9.04 to 9.10 upgrade disaster - help appreciated

**kismul** · November 21st, 2010

I had - and hope I still have - a dual-boot PC, with Windows XP and Ubuntu 9.04. Having been getting "your distribution is no longer supported" messages, I carried out an upgrade from 9.04 to 9.10, with a view to further upgrading later. I carried out the standard upgrade to the letter. But now, I cannot use my PC in Ubuntu.

When I boot up, I get the usual dual boot menu. The first option produces a small monochrome Ubuntu symbol in the middle of the screen, then I get a black screen with a prompt:

"Ubuntu 9.10 jim-desktop tty1

jim-desktop login:
password:

When I enter my login username and password, I get :

"Last login [date of the last date I logged in]
Linux jim-desktop 2.6.31-22-generic #68 Ubuntu SMP Tue Oct 26th 16.08.35 UTC 2010i686
To access official documentation please visit:
http://help.ubuntu.com
345 packages can be updates
57 updates are security updates"

Then the prompt:

jim@jim-desktop:$

I've tried various options at this prompt that I've found in threads on here e.g. startx. This produces a blank black screen that just hangs forever. Nothing seems to work.

I looked in Mike McGrath's Linux book, from which I can get the information that "Who -r" = run-level 2. The suggestion to use command “init5” gets the message "need to be root". I thought I was in root.

I'm lost, baffled and exasperated. As a beginner, I thought a simple upgrade would be an easy job. Now I'm stuck without a working Linux system (although it boots up happily in Windows XP, which is a bit ironic).

Any help would be very gratefully appreciated. I'm lost.

Jim

**garvinrick4** · November 21st, 2010

We can finish the upgrade in a live cd, using chroot command. Do you have a install Cd that we can use as a live Cd.
This is for partition install not a wubi install, let me know I will give you the commands.
Need to put in Install cd and choose Try Ubuntu and get internet connection and then open
a terminal and copy and paste commands. Are you willing to give it a go.
Need to know your linux install partition sda# open terminal and:

Code:

sudo fdisk -l

lower case L

**garvinrick4** · November 22nd, 2010

Going to watch a basketball game so will leave commands:

Code:

Am using sda5 as partition # use your own to mount partition.

	Code:
	sudo mount /dev/sda5 /mnt

	Code:
	sudo mount -o bind /dev /mnt/dev

	Code:
	sudo mount -o bind /dev/pts /mnt/dev/pts

	Code:
	sudo mount -o bind /proc /mnt/proc

	Code:
	sudo mount -o bind /sys /mnt/sys

	Code:
	sudo cp /etc/resolv.conf /mnt/etc/resolv.conf

	Code:
	sudo chroot /mnt

	Code:
	dpkg --configure -a

	Code:
	apt-get update && apt-get upgrade

	Code:
	apt-get -f install

	Code:
	update-grub

	Code:
	exit

	Code:
	sudo umount /mnt/dev/pts

	Code:
	sudo umount /mnt/dev

	Code:
	sudo umount /mnt/proc

	Code:
	sudo umount /mnt/sys

	Code:
	sudo umount /mnt

	Code:
	exit

You have mounted your partition with dev,dev/pts,proc and sys
you have copied internet connection to partition
you have gotten into root of your file system (chroot)
you have fixed dependencies
you have updated and upgraded
you have checked dependencies
you have updated grub
And unmounted partition.
## Notice the first command: You have put sda5 in /mnt so from now on sda5 is /mnt until is unmounted.

**kismul** · November 22nd, 2010

Originally Posted by garvinrick4

We can finish the upgrade in a live cd, using chroot command. Do you have a install Cd that we can use as a live Cd.
This is for partition install not a wubi install, let me know I will give you the commands.
Need to put in Install cd and choose Try Ubuntu and get internet connection and then open
a terminal and copy and paste commands. Are you willing to give it a go.
Need to know your linux install partition sda# open terminal and:

Code:

sudo fdisk -l

lower case L

Thanks for this - and the next email with the instructions. Can I check some things before I start?

1. What effect this will have on things like email files? I use Thunderbird and other members of my family use evolution. There are emails that we'd rather not lose, if it can be avoided.

2. Will the course you're suggesting take me back to where I was before, only with 9.10, or produce something similar to a new install?

3. Does it have to be a 9.04 live CD or can the 10.10 live CD I'm working from at the moment be used for the same job?

Many thanks for this. Hope your basketball team did well.

Jim

**kismul** · November 22nd, 2010

Originally Posted by garvinrick4

We can finish the upgrade in a live cd, using chroot command. Do you have a install Cd that we can use as a live Cd.
This is for partition install not a wubi install, let me know I will give you the commands.
Need to put in Install cd and choose Try Ubuntu and get internet connection and then open
a terminal and copy and paste commands. Are you willing to give it a go.
Need to know your linux install partition sda# open terminal and:

Code:

sudo fdisk -l

lower case L

Used this command in terminal and got the following:

sudo ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 82.3 GB, 82348277760 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 10011 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x4b36bdea

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 378 8389 64356390 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2 1 377 3028221 b W95 FAT32
/dev/sda3 8390 10011 13028715 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 9686 9989 2441848+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 9990 10011 176683+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda7 8390 9624 9920074+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda8 9625 9685 489951 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Partition table entries are not in disk order

Disk /dev/sdb: 320.1 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xa4b57300

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 38913 312568641 7 HPFS/NTFS

Is the information I need the part in the last line?

Jim

**garvinrick4** · November 23rd, 2010

#You have 2 installs of Linux do not know which one is the one you where upgrading
when it stopped from 9.04 to 9.10. The only thing you have to change is the sda# I used.
I used sda5 as example and you have a sda5 and a sda7 as linux installs on your drive.
#You can use which ever live cd you have as long as it is the same architecture (32 or 64 bit)
# Code is for hopefully finishing upgrade from 9.04 to 9.10 that stopped in middle of upgrade.
# You really never know what is going to happen after a distribution upgrade stops in middle this is the best way I know how to try to save it.
# If you want to backup your home folders there is a way to do it in Live cd!! And you can
look in drive with live cd to try and find anything you want by mounting that install.
# Always keep backups or anything you value as personal files using any Operating System.
# Let me know what you would like to do?

**kismul** · November 24th, 2010

Originally Posted by garvinrick4

#You have 2 installs of Linux do not know which one is the one you where upgrading
when it stopped from 9.04 to 9.10. The only thing you have to change is the sda# I used.
I used sda5 as example and you have a sda5 and a sda7 as linux installs on your drive.
#You can use which ever live cd you have as long as it is the same architecture (32 or 64 bit)
# Code is for hopefully finishing upgrade from 9.04 to 9.10 that stopped in middle of upgrade.
# You really never know what is going to happen after a distribution upgrade stops in middle this is the best way I know how to try to save it.
# If you want to backup your home folders there is a way to do it in Live cd!! And you can
look in drive with live cd to try and find anything you want by mounting that install.
# Always keep backups or anything you value as personal files using any Operating System.
# Let me know what you would like to do?

Thanks for this. I think the two installs might be from when I first tried out ubuntu. I didn't really know what I was doing... no change there, perhaps.

I'll try to figure out which is the 9.04/9.10 install. Then, I will try to back up my email. All other files are saved on an external hard drive.

Once I've done this, I will work through the instructions you gave me and see what happens.

Thanks for your time.

Jim

**kismul** · November 26th, 2010

Originally Posted by kismul

Thanks for this. I think the two installs might be from when I first tried out ubuntu. I didn't really know what I was doing... no change there, perhaps.

I'll try to figure out which is the 9.04/9.10 install. Then, I will try to back up my email. All other files are saved on an external hard drive.

Once I've done this, I will work through the instructions you gave me and see what happens.

Thanks for your time.

Jim

It worked! I'm now writing this on my PC, restored to its natural condition, but with 9.10. Normally, I don't think I'd like that shade of brown but I am pleased to see it!

My grateful thanks to you, garvinrick4. I'm still not sure I understand much of what I did, but without your help, I'd have been stuck. If you're ever in Sheffield, I owe you a beer or two.

To help anyone with the same problem, here's what I did....

First, in terminal, I used command

Code:

df

to determine which drive I needed -> sda7.

I followed garvinrick4's instructions above to the letter, with a successful conclusion.

Only a few concerns during the process.

At:

Code:

dpkg --configure -a

I got a message that read:

Errors were encountered while processing
xserver-xorg
xorg
ubuntu-desktop

Code:

apt-get update....

Same errors, plus

E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned on error code

Code:

apt-get -f install

Same errors again.

Code:

sudo umount /mnt/dev

sudo /mntproc

Message:

umount .... /mnt/dev -device is busy

umount .... /proc -device is busy

I don't know if these make any difference to anything but it's working.

**garvinrick4** · November 26th, 2010

##Not for OP per say but for any new users mounting and binding and umounting a particular / in Live Cd or another partition with a /

#You are welcome, if I do not umount /mnt/dev/pts sub-directory first or can get some busy errors at umount of mnt/dev or /mnt. And have to make sure you ctrl/d or use exit command to get out of root before using sudo in umount commands. I am happy it got your upgrade back on the straight and narrow, enjoy Ubuntu. My signature has a very good .pdf book on the use of Ubuntu that you can keep handy to look over now and again. Learn how to use chroot command and how to mount and bind, will come in very handy. I have six or so installs of Linux and use one terminal in one distro to upgrade all the systems without need to reboot, even say Fedora which uses Yum and RPM's you can mount and update, is very handy tool chroot. *Given can copy /etc/resolv.conf to use internet. (see code)
Even without internet connection can still repair unbootable system or dpkg --configure -a or update-grub in chroot.