 78 bb 00 00 00 |...........x....|
000001d0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 |................|
*
000001f0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 55 aa |..............U.|
00000200

Unknown BootLoader on sdb1

00000000 eb 58 90 53 59 53 4c 49 4e 55 58 00 02 08 c0 08 |.X.SYSLINUX.....|
00000010 02 00 00 00 00 f8 00 00 3f 00 ff 00 3f 00 00 00 |........?...?...|
00000020 95 ff ee 00 a0 3b 00 00 00 00 00 00 02 00 00 00 |.....;..........|
00000030 01 00 06 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 |................|
00000040 80 00 29 d0 84 f3 96 4e 4f 20 4e 41 4d 45 20 20 |..)....NO NAME |
00000050 20 20 46 41 54 33 32 20 20 20 fa fc 31 c9 8e d1 | FAT32 ..1...|
00000060 bc 76 7b 52 06 57 8e c1 b1 26 bf 78 7b f3 a5 8e |.v{R.W...&.x{...|
00000070 d9 bb 78 00 0f b4 37 0f a0 56 20 d2 78 1b 31 c0 |..x...7..V .x.1.|
00000080 b1 06 89 3f 89 47 02 f3 64 a5 8a 0e 18 7c 88 4d |...?.G..d....|.M|
00000090 bc 50 50 50 50 cd 13 eb 4b f6 45 b4 7f 75 25 38 |.PPPP...K.E..u%8|
000000a0 4d b8 74 20 66 3d 21 47 50 54 75 10 80 7d b8 ed |M.t f=!GPTu..}..|
000000b0 75 0a 66 ff 75 ec 66 ff 75 e8 eb 0f 51 51 66 ff |u.f.u.f.u...QQf.|
000000c0 75 bc eb 07 51 51 66 ff 36 1c 7c b4 08 cd 13 72 |u...QQf.6.|....r|
000000d0 13 20 e4 75 0f c1 ea 08 42 89 16 1a 7c 83 e1 3f |. .u....B...|..?|
000000e0 89 0e 18 7c fb bb aa 55 b4 41 8a 16 74 7b cd 13 |...|...U.A..t{..|
000000f0 72 10 81 fb 55 aa 75 0a f6 c1 01 74 05 c6 06 32 |r...U.u....t...2|
00000100 7d 00 66 b8 e0 27 16 00 66 ba 00 00 00 00 bb 00 |}.f..'..f.......|
00000110 7e e8 10 00 66 81 3e 24 7e 34 be f5 72 75 76 ea |~...f.>$~4..ruv.|
00000120 38 7e 00 00 66 03 06 64 7b 66 13 16 68 7b b9 10 |8~..f..d{f..h{..|
00000130 00 eb 2b 66 52 66 50 06 53 6a 01 6a 10 89 e6 66 |..+fRfP.Sj.j...f|
00000140 60 b4 42 e8 7f 00 66 61 8d 64 10 72 01 c3 66 60 |`.B...fa.d.r..f`|
00000150 31 c0 e8 70 00 66 61 e2 da c6 06 32 7d 2b 66 60 |1..p.fa....2}+f`|
00000160 66 0f b7 36 18 7c 66 0f b7 3e 1a 7c 66 f7 f6 31 |f..6.|f..>.|f..1|
00000170 c9 87 ca 66 f7 f7 66 3d ff 03 00 00 77 17 c0 e4 |...f..f=....w...|
00000180 06 41 08 e1 88 c5 88 d6 b8 01 02 e8 37 00 66 61 |.A..........7.fa|
00000190 72 01 c3 e2 c9 31 f6 8e d6 bc 6c 7b 8e de 66 8f |r....1....l{..f.|
000001a0 06 78 00 be cc 7d e8 09 00 31 c0 cd 16 cd 19 f4 |.x...}...1......|
000001b0 eb fd 66 60 ac 20 c0 74 09 b4 0e bb 07 00 cd 10 |..f`. .t........|
000001c0 eb f2 66 61 c3 8a 16 74 7b cd 13 c3 42 6f 6f 74 |..fa...t{...Boot|
000001d0 20 65 72 72 6f 72 0d 0a 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 | error..........|
000001e0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 |................|
000001f0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 55 aa |..............U.|
00000200


=======Devices which don't seem to have a corresponding hard drive==============

sdc sdd sde sdf sdg

[sikander3786]

Please edit your post and type [/code] at the end of your output and [code] at the beginning. That would make it easier to read ;-)

And are you sure your Bios is properly set to boot from the external HDD? Bootinfoscript output seems ok to me.

[mastron]

Bios is set right. It boots from the usb-hdd into grub rescue. No other disk are attached to the computer ...

[sikander3786]

See here and try to boot from Grub Rescue prompt.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1594052
(courtesy of forum member drs305)

If not successful, re-install Grub from Live CD/USB.


sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt


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

Note for the second one it is just sda without an integer and not sda1.

Let us know about your progress ;-)

[efflandt]

What is the specific error message, unknown filesystem, file not found, etc.? From grub rescue see what ls shows, and what shows for ls (hd0,msdos1)/, ls (hd0,msdos1)/boot, and ls (hd0,msdos1)/boot/grub.

I have a similar issue with a Dell XPS 8100 bought this year, but it is a mystery why. It will boot Ubuntu fine from the far end of its 1 TB internal drive, but cannot boot at the far end of a 500 GB USB drive. It boots fine at the end of a 160 GB USB drive, or closer to the beginning of a 500 GB USB drive.

That same 500 GB drive, earlier with Lucid and now Maverick, ext3 or ext4 farther out on the USB that will not boot on the new desktop, boots fine from older Dell or Toshiba laptops from 2006. So it is nothing wrong with the installation. It is just that some computers, for some reason, have trouble booting farther out on an external drive.

Some people mention a 137 GB barrier, but why would that affect a USB drive for some (even new) computers, when it does not affect their internal drive booting well beyond that?

I just noticed that you posted boot info script output while I was posting. Notice that your core.img is way out there. Not sure if that is the issue, since my new PC had no trouble with it beyond the 900 GB point on its internal drive, but something seems to be different for USB drives. I would try a separate /boot partition near the beginning of the drive.

917.1GB: boot/grub/core.img
8.7GB: boot/grub/grub.cfg
.6GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-22-generic
917.1GB: boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-22-generic
.6GB: initrd.img
917.1GB: vmlinuz

[mastron]

I'm going to reinstall on a partition of 50 Gb ... Maybe that works.

[mastron]

Ok the 50Gb partition did the trick!!!

THX everybody!!!

[Quackers]

That's good news :-)
Like Sikander3786, I have looked at your boot script output and I can't see anything wrong at all. Sometimes odd things happen!

[oldfred]

Newer BIOS do not have the 137GB limit, but I think we are seeing multiple cases where very large drives 1GB or larger with just root & swap have boot issues. Does grub stop searching drive for some reason?

Perhaps we just need to promote the smaller / (root) and larger /home configuration for those installs to large drives. I do not believe in very large partitions for anything as repair, fsck or even just backup become major issues.