11.10 not booting after upgrade, not even in recovery mode

[hacker_nk]

When I try to boot normally I get:
"hci_cmd_timer: hci0 command tx timeout" repeatedly on a black screen...
Recovery mode won't boot also... Getting desperate here... It's Dell 5110 if it is of any help...

[drs305]

hacker_nk,


Welcome to the Ubuntu forums. :-)

I don't have any specific advice regarding your situation, but a search of the error message reveals a lot of similar instances, many related to Bluetooth.

I don't know if removing any attached Bluetooth device might help or if there is a system setting is responsible for your problem, but I'd try disconnecting any devices attached (if any) to see if that fixes things at least so you can boot.

[hacker_nk]

It has integrated BT module :( I am a hardware guy but not really fond of digging around laptop inside to find it :D

[drs305]

I can't tell you which ones to use, but perhaps you will know as a 'hardware' guy...

You can add kernel modules to the boot instructions in Grub 2. For instance, 'nomodeset' is often used to disable loading modules until the correct drivers can be installed after booting.

If you know or can determine a kernel instruction that would prevent bluetooth or hci... from loading, perhaps that would work.

To add a kernel option, at the Grub menu press 'e' to edit the highlighted selection. Cursor to the 'linux' line and add the kernel option where the "quiet splash" instructions are probably located. Once added, press CTRL-x to boot.

This edit is non-persistent, so if it boots you will need to either make the kernel option permanent in /etc/default/grub in the GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT= line or correct the problem so the option isn't necessary.

If you do edit the above-mentioned file, save the file and then run "sudo update-grub" to make the change permanent.

[hacker_nk]

I forgot to mention that my nick is nowhere near to truth, treat me as a NOOB i.e. don't know virtually anything so please give me "an idiots guide" to what you just said :)
I know whats GRUB and know how to enter the "e" menu :)

[drs305]

Sorry, I thought you were a bit more experienced. As to what I said:

When you first boot, normally you will be presented with the Grub (bootloader) menu which allows you to select Ubuntu or another OS. If you only have one OS, you may have to hold down the SHIFT key during boot to display the menu.

Once the menu appears, you can press 'e' to open that menu item for editing. There are normally 4 or 5 lines, and you can edit them while in this mode. You use the cursor buttons to move to the point you want to edit, then type what you want. Once you have entered what you wish, you press CTRL-x to begin the boot process.

If you make a mistake, just press ESC and start over. Any change you make in this manner will not stay. The next time you boot you will have to repeat the process until you can boot and make the change permanent.

The setting you change is stored in a file (/etc/default/grub). You have to edit that file as the administrator. Open the text editor with "gksu gedit /etc/default/grub". You will be asked for your password to gain access.

If you make any edit of Grub files, to actually incorporate the change(s) into the menu you have to run "sudo update-grub". Again you will be asked for your password. This time you won't see your password as you type it in the terminal (it's a security feature). Just enter it and then ENTER.

Now, the hard part is which, if any, kernel options may work. And I don't know. I was hoping your experience would help you in this regard.

Perhaps someone else will know - or perhaps the solution isn't a kernel option but something entirely different.

I primarily entered this thread to welcome you to Ubuntu and provide a possible hint since others had problems with Bluetooth when running into this situation. Unfortunately I know more about Grub than I do about hardware...

[hacker_nk]

Come on someone! I'm getting desperate here! Have some important data and can't get it by no means known to me... I can't boot into recovery mode!!! I do have picture, a bunch of text and of course no GUI...

[darkod]

Come on someone! I'm getting desperate here! Have some important data and can't get it by no means known to me... I can't boot into recovery mode!!! I do have picture, a bunch of text and of course no GUI...

Hold on. Did you try the 'nomodeset' parameter as suggested above?

Also, what do you mean you can't get it. Are we talking about making ubuntu boot or simply copying the data for a start. You should always be able to boot with the ubuntu cd in live mode (Try Ubuntu), and copy what ever you want to an external HDD.

[hacker_nk]

Yes but I can't access the partitions on LiveCD for what I need something to boot it and recover the data. I tried to do the things stated above but didn't succeed probably because I did not really understand the operations correctly...

[darkod]

Yes but I can't access the partitions on LiveCD for what I need something to boot it and recover the data. I tried to do the things stated above but didn't succeed probably because I did not really understand the operations correctly...

OK. You can see the boot menu, right?
Using the up/down arrows position yourself on the ubuntu entry, the main one, not recovery, but DO NOT hit Enter. Press the 'e' key.
That will show you the boot lines. Using the up/down/left/right arrows position the cursor in the line starting with 'linux' somewhere in front of the 'quiet splash' text. Add 'nomodeset'.
Press Ctrl + X to boot.

If that worked, don't reboot. Post here and we can give you instructions to make it permanent. The above procedure is just a one time deal, doesn't stay permanent.

[hacker_nk]

Ok, now I booted into it, waiting for instructions to make this permanent! Thank you both!!!

[darkod]

OK. Once it's booted it might be simply a question of installing a driver, but it doesn't hurt making the 'nomodeset' permanent anyway (maybe drs305 can correct me if I'm wrong about this).

To make permanenet:
Open one of the grub config files with:
gksu gedit /etc/default/grub

Then look for the line GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="" and change the value to "nomodeset". Save and close.
Then to accept the change run:
sudo update-grub

Now it's permanent. In future, any type of boot parameter you want to add, you can enter it in that line inside the "" with space between different parameters.

Also look around if you have new drivers suggested by ubuntu for install. There will probably be for the video card.

[hacker_nk]

Oh God... Now another problem... Partition that has a corrupt 11.04 install and all my files on it doesn't show in the home folder... The files are nowhere to be found...

[Buntumatic]

Then run fsck on it.

[darkod]

Oh God... Now another problem... Partition that has a corrupt 11.04 install and all my files on it doesn't show in the home folder... The files are nowhere to be found...

This is a separate install?

If it is, it will not show in your Home folder. Your Home folder is only inside the new installation.

It's best first to run fsck while it's unmounted, as said.
Then if you want to access the data, just open the file manager Nautilus (your Home folder for example), and in the left menu at the top all detected partitions should be listed. According to the partition size or name (if it had one) you can guess which is it, and click on it to mount it.

[hacker_nk]

When I try to run fsck from terminal from this stable partition it says that if I continue I will make serious damage to drive because its mounted. Should I add some argument to "sudo fsck" to avoid fsck-ing active, mounted partition?

[darkod]

You need to specify which partition you want to check, like:
sudo fsck /dev/sdaN (N is the number of the partition)

[hacker_nk]

After typing fsck into terminal i get this:

marko@marko-Inspiron-N5110:~$ sudo fsck /dev/sda3
[sudo] password for marko:
fsck from util-linux 2.19.1
e2fsck 1.41.14 (22-Dec-2010)
/dev/sda3: clean, 173822/19472384 files, 16052566/77880064 blocks
marko@marko-Inspiron-N5110:~$ sudo fsck /dev/sda2
fsck from util-linux 2.19.1
e2fsck 1.41.14 (22-Dec-2010)
/dev/sda2 is mounted.

WARNING!!! The filesystem is mounted. If you continue you ***WILL***
cause ***SEVERE*** filesystem damage.

Do you really want to continue (y/n)? no

check aborted.


After this nothing is changed in my home folder, I still don't see the partition...

[darkod]

Are you sure sda3 is the partition you want to access?

You can try mounting it with:
sudo mount /dev/sda3 /mnt

And then list the content with:
ls /mnt

[hacker_nk]

I think #3 is the partition I want, I might be wrong... Only partitions that exist from 1 to 5 are #2 and #3 and when I try to fsck #2 I get that it is mounted which leads me to conclusion that it is the partition currently in use...

marko@marko-Inspiron-N5110:~$ sudo mount /dev/sda3 /mnt
[sudo] password for marko:
marko@marko-Inspiron-N5110:~$ ls /mnt
ls: cannot access /mnt/var: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/boot: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/usr: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/media: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/proc: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/dev: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/sbin: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/sys: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/selinux: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/xorg.conf.new: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/lib: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/run: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/cdrom: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/bin: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/home: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/vmlinuz: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/root: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/tmp: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/srv: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/initrd.img.old: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/mnt: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/lost+found: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/lib64: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/vmlinuz.old: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/etc: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/initrd.img: Permission denied
ls: cannot access /mnt/opt: Permission denied
bin etc lib mnt run sys vmlinuz
boot home lib64 opt sbin tmp vmlinuz.old
cdrom initrd.img lost+found proc selinux usr xorg.conf.new
dev initrd.img.old media root srv var

[darkod]

Yeah, that looks like a root partition from another install. The permissions are giving you a problem, not sure if you can avoid that with sudo, I have never tried this.

How about trying to list the content of Home on that partition with:

sudo ls /mnt/home

The above assumes you keep /dev/sda3 mounted at /mnt.

If that worked you can copy things, but I think this might be easier if you boot with the ubuntu cd in live mode.

[Buntumatic]

BTW, you really should not run it on mounted filesystem.
Can you post output of
fdisk -l; mount