[SOLVED] Error 17

[Bruener]

Hey, Ive been trying to get this Linux up and running for about two days now, and I cant seem to do it. I tried most of the steps listed for general problem solving and couldnt fix it. Basically I installed Ubuntu on a hard drive in a portable case (160GB) that is connected to my laptop via USB. My internal HD runs XP and I wasnt to play around with Windows. After usingt he CD to install, I had to change my boot order to start from the portable HD to get the GRUB menu. Now when I try to start ubuntu I get an error 17: Cannot mount selected partition. Any advice?

[tamoneya]

put the live CD in again since you need to edit some of the files on the harddrive. Once you are in the live environment you should mount the drive if it hasnt already been automounted. Then you need to look at /etc/fstab. Post the results of the two following commands:
sudo fdisk -l
cat /etc/fstab

[Bruener]

The first command gives
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -l


Disk /dev/sda: 100.0 GB, 100030242816 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 12161 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x2787912e

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 12137 97490421 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdb: 160.0 GB, 160000000000 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19452 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00007771

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 19078 153244003+ 83 Linux
/dev/sdb2 19079 19452 3004155 5 Extended
/dev/sdb5 19079 19452 3004123+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris


The second one does
cat /etc/fstab



unionfs / unionfs rw 0 0
tmpfs /tmp tmpfs nosuid,nodev 0 0
/dev/sdb5 swap swap defaults 0 0

[tamoneya]

type
sudo nano /etc/fstaband change it to this:

/dev/sdb1 / unionfs rw 0 0
tmpfs /tmp tmpfs nosuid,nodev 0 0
/dev/sdb5 swap swap defaults 0 0

[Bruener]

alright, did that

[Bruener]

Should I try starting now?

[meierfra.]

But that won't solve your problem. A grub error can not be fixed by editing "fstab" (Grub does not even look at "fstab"). Also you did edit the fstab of the Live CD. So that definitely won't make any difference.


Do this: At the grub menu at boot up, select ubuntu, but to not press "enter". Press "c" instead.
Next press "e" to edit the first line. It should say something like

"root (hd1,3)"

change the first number to "0", do NOT change the second number:

so "root (hd1,3)" needs to be changed to "(hd0,3)"

Press "enter" and then "esc". This gets you back to the grub menu. You now should be able to boot into ubuntu.


You still have the make these changes permanent:


gksudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

change "#groot ... " the same way you just changed "root ..."

for example change "#groot (hd1,3)" to "#groot (hd0,3)"

Save the file. Then


sudo update-grub

and you should be all set.

[Bruener]

Thankyou!!!!!
It worked!
Now to figure out how to do that 3d cube desktop. Hehe