no bootup after install but live CD works great

[LineAxe]

:redface: No Bootup just a Black Screen with a frozen cursor after install, but LIVE CD works in 1024x768 mode? :redface:

Well, I have a Sony Bravia 32xTV with HDMI input coming out of a ZOTAC nvidia type of card. The live CD will recognize the HDMI graphics card and Sony TV/monitor and thus works like Ubuntu normally does. But when I go to install to a hard drive and try to boot up I get just a Black Screen with a frozen cursor. I even have another Ubuntu 8.04 version running on the Sony Bravia TV , so no problem with TV end of things. what do I do now, oh great Ubuntu gurus out there in cyberland? what could I possibly do , what do I read, where do I go , what, where, who, how, when ,which way? I thank all for any ideas on what to do now !! ):P

[sikander3786]

Try using the nomodeset parameter.

Press and hold down Shift key from Bios until you see Grub menu. Highlighting the first entry there, press 'e' to edit it. Navigate to words "quiet splash" delete them and type "nomodeset" (without quotes) in their place. Press Ctrl + X to continue boot. Hopefully, you'll see the desktop this time.

Then go to System > Administration > Hardware Drivers and install the proper drivers for your card and the issue might go away for ever.

More info here.

http://ubuntu4beginners.blogspot.com/2011/01/ubuntumaverick-blank-screen-problem.html

Let us know how that goes, as there can be some other causes to this problem as well.

[LineAxe]

I just tried to hit the shift key to invoke a Grub menu ,tried left shift and right shift. No grub menu . Just the same black screen with a blinking cursor at top left corner. :confused:
Thanks for the info , I think I may need it if I can get further than this screen !

[P4man]

You have to press the shift key at the right moment, and you dont have much time. SHould be right after the bios splash and before it actually starts booting.

[sikander3786]

Press and hold down Shift key from Bios screen.

If you can't still see the Grub menu, please boot an Ubuntu live CD and post the output of bootinfoscript as per instructions here to let us see what is going on in there.

http://bootinfoscript.sourceforge.net

[LineAxe]

Got another chance to work on the UBUNTU 10.10 computer again :) Here comes my bootinfoscript information. I hope this helps. I sure see all the folders and everything else is on the drive. Not sure what else to look for ! I wonder how does the live CD figure out what resolution to go to but the installed version can't? why?why?why? Ow! I
bumped my head ... why? ?

------------------- RESULTS.TXT ----------------

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.
=> No boot loader is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb
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
sdb1: __________________________________________________ _______________________
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
sdb2: __________________________________________________ _______________________
File system: Extended Partition
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
sdb5: __________________________________________________ _______________________
File system: swap
Boot sector type: -
Boot sector info:
=========================== 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 * 63 312,560,639 312,560,577 7 HPFS/NTFS

Drive: sdb ___________________ __________________________________________________ ___
Disk /dev/sdb: 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/sdb1 2,048 1,905,559,551 1,905,557,504 83 Linux
/dev/sdb2 1,905,561,598 1,953,523,711 47,962,114 5 Extended
/dev/sdb5 1,905,561,600 1,953,523,711 47,962,112 82 Linux swap / Solaris

blkid -c /dev/null: __________________________________________________ __________
Device UUID TYPE LABEL
/dev/loop0 squashfs
/dev/sda1 724ED5544ED51229 ntfs
/dev/sda: PTTYPE="dos"
/dev/sdb1 6b23ce23-9111-4b55-be72-2a92f3320275 ext4
/dev/sdb2: PTTYPE="dos"
/dev/sdb5 0f38b1ec-5e36-4c1c-9d8f-528b4528f9c5 swap
/dev/sdb: PTTYPE="dos"
============================ "mount | grep ^/dev output: ===========================
Device Mount_Point Type Options
aufs / aufs (rw)
/dev/sr0 /cdrom iso9660 (ro,noatime)
/dev/loop0 /rofs squashfs (ro,noatime)

=========================== sdb1/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 "${boot_once}" ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi
}
function load_video {
insmod vbe
insmod vga
}
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 6b23ce23-9111-4b55-be72-2a92f3320275
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
set gfxmode=640x480
load_video
insmod gfxterm
fi
terminal_output gfxterm
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 6b23ce23-9111-4b55-be72-2a92f3320275
set locale_dir=($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='(hd1,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 6b23ce23-9111-4b55-be72-2a92f3320275
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-22-generic root=UUID=6b23ce23-9111-4b55-be72-2a92f3320275 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='(hd1,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 6b23ce23-9111-4b55-be72-2a92f3320275
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.35-22-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-22-generic root=UUID=6b23ce23-9111-4b55-be72-2a92f3320275 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='(hd1,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 6b23ce23-9111-4b55-be72-2a92f3320275
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd1,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 6b23ce23-9111-4b55-be72-2a92f3320275
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 part_msdos
insmod ntfs
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 724ed5544ed51229
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 ###
### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
if [ -f $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then
source $prefix/custom.cfg;
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
=============================== sdb1/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/sdb1 during installation
UUID=6b23ce23-9111-4b55-be72-2a92f3320275 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# swap was on /dev/sdb5 during installation
UUID=0f38b1ec-5e36-4c1c-9d8f-528b4528f9c5 none swap sw 0 0
=================== sdb1: Location of files loaded by Grub: ===================

627.2GB: boot/grub/core.img
161.2GB: boot/grub/grub.cfg
.4GB: boot/initrd.img-2.6.35-22-generic
627.2GB: boot/vmlinuz-2.6.35-22-generic
.4GB: initrd.img
627.2GB: vmlinuz

[Quackers]

The boot script reports that you have 2 hard drives - not mentioned previously.
Grub2 is installed to sda and is looking for its boot files in the first partition of sda. The boot files, though, are in the first partition of sdb, so grub can't find what it needs. How it got like that, I'm not sure, but to try to fix it see below.

From the live cd desktop open up a terminal and copy/paste these commands into it, one line at a time and pressing enter after each line.


sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt
sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sda
Then reboot. Ubuntu should now boot directly. If it does, open up a terminal and run
sudo update-grub
then watch as grub.cfg is configured to check that the Windows Loader is picked up. If it is, you can reboot and try to boot Windows from your new Grub menu.

[LineAxe]

Hi , I just tried the two lines...

sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt
sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sda

from the live cd in a terminal... and then rebooted and still have only got a blinking cursor. Still hoping to figure out what ubuntu wants me to change...thanks for any help :)

[Quackers]

Is the second hard drive a bootable option in your bios?
If so, please make that drive the first bootable device then re-run those commands EXCEPT change the second command to read /dev/sdb at the end (instead of /dev/sda), then reboot.
Do you have a Windows repair disc (or installation disc)?

In fact, while you are in the live cd desktop you can add a boot flag to sdb. Sometimes a pc's bios requires it to boot.
Please go to System > Admin > gparted
After it has scanned your discs look in the top right, where it says /dev/sda. There is a little down arrow next to it. Click that and select /dev/sdb. When the drive's partitions appear in the main window, right-click on the sdb1 partition and select "Manage Flags" then in the new window check the box marked "boot", then close that window. Then click on the green arrow in the toolbar (if required, not sure). Then quit the program.

[LineAxe]

nice work dudes!!
We got it, it indeed was related to hard drives
I had them setup a bit different and needed to change them in the bios
when i did that, I got ubuntu up and running.. Heh I have 3 computers setup similar to this. One running fiesty Studio ,one running Hardy Server , and now Meerkat it looks like11 :) I don't remember running into any HD problems on the other two systems though, I musta lucked out and got them right. I guess I did done something this time around ! thanks dudes :popcorn: