GRUB2 Problem with LiveCD/USB

[nicklemarr]

Alright, first off, forgive my ignorance, I'm very new to *nix. Before yesterday I'd only used #!, Knoppix, Backtrack; and that was a long time ago.

I'm trying to install Ubuntu, and in the installation when it "installs GRUB2" I get an error because of the following:

The problem is that plugininstall.py runs grubinstaller.py which in turn runs /usr/share/grub-installer/grub-installer and that program crashes when /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is in use (locked). That crash causes grubinstaller.py to return error code 1 and abort. The reason that /var/cache/debconf/config.dat is locked is that the installer is written in python and runs a program called "debconf-communicate" which stays open for as long as the installer is open, and that is the process which is locking the file.



So as a messy workaround I did the following:

cd /usr/lib/ubiquity/ubiquity/components/
sudo rm grubinstaller.pyc
sudo gedit grubinstaller.py

Replaced "/usr/share/grub-installer/grub-installer" with "ls".

Thus grubinstaller.py doesn't install Grub. Instead, it will simply execute a meaningless "ls" (directory index) command. That means that you never run into the problem of grub-installer crashing since it's never executed.

The installer finishes now, but now I need to instal GRUB2 manually. So this is what I want to do:

sudo passwd root
su
mount /dev/sda1 /target
mount -o bind /dev /target/dev
mount -o bind /dev/pts /target/dev/pts
mount -o bind /sys /target/sys
mount -o bind /proc /target/proc
chroot /target
grub-install /dev/sda
reboot

But this is what I get:

sudo passwd root
Enter new UNIX password:
Retype new UNIX password:
passwd: password updated successfully
su
Password:
# mount /dev/sda1 /target
# mount -o bind /dev /target/dev
mount: mount point /target/dev does not exist
# mount -o bind /dev /target/dev
mount: mount point /target/dev does not exist
# mount -o bind /dev /target/dev
mount: mount point /target/dev does not exist
# mount /dev/sda1 /target
mount: /dev/sda1 already mounted or /target busymount: according to mtab, /dev/sda1 is already mounted on /target
# mount -o bind /dev/pts /target/dev/pts
mount: mount point /target/dev/pts does not exist
# mount -o bind /sda1/dev /target/dev
mount: mount point /target/dev does not exist
# chroot /target
chroot: failed to run command `/bin/bash': No such file or directory
# sudo /target
sudo: /target: command not found
# grub-install /dev/sda
grub-probe: error: cannot stat `aufs'./usr/sbin/grub-probe: error: cannot stat `aufs'.
# sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt && sudo mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev && sudo mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc && sudo mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys && sudo chroot /mnt
mount: mount point /mnt/dev does not exist
# sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt && sudo mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev && sudo mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc && sudo mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys && sudo chroot /mnt
mount: /dev/sda1 already mounted or /mnt busymount: according to mtab, /dev/sda1 is already mounted on /mnt
# sudo chroot /mnt
chroot: failed to run command `/bin/bash': No such file or directory
# chroot /mnt apt-get install grub-pc
chroot: failed to run command `apt-get': No such file or directory
# chroot /mnt
chroot: failed to run command `/bin/bash': No such file or directory


As you can see, I have mo clue at what I'm doing. I just want this to work. Can anyone shed some light on where I'm messing up. It's probably something obvious, but I'm sleep deprived right now.

[darkod]

I would rather do the mount commands one by one so you know where it fails. If /dev/sda1 is your root partition the group of commands to chroot into an existing installation is (DO NOT have anything mounted in advance, you start from a fresh live mode):


sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
sudo mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev
sudo mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys
sudo mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc
sudo chroot /mnt

After that you can run commands as root inside the installation, namely:


grub-mkconfig (just in case the config files were never created when the grub2 install failed)
grub-install /dev/sda

[nicklemarr]

[QUOTE=darkod;11472252]

sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
sudo mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev
sudo mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys
sudo mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc
sudo chroot /mntOkay, well went to a fresh live session. Installed. This is what happens on the first two. Every time.


sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
mount: /dev/sda1 already mounted or /mnt busy
mount: according to mtab, /dev/sda1 is already mounted on /mnt
sudo mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev
mount: mount point /mnt/dev does not exist
sudo mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys
mount: mount point /mnt/sys does not exist
sudo mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc
mount: mount point /mnt/proc does not exist
sudo chroot /mnt
chroot: failed to run command `/bin/bash': No such file or directory

[darkod]

I'm confused. Why does it say that /dev/sda1 is already mounted in a fresh live session? The live session doesn't mount the root partition from the hdd.

Can you post the results of:
sudo fdisk -l (small L)

Do you know which partition is what on your hdd?

[nicklemarr]

I'm confused. Why does it say that /dev/sda1 is already mounted in a fresh live session?

Because I have to install the OS first, otherwise the GRUB2 would be erased? Is that not correct?


Can you post the results of:
sudo fdisk -l (small L)
WARNING: GPT (GUID Partition Table) detected on '/dev/sda'! The util fdisk doesn't support GPT. Use GNU Parted.


Disk /dev/sda: 16.0 GB, 16013942784 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1946 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: 0xe51f32d6

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 1947 15638615+ ee GPT

Disk /dev/sdc: 4.0 GB, 3942784 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 413 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: 0x00000000

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 * 1 488 3913600 c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
Partition 1 has different physical/logical endings:
phys=(486, 254, 63) logical=(487, 58, 19)
Do you know which partition is what on your hdd?I'm using the entire drive, and let the installer decide what's what. Is that a problem?

[darkod]

It's not a problem to install ubuntu on the whole disk letting the installer decide how to split it.

But in your case you don't seem to have ubuntu installed at all. In the first post you said only grub2 doesn't get installed. But the fdisk results don't show linux partitions.

That's why the mount commands fail.

Also, I would replace the GPT partition table on the 16GB disk with MSDOS. Much easier to use.

First make the install, and if grub2 fails you can try to add it later, but you need to have the ubuntu installed first. You don't seem to have it on /dev/sda (16GB).

[nicklemarr]

I finally made some progress by using Gparted to change is from GPT to MSBIOS before installing the OS.

Then when I install it, it automatically deletes the partion table back to GPT. (I'm assuming).
This is the error I get when I get to the last list. If I can just get passed this step then everything will be fine.



grub-install /dev/sda
/usr/sbin/grub-setup: warn: This GPT partition label has no BIOS Boot Partition; embedding won't be possible!.
/usr/sbin/grub-setup: warn: Embedding is not possible. GRUB can only be installed in this setup by using blocklists. However, blocklists are UNRELIABLE and their use is discouraged..
/usr/sbin/grub-setup: error: will not proceed with blocklists.

[darkod]

Did you actually create a msdos table or just deleted the existing partitions? Because deleting the partitions doesn't change the table type.

Another option is to simply install on gpt table. In this case grub needs a small partition at the beginning of the disk which will have the bios_grub flag. You can do it like this:

1. Boot with the cd in live mode. Open Gparted.
2. Delete all partitions on the disk.
3. Create one small 32MB partition at the start of the disk, fat32 type. Hit the green tick mark button in Gparted to apply the change.
4. After the partition is created right click on it and select Manage Flags. From the list of flags activate bios_grub.
5. Click again the green button to apply, if needed.

Then just reboot with the cd again and install.

[oldfred]

Actually it is UEFI that has to have a FAT32 partition as the first partition.

With gpt and BIOS you need a bios_grub partition and it can be anywhere on the drive. Since I may move drives to a newer computer, I now create both the FAT32 efi and a bios_grub partition at the beginning of every new drive, but only one or the other will be used.

Since the BIOS Boot Partition ("bios_grub" flag set in GNU Parted) is used without a filesystem for storing GRUB 2 boot code "unknown" filesystem! may be shown in many Partition tools.

However, in the GPT setup, there is no space following the 512-byte MBR for embedding the "second stage" core.img. Thus, you must make a separate "BIOS boot partition" to hold core.img. You can set bios_grub flag in gparted or with command line: In GPT fdisk (gdisk), give it a type code of EF02.
BIOS Boot Partition of 1 MiB for partition alignment.

sudo parted /dev/sda set <partition_number> bios_grub on

Since the BIOS Boot Partition ("bios_grub" flag set in GNU Parted) is used without a filesystem for storing GRUB 2 boot code, and since the EFI System Partition (ESP) is used by EFI with a FAT-32 filesystem for storing EFI files, the two cannot be the same partition.
If you're using EFI mode to boot, you don't need a BIOS Boot Partition, but you do need an EFI System Partition (ESP)
To be safe, create both of these partitions, in addition to your regular Linux partitions. Do not configure Linux to use either the ESP or the BIOS Boot Partition; they'll be used automatically by GRUB, if necessary.


fred@fred-MavericDT:~$ sudo parted /dev/sdd unit s print
[sudo] password for fred:
Model: ATA SSD G2 series 64 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdd: 117231408s
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt

Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
1 2048s 616447s 614400s fat32 boot
2 616448s 618495s 2048s bios_grub
3 618496s 58925055s 58306560s ext4 04
4 58925056s 117229567s 58304512s ext4 10