Bypassing GRUB

[rmcellig]

I successfully installed Ubuntu 8.04 in one of my PC's. I decided to remove the drive and then put it in my other PC. When I start up I get a GRUB loading Error 2 message. This drive is partitioned. One partition has XP Pro and the other, 8.04. What should I do so that I can get back to normal?

[caljohnsmith]

Are you getting the Grub error 2 before seeing the Grub menu (or seeing the text "Press ESC to see menu"), or after you get the Grub menu and select an OS?

How about booting your Live CD, open a terminal, and posting:

sudo fdisk -lu
Figure which is your Ubuntu partition in the form sdXY (like sda2 or similar) by noticing which partition is "linux" under the "system" category, and then use that as follows:

sudo mount /dev/sdXY /mnt
cat /mnt/boot/grub/menu.lst
Also, follow these steps to ensure that Grub is properly installed to the MBR (Master Boot Record) of your Ubuntu drive:

sudo grub
grub> find /boot/grub/stage1

The command above should return your main Ubuntu partition in the form of (hdX,Y) where X and Y are numbers, for example (hd0,4), but use whatever it returns as follows:


grub> root (hdX,Y)
grub> setup (hdX)
grub> quit
Please post the output of all the above commands.

[rmcellig]

Thanks for your help.

So this is the easiest way for me to get back up and running without having to delete the Ubuntu partition and starting over again?

[rmcellig]

[QUOTE=caljohnsmith;6056718]Are you getting the Grub error 2 before seeing the Grub menu (or seeing the text "Press ESC to see menu"), or after you get the Grub menu and select an OS?

I am seeing the GRUB error 2 before I see the Grub menu.

[rmcellig]

What am I doing wrong here. I am trying to follow your instructions but I think I may have a syntax error or something similar:

To run a command as administrator (user "root"), use "sudo <command>".
See "man sudo_root" for details.

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -lu

WARNING: GPT (GUID Partition Table) detected on '/dev/sda'! The util fdisk doesn't support GPT. Use GNU Parted.


Disk /dev/sda: 400.0 GB, 400088457216 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 48641 cylinders, total 781422768 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xd3dbd3db

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 63 195318269 97659103+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 195318270 781417664 293049697+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 195318333 778397444 291539556 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 778397508 781417664 1510078+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount /dev/sda5/mnt
mount: can't find /dev/sda5/mnt in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount/dev/sda5/mnt
sudo: mount/dev/sda5/mnt: command not found
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount/dev/sda5/mnt
sudo: mount/dev/sda5/mnt: command not found
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount/dev/sda5/ mnt
sudo: mount/dev/sda5/: command not found
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$

[rmcellig]

As requested, here are the results after running the commands suggested above in the previous post. Where do I go from here?

To run a command as administrator (user "root"), use "sudo <command>".
See "man sudo_root" for details.

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -lu

WARNING: GPT (GUID Partition Table) detected on '/dev/sda'! The util fdisk doesn't support GPT. Use GNU Parted.


Disk /dev/sda: 400.0 GB, 400088457216 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 48641 cylinders, total 781422768 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xd3dbd3db

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 63 775361159 387680548+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 775361160 781417664 3028252+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 775361223 781417664 3028221 82 Linux swap / Solaris
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount /dev/sdXY /mnt
mount: special device /dev/sdXY does not exist
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ cat /mnt/boot/grub/menu.lst
# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
# grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
# grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
# and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not use 'savedefault' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default 0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 3

## hiddenmenu
# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)
hiddenmenu

# Pretty colours
#color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line) and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
# password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader +1
#
# title Linux
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=UUID=c5a87fe5-4170-4684-bb19-6447bc6cc77f ro

## Setup crashdump menu entries
## e.g. crashdump=1
# crashdump=0

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,0)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
## alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
## lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
## lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
## altoptions=(recovery) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
## howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
## memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title Ubuntu 8.04.1, kernel 2.6.24-19-generic
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-19-generic root=UUID=c5a87fe5-4170-4684-bb19-6447bc6cc77f ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-19-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 8.04.1, kernel 2.6.24-19-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-19-generic root=UUID=c5a87fe5-4170-4684-bb19-6447bc6cc77f ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-19-generic

title Ubuntu 8.04.1, memtest86+
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo grub
Probing devices to guess BIOS drives. This may take a long time.
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$



[ Minimal BASH-like line editing is supported. For
the first word, TAB lists possible command
completions. Anywhere else TAB lists the possible
completions of a device/filename. ]

grub> find /boot/grub/stage1
(hd0,0)

grub> root (hd0,0)

grub> setup (hd0)
Checking if "/boot/grub/stage1" exists... yes
Checking if "/boot/grub/stage2" exists... yes
Checking if "/boot/grub/e2fs_stage1_5" exists... yes
Running "embed /boot/grub/e2fs_stage1_5 (hd0)"... 16 sectors aresucceeded.
Running "install /boot/grub/stage1 (hd0) (hd0)1+16 p (hd0,0)/boot/boot/grub/menu.lst"... succeeded
Done.

grub>

[rmcellig]

I just removed the drive from my Dell 4500S machine and put it in my other PC. Works fine!

I want Ubuntu to work in my Dell 4500S though. What should I do? I even tried the Ubuntu alternate CD and still had the same GRUB error described above.