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aeronutt
March 3rd, 2014, 03:37 PM
When I attempt to run boot-repair, I get the following:

http://i.imgur.com/pa2UnNg.jpg

Everything else seems fine. (I run boot-repair sometimes after installing an additional OS to set my default OS).

gdisk reveals:




[~] $ sudo gdisk /dev/sda
[sudo] password for zzz:
GPT fdisk (gdisk) version 0.8.7

Partition table scan:
MBR: protective
BSD: not present
APM: not present
GPT: present

Found valid GPT with protective MBR; using GPT.

Command (? for help): p
Disk /dev/sda: 488397168 sectors, 232.9 GiB
Logical sector size: 512 bytes
Disk identifier (GUID): xxxyyyzzz
Partition table holds up to 128 entries
First usable sector is 34, last usable sector is 488397134
Partitions will be aligned on 2048-sector boundaries
Total free space is 4225 sectors (2.1 MiB)

Number Start (sector) End (sector) Size Code Name
1 2048 1026047 500.0 MiB 0700 EFI System Partition
2 1026048 9218047 3.9 GiB 8200
3 9218048 33794219 11.7 GiB 8300
4 33796096 58372095 11.7 GiB 8300
5 58372096 82948095 11.7 GiB 8300
6 82948096 488396799 193.3 GiB 8300

Command (? for help):


Thoughts?

oldfred
March 3rd, 2014, 04:24 PM
You are showing an efi partition which is for UEFI boot.

But you must be trying to convert or Boot into BIOS boot mode as that requires a bios_grub partition for grub to install correctly for BIOS boot. Boot-Repair cannot create that partition, you must have it first. But you should not need it.

But if system is UEFI, you should not be booting in BIOS mode.

Post the link to the Create BootInfo report. Is part of Boot-Repair:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Info

aeronutt
March 3rd, 2014, 04:28 PM
I'm not intentionally trying to boot into BIOS or convert to BIOS. Does boot-repair not work with UEFI boot? Documentation states that it does. All I'm trying to do is use boot-repair to reinstall GRUB (and point to a different OS as default boot).

oldfred
March 3rd, 2014, 05:31 PM
In UEFI menu you will get two options to boot Ubuntu flash drive. One should say UEFI and the other not UEFI, but may not be clear that it is BIOS/Legacy/CSM type boot.

Shows install with screen shots for both BIOS & UEFI, so you know which you are using.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UEFI

Another user with a Verbatim flash drive said he had these choices.
1. UEFI: VerbatimStoreNGo
2. VerbatimStoreNGo

aeronutt
March 3rd, 2014, 06:11 PM
Maybe my first and second posts are confusing. I'm not having a problem installing an OS (I'm not even trying to install an OS). I'm currently successfully booting ubuntu 13.10 using UEFI. The description of my problem is simple; when I run boot-repair from Ubuntu 13.10 installed on my SSD, I get the error message that I posted in my first post. My SSD is configured as I posted running "gdisk", which shows no issues. I have no other known problems.

It appears boot-repair is expecting something configured in a way that nothing else expects.

oldfred
March 3rd, 2014, 07:06 PM
That can only occur if you boot Boot-Repair in BIOS mode as to correctly install grub-pc(BIOS) you have to have the bios_grub partition.
You should not get that info message if booted in UEFI and are not trying to convert to BIOS mode.

aeronutt
March 3rd, 2014, 10:28 PM
First, thanks for your help! I must be doing something simple wrong. Here are my boot settings. I read this as I'm booting in UEFI secure mode:

http://i.imgur.com/NhQuUp9.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/FquXC0D.jpg

And here are the boot-repair options that I'm using (I don't change anything here other than unselecting everything under 'other')

http://i.imgur.com/l6eZ5E0.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/bejqcek.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/xCHmpQi.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/3kYOYmp.jpg

oldfred
March 3rd, 2014, 11:39 PM
Please attached screen shots, not post in line. You can easily attach with paper clip icon in Advanced Editor.
Not all users have high speed Internet and screen shots inline slow download a lot.

Your UEFI settings look correct, If you want secure boot.
You may need to check efi or the efi partition option as it looks like you only have BIOS type entries.
Boot-Repair will convert a UEFI boot to BIOS and vice versa. But it totally un-installs grub & re-installs correct version.
grub-pc for BIOS boot, but a bios_grub partition must exists
grub-efi for UEFI boot, but an efi partition must exist
And with secure boot in it includes the addition of signed version of grub & kernels.
Boot-Repair is really just running chroots & grub install commands, it cannot create partitions, so will complain if a required partition is missing for grub reinstall. If you just reinstall grub yourself, it tries and fails if correct partitions do not exist as it assumes you know you need that partition.

Post link to BootInfo report.

aeronutt
July 19th, 2014, 11:36 PM
Reviving this thread...I need to do a clean install of 14.04, and would really like to get this issue figured out/fixed before I do that install. Any one have ideas/thoughts?

oldfred
July 20th, 2014, 12:19 AM
First step is how you boot install flash drive.
If you boot it in UEFI mode it will install in UEFI mode.
If you boot it in BIOS mode it will install in BIOS mode.

Review these again:
Shows install with screen shots for both BIOS(purple) & UEFI(grub menu), so you know which you are using.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UEFI
Also shows Windows 8 screens
http://askubuntu.com/questions/221835/installing-ubuntu-on-a-pre-installed-uefi-supported-windows-8-system


Other Dell - most versions seen similar with just different options based on what hardware your model has.
Dell Inspiron 3521
http://www.everydaylinuxuser.com/2013/09/install-ubuntu-linux-alongside-windows.html
Ubuntu on the Precision M3800 or XPS15 Nov 2013
http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/b/techcenter/archive/2013/11/14/ubuntu-on-the-precision-m3800.aspx
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardwareSupport/Machines/Laptops/Dell/XPS/15z
Dell 14z & 17r with Intel SRT
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2038121
Dell 17R Brightness
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2195650
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2204287

aeronutt
July 20th, 2014, 12:36 AM
Thanks, but I'm not trying to install. Install, boot, etc all works fine.
But, boot-repair does NOT work. From first post:

http://i.imgur.com/pa2UnNg.jpg

This makes me believe something is amiss.

oldfred
July 20th, 2014, 12:54 AM
That is Boot-Repair saying that it is booted in BIOS Mode and to install a BIOS verison of grub needs the bios_grub partition.
I only have an old BIOS system but use gpt on all new drives. So I now add both an efi partition at beginning of drive for future use and a bios_grub partition for grub to install correctly to MBR and boot in BIOS mode.

You do need to be consistent. New systems allow you boot boot from UEFI/BIOS menu in either UEFI or BIOS mode. And they are not really compatible. Once you start booting in one mode you cannot convert to the other. Or from grub menu you can only boot systems installed in same boot mode.

If Windows is installed in UEFI mode, you do not need nor want the bios_grub partition unless you have a UEFI system that only installs in BIOS mode. Then Boot-Repair can convert a BIOS install of grub/Ubuntu to UEFI by uninstalling grub-pc for BIOS and installing the correct grub-efi version.

aeronutt
July 20th, 2014, 01:37 AM
That is Boot-Repair saying that it is booted in BIOS Mode and to install a BIOS verison of grub needs the bios_grub partition.
....

That's interesting, because my "bios" screens say I'm booting in UEFI, non-legacy.

Is there another way to tell how I booted (UEFI or BIOS) other than using boot-repair?

aeronutt
July 20th, 2014, 01:41 AM
FYI, I just ran this comand:

[ -d /sys/firmware/efi ] && echo "Installed in EFI mode" || echo "Installed in Legacy mode"

and it returned:


Installed in EFI mode

LostFarmer
July 20th, 2014, 03:35 AM
are you running 'boot-repair' from the installed linux or from a booted cd/usb device ? to help you we need to see the boot-repair generated Bootinfo report as requested by oldfred.

aeronutt
July 20th, 2014, 11:58 AM
I'm running boot-repair from installed linux.

Here's the bootinfo report:
http://paste.ubuntu.com/7824340/

oldfred
July 20th, 2014, 04:03 PM
You show no Windows install and sdb is Intel SRT which Linux sees as RAID.
Is this an Ultrabook. Lots of extra info on issues with Ultrabooks in link in my signature.

You also have efi boot files in sda1, but it is shown as a data partition not the efi or ESP boot partition. You need to use gparted and add the boot flag to sda1.

Intel Smart Response Technology
http://www.intel.com/p/en_US/support/highlights/chpsts/imsm
http://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/what-is-intel-rapid-start-technology
http://download.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/sb/rapid_start_technology_user_guide.pdf
Some general info in post #3
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2071242
Install 13.10 - just change UEFI to AHCI mode
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2199382
ubuntu 12.10 & Windows 8 oem Sony T & Intel SRT
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2090605
Intel SRT - Dell XPS Screen shots of Intel SRT screens & lots of details
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2038121
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2036204
Details in post #10 on an install that worked
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2020155
HP Envy Windows 7 with MBR & SRT
http://askubuntu.com/questions/159645/dual-boot-installation-of-ubuntu-12-04-lts-on-hp-ultrabook-envy-4-1002tx

aeronutt
July 21st, 2014, 02:41 AM
It's a Dell Inspiron 15z. I don't remember it being marketed/sold as an ultrabook. It believe it does have an internal SSD on the mother board.

So change the flag on /dev/sd1 from "msftdata" to "boot" ?

http://i.imgur.com/vlptHt9.png

LostFarmer
July 21st, 2014, 02:47 AM
"So change the flag on /dev/sd1 from "msftdata" to "boot" ?" yes, that is what mine has, only boot flag.

oldfred
July 21st, 2014, 04:50 AM
The msftdata says it is a gpt(GUID) data partition not a gpt ESP or efi boot partition.

There now is a newer code as originally there was only one data partition type. Now Linux has its own GUID type.

Change type code to 8300 with dual booting with Windows on gpt
http://www.rodsbooks.com/linux-fs-code/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GUID_Partition_Table

aeronutt
July 22nd, 2014, 12:16 PM
FYI, I do NOT have windows loaded. Currently, I only have one OS loaded, 14.04.

So update. I made the recommended chage of "mfstdata" to "boot", I loaded 14.04, and boot-repair now runs longer before it says it has an error. :)

Near the end of it's work (immediately at the start of the 'unhide boot menu' portion of boot-repair), it pops up:
http://i.imgur.com/Tf3KkAM.png

I'm running boot-repair with the following options:
http://i.imgur.com/yBJwt0i.png
http://i.imgur.com/9BjUI5b.png

(I also tried 'update grub to its most recent version', and got the same popup)

Here's the boot-repair report:
http://paste.ubuntu.com/7835445/

Pretty frustrating...I'm about to scrub my whole SSD and just go back to BIOS!

oldfred
July 22nd, 2014, 02:49 PM
Please attach screen shots with paperclip icon in Advanced editor. Not everyone has high speed Internet and it can lock up system.

Boot-Repair often works to reinstall grub, but picks up a minor error and shows that.

But you have Intel SRT, see details in link in my signature on Ultrabooks which have that as standard.

Most found they can just turn on AHCI in UEFI and grub then correctly installs. The Intel SRT is seen as RAID and the desktop does not have the RAID drivers for grub to install to RAID, but with Intel SRT you do not want it installed to the RAID anyway.

You did not mention model computer? Some older installs, new 14.04 should be even better, but some new systems need even newer kernel, support software & video drivers.
Dell XPS 8700 with Intel SRT - Install 13.10 - just change UEFI to AHCI mode
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2199382
Dell 14z & 17r with Intel SRT
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2038121

Info on all Dell, not just precision models.
Ubuntu on the Precision M3800 or XPS15 Nov 2013
http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/b/techcenter/archive/2013/11/14/ubuntu-on-the-precision-m3800.aspx
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardwareSupport/Machines/Laptops/Dell/XPS/15z

Dell XPS 14 Ultrabook what works
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2116597
Dell 14z used Dell Recovery and Refind
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2125397
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2179297
HOWTO Ubuntu 12.10 x64 Dell XPS 14 (UEFI + Intel Rapid Start Technology + Flashcache), bumblebee - Details
Do not understand why flash cache is required, just install to SSD?
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2117166

aeronutt
July 22nd, 2014, 03:27 PM
"SATA Operation" is already set as AHCI
Model is Dell Inspiron 15z 5523, about 8 months old.

How do I find out what error boot-repair is finding?

oldfred
July 22nd, 2014, 10:52 PM
If you look at the BootInfo report in detail.

This will say grub installed correctly as exit code is 0.
Installation finished. No error reported.
grub-install /dev/sda: exit code of grub-install /dev/sda:0

But something throws an error so result is often this. But grub installed correctly and it should boot. I am always seeing the wrong grub version, but that may be because some package names have changed and Boot-Repair is not updated for 14.04. It used to use just grub-efi, but now it is grub-efi-amd64-signed for secure boot or grub-efi-amd64.


Wrong GRUB version detected.
Installing for x86_64-efi platform.
Installation finished. No error reported.

An error occurred during the repair.