[SOLVED] how to change boot partitions?

[jsimerly]

During upgrade from 7.10 to 8.04, new 2.6.24 kernels and menu entries were added to the /boot directory on the LVM-controlled / file system. However, I originally set my system up in 6.06 to boot from a non-LVM-controlled partition /dev/sda1. This /boot directory never gets updated on a running system because the LVM-controlled / root directory which contains its own /boot overmounts the /dev/sda1 /boot directory. Subsequently, I have a Hardy installation that can run only the 2.6.22 and earlier kernels. How do I fix this? Do I simply boot using Live CD and copy contents of LVM /boot over the contents of /dev/sda1-controlled /boot? I have a bad feeling that I would end up with an unbootable system if I did this.

Any fixes or suggestions are welcome.

[lemming465]

If you post the output of
cat /etc/fstab; sudo blkid; sudo fdisk -l we can be more specific.

There is no problem I'm aware of having /boot be a separate mount point, though in Ubuntu you'd have to use manual partitioning to get that. (Whereas Redhat tends to do that by default). From your description, it sounds like the hardy upgrade didn't mount the old /dev/sda1 partition on /boot, which is probably an upgrade bug. If there is no entry for mount /dev/sda1 on /boot in /etc/fstab, that would tend to confirm the theory. If so, you can fix that after the fact with something along the lines of

sudo -i
mkdir /newboot
mount /dev/sda1 /newboot
cp -a /boot/. /newboot # warning: replaces former menu.lst
mv /boot /oldboot
mkdir /boot
umount /newboot
cp /etc/fstab /etc/fstab.bak
echo "/dev/sda1 /boot ext3 defaults 0 1" >>/etc/fstab # >> not >, very important
mount /boot
grub-install hd0

[jsimerly]

root@harmony12:~# cat /etc/fstab
# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
/dev/mapper/rootvg-root_lv / ext3 defaults,errors=remount-ro 0 1
# /dev/sda1 -- converted during upgrade to edgy
UUID=89fde834-d7dd-4b97-9ebb-88f4f503ab11 /boot ext3 defaults 0 2
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-home_lv /home ext3 defaults 0 2
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-opt_lv /opt ext3 defaults 0 2
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-src_lv /source ext3 defaults 0 2
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-srv_lv /srv ext3 defaults 0 2
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-tmp_lv /tmp ext3 defaults 0 2
/dev/mapper/rootvg-usr_lv /usr ext3 defaults 0 2
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-usr_local_lv /usr/local ext3 defaults 0 2
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-var_lv /var ext3 defaults 0 2
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-var_log_lv /var/log ext3 defaults 0 2
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-backup /backup ext3 defaults 0 2
/dev/mapper/rootvg-swap_lv none swap sw 0 0
/dev/hdd /media/cdrom0 udf,iso9660 user,noauto 0 0
/dev/cdrom /media/cdrom1 udf,iso9660 user,noauto 0 0
/dev/fd0 /media/floppy0 auto rw,user,noauto 0 0

root@harmony12:~# blkid
/dev/mapper/rootvg-swap_lv: TYPE="swap"
/dev/evms/lvm2/rootvg/root_lv: UUID="496b67a8-a8cd-40fc-bd68-f6f0e57627dd" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/evms/lvm2/home_data_vg/home_lv: UUID="fa6ece5a-2824-4e76-b8b3-ed37e93b848f" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-opt_lv: UUID="2ac8effc-276b-45df-a320-b8d07779e026" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/evms/lvm2/home_data_vg/opt_lv: UUID="2ac8effc-276b-45df-a320-b8d07779e026" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-tmp_lv: UUID="be538823-702d-4b3c-887b-0bfe75094e12" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/evms/lvm2/home_data_vg/tmp_lv: UUID="be538823-702d-4b3c-887b-0bfe75094e12" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-home_lv: UUID="fa6ece5a-2824-4e76-b8b3-ed37e93b848f" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-var_log_lv: UUID="ecbf7813-5b36-4a3c-ac4d-988ad50c46a8" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/rootvg-usr_lv: UUID="37b2247a-d053-4367-b0d1-ac66ab21a581" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-srv_lv: UUID="69464b0e-8ab3-40e1-8703-d3a124856a84" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-usr_local_lv: UUID="e20bc4b3-ebbd-4e86-808f-87885e3a87b2" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/evms/lvm2/home_data_vg/srv_lv: UUID="69464b0e-8ab3-40e1-8703-d3a124856a84" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/evms/lvm2/rootvg/usr_lv: UUID="37b2247a-d053-4367-b0d1-ac66ab21a581" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/evms/lvm2/home_data_vg/var_log_lv: UUID="ecbf7813-5b36-4a3c-ac4d-988ad50c46a8" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/evms/lvm2/home_data_vg/usr_local_lv: UUID="e20bc4b3-ebbd-4e86-808f-87885e3a87b2" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/evms/sda1: UUID="89fde834-d7dd-4b97-9ebb-88f4f503ab11" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-var_lv: UUID="bffbd2cf-ebbb-4709-881b-c8b963440952" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-src_lv: UUID="53188514-4f91-4c5d-a430-1c1dc214953c" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/evms/lvm2/home_data_vg/var_lv: UUID="bffbd2cf-ebbb-4709-881b-c8b963440952" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/evms/lvm2/rootvg/swap_lv: TYPE="swap"
/dev/evms/lvm2/home_data_vg/src_lv: UUID="53188514-4f91-4c5d-a430-1c1dc214953c" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/sda1: UUID="89fde834-d7dd-4b97-9ebb-88f4f503ab11" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/lvm2|rootvg|root_lv: UUID="496b67a8-a8cd-40fc-bd68-f6f0e57627dd" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/rootvg-root_lv: UUID="496b67a8-a8cd-40fc-bd68-f6f0e57627dd" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/lvm2|home_data_vg|home_lv: UUID="fa6ece5a-2824-4e76-b8b3-ed37e93b848f" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/lvm2|home_data_vg|opt_lv: UUID="2ac8effc-276b-45df-a320-b8d07779e026" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-backup: UUID="1a64ff51-8255-4d29-bb14-7e99f5e48b75" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/lvm2|home_data_vg|tmp_lv: UUID="be538823-702d-4b3c-887b-0bfe75094e12" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/lvm2|home_data_vg|backup: UUID="1a64ff51-8255-4d29-bb14-7e99f5e48b75" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/lvm2|rootvg|usr_lv: UUID="37b2247a-d053-4367-b0d1-ac66ab21a581" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/lvm2|home_data_vg|var_log_lv: UUID="ecbf7813-5b36-4a3c-ac4d-988ad50c46a8" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/lvm2|rootvg|swap_lv: TYPE="swap"
/dev/mapper/lvm2|home_data_vg|src_lv: UUID="53188514-4f91-4c5d-a430-1c1dc214953c" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/sda5: UUID="C4k8p3-L1rl-NIcc-cI5m-xYmO-YIFW-E472FD" TYPE="lvm2pv"
/dev/sdb5: UUID="DqmprJ-WH63-dewK-hlYw-GiyA-sTw5-ruNltn" TYPE="lvm2pv"
/dev/mapper/sdb5: UUID="DqmprJ-WH63-dewK-hlYw-GiyA-sTw5-ruNltn" TYPE="lvm2pv"
/dev/mapper/sda5: UUID="C4k8p3-L1rl-NIcc-cI5m-xYmO-YIFW-E472FD" TYPE="lvm2pv"

root@harmony12:~# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 74.3 GB, 74355769344 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9039 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0000024f

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 18 144553+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 19 9039 72461182+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 19 9039 72461151 8e Linux LVM

Disk /dev/sdb: 300.0 GB, 300090728448 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 36483 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00020a8c

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 36483 293049666 5 Extended
/dev/sdb5 1 36483 293049634+ 8e Linux LVM

[lemming465]

Ok, your fstab has

UUID=89fde834-d7dd-4b97-9ebb-88f4f503ab11 /boot ext3 defaults 0 2
which ought to be mounting sda1 as /boot. Does it?

[jsimerly]

I don't know what successfully mounts. Once the kernel-loading grub screen disappears, the system displays an error message saying that the mount of /dev/sda1 has failed because /boot is already mounted.

On a hard-drive-booted system, I get the same error:

root@harmony12:~# mount /dev/sda1 /boot
mount: /dev/sda1 already mounted or /boot busy


The only way I can access the files on /dev/sda1 is to boot into the Live CD.

[lemming465]

I don't know what successfully mounts.
If you get any kind of command prompt, even from initramfs, try cat /proc/mounts to find out.

I notice that Evms is deprecated (https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Evms); the symptoms they describe match your situation.

[jsimerly]

root@harmony12:~# cat /proc/mounts
rootfs / rootfs rw 0 0
none /sys sysfs rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec 0 0
none /proc proc rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec 0 0
udev /dev tmpfs rw 0 0
fusectl /sys/fs/fuse/connections fusectl rw 0 0
/dev/mapper/rootvg-root_lv / ext3 rw,data=ordered 0 0
/dev/mapper/rootvg-root_lv /dev/.static/dev ext3 rw,data=ordered 0 0
none /sys sysfs rw 0 0
tmpfs /var/run tmpfs rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec 0 0
tmpfs /var/lock tmpfs rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec 0 0
tmpfs /lib/modules/2.6.22-14-generic/volatile tmpfs rw 0 0
tmpfs /dev/shm tmpfs rw 0 0
devpts /dev/pts devpts rw 0 0
tmpfs /var/run tmpfs rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec 0 0
tmpfs /var/lock tmpfs rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec 0 0
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-home_lv /home ext3 rw,data=ordered 0 0
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-opt_lv /opt ext3 rw,data=ordered 0 0
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-src_lv /source ext3 rw,data=ordered 0 0
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-srv_lv /srv ext3 rw,data=ordered 0 0
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-tmp_lv /tmp ext3 rw,data=ordered 0 0
/dev/mapper/rootvg-usr_lv /usr ext3 rw,data=ordered 0 0
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-usr_local_lv /usr/local ext3 rw,data=ordered 0 0
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-var_lv /var ext3 rw,data=ordered 0 0
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-var_log_lv /var/log ext3 rw,data=ordered 0 0
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-backup /backup ext3 rw,data=ordered 0 0
securityfs /sys/kernel/security securityfs rw 0 0
nfsd /proc/fs/nfsd nfsd rw 0 0
binfmt_misc /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc binfmt_misc rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec 0 0

[lemming465]

There is no sign of either /boot or /dev/sda1 in your /proc/mounts list. If it's complaining that it is already mounted, it must be going on the rootfs from the initial ram disk instead of the /dev/mapper/rootvg-root_lv.

What do you get from umount /dev/sda; mkdir /newboot; mount -v /dev/sda1 /newboot

[jsimerly]

root@harmony12:~# umount /dev/sda1
umount: /dev/sda1: not mounted

[lemming465]

right, but what happens with mkdir /newboot; mount -v /dev/sda1 /newboot?

And then how does ls -l compare on /newboot versus /boot?

[jsimerly]

root@harmony12:~# mkdir /newboot
root@harmony12:~# mount -v /dev/sda1 /newboot
mount: you didn't specify a filesystem type for /dev/sda1
I will try type ext3
mount: /dev/sda1 already mounted or /newboot busy
root@harmony12:~# ls -l /newboot
total 0
root@harmony12:~# ls -l /boot
total 85428
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 414274 2008-02-12 00:19 abi-2.6.20-16-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 424317 2008-02-12 04:39 abi-2.6.22-14-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 422607 2008-04-10 11:51 abi-2.6.24-16-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 422667 2008-05-01 12:59 abi-2.6.24-17-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 83217 2008-02-11 20:45 config-2.6.20-16-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 75311 2008-02-12 04:39 config-2.6.22-14-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 79964 2008-04-10 11:51 config-2.6.24-16-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 80071 2008-05-01 12:59 config-2.6.24-17-generic
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 2008-05-10 16:55 grub
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 9148905 2008-05-03 19:16 initrd.img-2.6.20-16-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 9148142 2008-05-02 21:30 initrd.img-2.6.20-16-generic.bak
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 9141046 2008-05-03 19:17 initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 9140998 2008-05-02 21:29 initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic.bak
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 9468530 2008-05-03 19:24 initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 9468613 2008-05-02 21:29 initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic.bak
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 9468644 2008-05-07 08:49 initrd.img-2.6.24-17-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 9468576 2008-05-05 08:58 initrd.img-2.6.24-17-generic.bak
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 807071 2008-02-12 00:20 System.map-2.6.20-16-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 823535 2008-02-12 04:39 System.map-2.6.22-14-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 899892 2008-04-10 11:51 System.map-2.6.24-16-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 905012 2008-05-01 12:59 System.map-2.6.24-17-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1747532 2008-02-12 00:19 vmlinuz-2.6.20-16-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1764536 2008-02-12 04:39 vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1904248 2008-04-10 11:51 vmlinuz-2.6.24-16-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1921944 2008-05-01 12:59 vmlinuz-2.6.24-17-generic

[jsimerly]

Lemming, thanks for your help and patience. Your reply regarding the EVM deprecation, its link, and its contents were highly valuable. I got around the complexity of uninstalling EVM by simply reinstalling 8.04 with the Alternate CD and letting it format all system partitions. All of my important user data and settings in /home survived the reinstallation. The various upgrades from 6.06 to 8.04 and their installations of EVM must have really conflicted with the existing LVM setup. As you can see, the new fstab is really straightforward:

root@harmony12:~# cat /etc/fstab
# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
# /dev/mapper/rootvg-root_lv
UUID=c82b809b-d8b4-49b3-87d9-efcd1e37cfd1 / ext3 relatime,errors=remount-ro 0 1
# /dev/mapper/home_data_vg-backup
UUID=1a64ff51-8255-4d29-bb14-7e99f5e48b75 /backup ext3 relatime 0 2
# /dev/sda1
UUID=f5c8d62d-be3f-457d-95ff-df4bd53d9b5b /boot ext3 relatime 0 2
# /dev/mapper/home_data_vg-home_lv
UUID=fa6ece5a-2824-4e76-b8b3-ed37e93b848f /home ext3 relatime 0 2
# /dev/mapper/home_data_vg-opt_lv
UUID=936e568c-a6cc-41e6-9b68-296d94a055d9 /opt ext3 relatime 0 2
# /dev/mapper/home_data_vg-src_lv
UUID=58abe82d-f5d4-44af-953f-5801b066d4f6 /src ext3 relatime 0 2
# /dev/mapper/home_data_vg-srv_lv
UUID=69464b0e-8ab3-40e1-8703-d3a124856a84 /srv ext3 relatime 0 2
# /dev/mapper/home_data_vg-tmp_lv
UUID=852f7a26-390d-4293-a2fc-0f8f72d5fb5e /tmp ext3 relatime 0 2
# /dev/mapper/rootvg-usr_lv
UUID=669b98c0-e109-4d65-b8bd-56d3e5aef683 /usr ext3 relatime 0 2
# /dev/mapper/home_data_vg-usr_local_lv
UUID=e20bc4b3-ebbd-4e86-808f-87885e3a87b2 /usr/local ext3 relatime 0 2
# /dev/mapper/home_data_vg-var_lv
UUID=3510bf4f-e3d7-4518-81e0-d6027e3c39e4 /var ext3 relatime 0 2
# /dev/mapper/home_data_vg-var_log_lv
UUID=360fb551-c257-4a2b-90b2-88c56458cc09 /var/log ext3 relatime 0 2
# /dev/mapper/rootvg-swap_lv
UUID=552239da-e5ab-4164-8f8a-d5e6034ca999 none swap sw 0 0
/dev/scd1 /media/cdrom0 udf,iso9660 user,noauto,exec,utf8 0 0
/dev/scd0 /media/cdrom1 udf,iso9660 user,noauto,exec,utf8 0 0
/dev/fd0 /media/floppy0 auto rw,user,noauto,exec,utf8 0 0


New blkid output, compared to the bungled mess it was before.

root@harmony12:~# blkid
/dev/mapper/rootvg-swap_lv: TYPE="swap" UUID="552239da-e5ab-4164-8f8a-d5e6034ca999"
/dev/mapper/rootvg-root_lv: UUID="c82b809b-d8b4-49b3-87d9-efcd1e37cfd1" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-opt_lv: UUID="936e568c-a6cc-41e6-9b68-296d94a055d9" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-backup: UUID="1a64ff51-8255-4d29-bb14-7e99f5e48b75" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-tmp_lv: UUID="852f7a26-390d-4293-a2fc-0f8f72d5fb5e" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-home_lv: UUID="fa6ece5a-2824-4e76-b8b3-ed37e93b848f" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-var_log_lv: UUID="360fb551-c257-4a2b-90b2-88c56458cc09" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/rootvg-usr_lv: UUID="669b98c0-e109-4d65-b8bd-56d3e5aef683" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-srv_lv: UUID="69464b0e-8ab3-40e1-8703-d3a124856a84" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-usr_local_lv: UUID="e20bc4b3-ebbd-4e86-808f-87885e3a87b2" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-var_lv: UUID="3510bf4f-e3d7-4518-81e0-d6027e3c39e4" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/mapper/home_data_vg-src_lv: UUID="58abe82d-f5d4-44af-953f-5801b066d4f6" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/sda1: UUID="f5c8d62d-be3f-457d-95ff-df4bd53d9b5b" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/sda5: UUID="C4k8p3-L1rl-NIcc-cI5m-xYmO-YIFW-E472FD" TYPE="lvm2pv"
/dev/sdb5: UUID="DqmprJ-WH63-dewK-hlYw-GiyA-sTw5-ruNltn" TYPE="lvm2pv"
/dev/sdc1: UUID="9801261f-1df3-4dc0-9d6b-91503bfe91cb" TYPE="ext3"