Ubuntu won't boot after kernel 2.6.32-24 update (sticks on boot initramfs)

[StewartM]

Hello all,

This morning, I booted into my administrator account and checked for updates. There were a number (bogofilter, for one) but also a update to the 2.6.32-24 kernel. I installed the updates and rebooted the system.

When I rebooted, the thought occurred to me (from reading another thread) that one of the reasons my Zareason desktop boots slower than my laptop (55 seconds vs 35) was that I have an external floppy drive attached, and perhaps the delay was a difference in my system checking for a bootable floppy. So I went into the BIOS when it was booting to check to see if the floppy was enabled (it wasn't). Then I selected "Exit without saving" and resumed booting.

What happened next was instead of seeing the Ubuntu icon and the six dots, I see "Ubuntu 10.04" and four dots. Then I get on the black screen these errors (sorry for any mistyping, I wrote them down on a sheet of paper as I had no other computer available to troubleshoot):

************************************************** *************

udevadm trigger is not permitted while udev is unconfigured
udevadm settle is not permitted while udev is unconfigured
udevadm settle is not permitted while udev is unconfigured
udevadm settle is not permitted while udev is unconfigured

ALERT! /dev/disk/by-uiid/939af864-c1a8-41d7-9b24-91d25685b6 does not exist. Dropping to shell

Busybox v1.13.3 (Ubuntu 1:1.13:3-1ubuntu11 built-in shell (ash).

Enter 'help' for built-in commands

initramfs

************************************************** ***********

Googling around once I got into work and had computer access, it seems that the problem is GRUB has lost track of what partition I should boot from? Here is a thread which might be relevant:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1561735

Before I left for work, I went into the BIOS again and looked at the CMOS settings--everything looked normal. I once again exited without saving anything. I was going to try selecting an earlier kernel from the GRUB menu on boot, but couldn't remember the key to press (I found out later today, to enter GRUB 2 it's been changed to the shift key, and not the F2 key like it used to be). One poster on the aforementioned thread said his system would boot ok to the earlier kernel.

Anyway, any advice? The thread above has as its solution to either try to tell GRUB where your boot partition is and/or re-installing GRUB.

I have /home on a separate partition, so if I need to do a re-install I can do so without it being a major pain. Sda1 is the partition which has the OS.



StewartM

[conor.starrs]

Hi Stewart,

I've been having the exact same problem....can't boot past initramfs (after 'udevadm trigger is not permitted while udev is unconfigured').

I pressed ESC to enter grub and selected a previous version 2.6.32-24-generic which boots up fine.

Any suggestions on how to remedy would be great?

Thanks in advance folks!

PS, love this forum....very little I have left unsolved thanks to it.

[StewartM]

Hi Stewart,

I've been having the exact same problem....can't boot past initramfs (after 'udevadm trigger is not permitted while udev is unconfigured').

I pressed ESC to enter grub and selected a previous version 2.6.32-24-generic which boots up fine.

Any suggestions on how to remedy would be great?

Thanks in advance folks!

PS, love this forum....very little I have left unsolved thanks to it.

Here is something I am being told by some friends. Not had been home yet to try it out (but you can try to do so).

"If the “apt-get upgrade” does not successfully complete then a flag is set and update-initramfs does not get to run, hence grub gets all messed up. You should be able to boot using the old kernel and then run the sudo update-initramfs –u -k command. Then run sudo dpkg –reconfigure. That should clear the upgrade flags and fix any broken packages."

If it does work, please post it.

StewartM

[dgermann]

StewartM--

That solved it for me too.

This is an old bug, raising its head again, apparently, with much the same solution: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...er/+bug/358654

Thanks!

[lordzeus]

hi!
i've tried out the same procedure...but a keep getting the same message...grub doesnt rise up so i can select the kernel...i'm pressing Shift, Esc ...all possible keys...
i get the problem message even afert shows "Grub Starting..." "Grub loading."

how do i fix this problem?

[roy.nico]

Hej everybody,

i had exactly the same problem after an update this morning. I followed

You should be able to boot using the old kernel and then run the sudo update-initramfs –u -k 2.6.32-24-generic.
StewartM

and this fixed the problem for me.
Thanks !
nicolas

[mar00n]

Hi, I had the same problem too and this fixed it :

You should be able to boot using the old kernel and then run the sudo update-initramfs –u -k 2.6.32-24-generic.
StewartM

[StewartM]

I just want to say that holding the "Shift" key down, entering Grub 2, and booting to a previous kernel (in my case, 2.6.32-22) allowed me into my system. Then I typed:

sudo update-intramfs -u -k

I got an error with the -k switch--I found out that this refers to the specific kernel, though "all" was an option. So I was brave an chose "all" and it updated it for all the kernels.

After that, I did:

sudo dpkg -reconfigure

And then got an error that I didn't have proper switches. Banking that nothing in my system was broken (or that I couldn't at least fix it later with Synaptic) I then rebooted.

That fixed the problem. So it works for me too.

StewartM

[virsto]

Here is something I am being told by some friends. Not had been home yet to try it out (but you can try to do so).

"If the “apt-get upgrade” does not successfully complete then a flag is set and update-initramfs does not get to run, hence grub gets all messed up. You should be able to boot using the old kernel and then run the sudo update-initramfs –u -k command. Then run sudo dpkg –reconfigure. That should clear the upgrade flags and fix any broken packages."

If it does work, please post it.

StewartM

I believe that I am having the same problem with 32-24. Could you please be a little more specific on the commands I need to execute to recover from this mess.

[virsto]

I believe that I am having the same problem with 32-24. Could you please be a little more specific on the commands I need to execute to recover from this mess.

This is what happens on my system.

sudo dpkg -reconfigure
dpkg: conflicting actions -e (--control) and -r (--remove)

Type dpkg --help for help about installing and deinstalling packages [*];
Use `dselect' or `aptitude' for user-friendly package management;
Type dpkg -Dhelp for a list of dpkg debug flag values;
Type dpkg --force-help for a list of forcing options;
Type dpkg-deb --help for help about manipulating *.deb files;
Type dpkg --license for copyright license and lack of warranty (GNU GPL) [*].

Options marked [*] produce a lot of output - pipe it through `less' or `more' !