How to install (only) a kernel from an installation CD

[tg1w]

Ah sorry, I missed that. It could be that the cdrom doesn't actually contain an installable kernel package, since it copies over a base system. I'm really shooting in the dark with that explanation.

I'd revert to your original /etc/apt/sources.list and make your goal to get on the internet.

You should be able to plug in a networking cable and get online. If that's an option, I'd try it.

You'd plug it in and do something like:

sudo ifup eth0
sudo dhclient eth0

Then test to see if you're online:

ping -c 3 google.com

You really should be able to get online, and once you're online you should be able to install a kernel.

Thank you Bribera. I will be working on that. Current results are:

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo chroot /mnt/system /bin/bash
root@ubuntu:/# sudo ifup eth0
sudo: unable to resolve host ubuntu
ifup: failed to open statefile /var/run/network/ifstate: No such file or directory
root@ubuntu:/# sudo hostname x
sudo: unable to resolve host ubuntu
root@ubuntu:/# sudo hostname x
root@ubuntu:/# hostname
x
root@ubuntu:/# sudo ifup eth0
ifup: failed to open statefile /var/run/network/ifstate: No such file or directory

root@ubuntu:/# sudo dhclient eth0
Internet Systems Consortium DHCP Client V3.1.1
Copyright 2004-2008 Internet Systems Consortium.
All rights reserved.
For info, please visit http://www.isc.org/sw/dhcp/

/proc/net/dev: No such file or directory

root@ubuntu:/# ping -c 3 google.com
ping: unknown host google.com

[tg1w]

Hi. I managed to get the network started by copying the required files from the livecd filesystem. Started synaptic and downloaded a linux-image (needed wireless-crda too, among others) but I get the same Error failed to fork pty when synaptic tries to install the packages... what a pity.

This is the output:

# synaptic
vte_terminal_forkpty() failed. Bad file descriptor

[bribera]

Gack, what an annoyance At least you got networking up

You can try to install it with dpkg instead of syntaptic, although who knows whether it'll actually install given that syntaptic is broken. To do that, try these instructions:

First, figure out what kernel version you're running:

uname -r

Based on that, choose the the directory containing your Ubuntu kernel from kernel.ubuntu.com: http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/ - also be sure to choose the correct architecture.

Install like this (my example is using the 2.6.31.5 build for x86_64):

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v2.6.31.5/linux-headers-2.6.31-02063105_2.6.31-02063105_all.deb
wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v2.6.31.5/linux-headers-2.6.31-02063105-generic_2.6.31-02063105_amd64.deb
wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v2.6.31.5/linux-image-2.6.31-02063105-generic_2.6.31-02063105_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i linux-headers-2.6.31-02063105_2.6.31-02063105_all.deb
sudo dpkg -i linux-headers-2.6.31-02063105-generic_2.6.31-02063105_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i linux-image-2.6.31-02063105-generic_2.6.31-02063105_amd64.deb

The other option you have is to install the kernel yourself. This basically means doing some of the work that syntaptic does for you:

• copying the right files into /boot
• updating grub to recognize the kernel
• hoping it works

We can try that path if installing the .debs doesn't work...

[tg1w]

Gack, what an annoyance At least you got networking up

You can try to install it with dpkg instead of syntaptic, although who knows whether it'll actually install given that syntaptic is broken. To do that, try these instructions:

First, figure out what kernel version you're running:

uname -r

You mean the version of kernel I was previously running, or the one on the LiveCD?

The LiveCD is running version 2.6.31-14-generic. This however cannot be found on kernel.ubuntu.com. I have thus used simply v2.6.31.

wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v2.6.31/linux-headers-2.6.31-020631-generic_2.6.31-020631_i386.deb
wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v2.6.31/linux-headers-2.6.31-020631_2.6.31-020631_all.deb
wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v2.6.31/linux-image-2.6.31-020631-generic_2.6.31-020631_i386.deb
wget http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v2.6.31/linux-source-2.6.31_2.6.31-020631_all.deb

In order to install the above, I had to copy the /proc/bus/pci directory from the LiveCD filesystem. In order to install linux-image I was required to install wireless-crda, which can be obtained through

wget http://mirrors.kernel.org/ubuntu/pool/main/w/wireless-crda/wireless-crda_1.7_i386.deb
sudo dpkg -i wireless-crda_1.7_i386.deb

This is the big output:

root@ubuntu:/# sudo dpkg -i linux-image-2.6.31-020631-generic_2.6.31-020631_i386.deb 
(Reading database ... 304651 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to replace linux-image-2.6.31-020631-generic 2.6.31-020631 (using linux-image-2.6.31-020631-generic_2.6.31-020631_i386.deb) ...
Done.
Unpacking replacement linux-image-2.6.31-020631-generic ...
Running postrm hook script /sbin/update-grub.
Searching for GRUB installation directory ... found: /boot/grub
findfs: Unable to resolve 'UUID=c1448a6e-04eb-46a1-80f0-5154db00f923'
Cannot determine root device.  Assuming /dev/hda1
This error is probably caused by an invalid /etc/fstab
Searching for default file ... found: /boot/grub/default
Testing for an existing GRUB menu.lst file ... found: /boot/grub/menu.lst
Searching for splash image ... none found, skipping ...
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-020631-generic
Found kernel: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Updating /boot/grub/menu.lst ... done

Setting up linux-image-2.6.31-020631-generic (2.6.31-020631) ...
Running depmod.
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-020631-generic
grep: /proc/modules: No such file or directory
grep: /proc/modules: No such file or directory
grep: /proc/modules: No such file or directory
grep: /proc/modules: No such file or directory
grep: /proc/modules: No such file or directory
grep: /proc/modules: No such file or directory
grep: /proc/modules: No such file or directory
grep: /proc/modules: No such file or directory
Running postinst hook script /sbin/update-grub.
Searching for GRUB installation directory ... found: /boot/grub
findfs: Unable to resolve 'UUID=c1448a6e-04eb-46a1-80f0-5154db00f923'
Cannot determine root device.  Assuming /dev/hda1
This error is probably caused by an invalid /etc/fstab
Searching for default file ... found: /boot/grub/default
Testing for an existing GRUB menu.lst file ... found: /boot/grub/menu.lst
Searching for splash image ... none found, skipping ...
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-020631-generic
Found kernel: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Replacing config file /var/run/grub/menu.lst with new version
Updating /boot/grub/menu.lst ... done

Examining /etc/kernel/postinst.d.
run-parts: executing /etc/kernel/postinst.d/nvidia-common

[tg1w]

On restart, GRUB shows me the new 2.6.31 kernel, but the booting procedure stops midway - screen turns black.

I'll try to install the Jaunty kernel, 2.6.28.

[tg1w]

God bless you bribera.

After installing the 2.6.28 kernel and reverting to my very first /etc/fstab, the system correctly booted. That's where I'm writing from.

Issue solved. I'm very grateful.

Regards

[bribera]

Awesome! Glad one of these crazy ideas finally panned out.