"Error: You need to load the kernel first" on Ubuntu boot

[penguin1024]

Hello everybody!
I have installed Ubuntu 10.10 on a USB 2.0 flash drive (8GB),like this: http://mac.linux.be/content/installa...o-31-usb-stick
The installation was successfull, but when i want to boot ubuntu, it shows the grub, and after it, an error message:
"You need to load the kernel first. Press any key to continue"
I've got a Macbook Pro 13'' (2010 edition) with a Intel processor.
my grub.cfg file is here:

# grub.cfg for MBP USB Install Ubuntu

# Timeout for menu
timeout=20
default=0

menuentry "UBUNTU MBP" {
        fakebios
        root=hd0,2
        linux /vmlinuz root=/dev/sdb2 video=efifb agp=off
        initrd /initrd.img
}

Can anyone help me please?
Many thanks
penguin1024

[linuxopjemac]

are you sure that root resides on hd0,2 ? I would think, another number, like hd1,2? 0,2 is probably your hard drive, 2nd partition.

[penguin1024]

no, it's on sdb2 , sdc2,or sdd2 ,i have tried the three.
sda is the hard disk of the Mac.

Maybe you have a method for checking the disks letters? i don't know how to do it...
after the line " root=hd0,2 " there is a line "root=/dev/sdb2"
Do i need to erase the line "root=hd0,2" ??
Thanks!!!!!
penguin1024

[linuxopjemac]

This is how the grub.cfg on my MacBook looks like (boots from hard drive):

menuentry "Ubuntu, Linux 2.6.31-22-generic" {
recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi
set quiet=1
insmod ext2
set root=(hd0,3)
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 7ad7bd93-0e40-4e1f-8c78-a543ed7c4d48
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-22-generic root=UUID=7ad7bd93-0e40-4e1f-8c78-a543ed7c4d48 ro crashkernel=384M-2G:64M,2G-:128M quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-22-generic


you might want to change a few things. What definitely looks wrong is the initrd line, it should probablt start with /boot/initrd.img

Good luck, I am not very familiar with grub. I use PowerPC Linux much more often.

[penguin1024]

I don't know, i'm also not familiar with grub...
I've tried it, but it doesn't work.
In the installation, the /initrd.img is a symbolic link to the /boot/initrd.img file (i think).
many thanks for the idea
penguin1024

[penguin1024]

Another suggestion?
Thanks
penguin1024

[penguin1024]

It looks like an error in EFI bootloader or in GRUB...
No ideas?
Thanks!!
penguin1024

PS: Can't do it without EFI using another partition with the /boot folder- there isn't a universal filesystem fully supported by Ubuntu and Mac OS X.

[penguin1024]

no ideas????

[kayec]

Just want to let you know i have a Dell d620 with XP (hd0,1) and 10.04LTS (hd0,6).

Not sure what happened (windows update?)... something and now i'm getting the "You need to load the Kernel first.".

[kayec]

OK, found it!

Maybe i did it, not sure (would still like to blame a Windows update somehow)...

1. Booted from the live CD.

2. Follow these steps to mount your hard disk and mount your Linux partition
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...wto+bootloader

3. Once mounted type

ls -la /media/sda5/boot 

4. Look for the newest vmlinuz-2.6.##-## and initrd.img-2.6.##-## (for me it was 2.6.32-25)

5. Type

sudo gedit /media/sda5/boot/grub/grub.cfg 

6. ** THIS WAS MY ISSUE **
In my config file these lines pointed to a vmlinuz# that didn't exist on my hard drive!

root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.##-##-generic root=/dev/hda1 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.##-##-generic 

7. Once corrected and saved, reboot.

Hope that helps someone.