Problem installing OS without optical drive or USB boot option.

[oldfred]

First is BIOS seeing hard drive? If BIOS does not see a drive then no system will boot.
Then the BIOS has to find a bootable system in the MBR (if BIOS not UEFI).
MBR will then find more boot code either Windows in Windows partition or if grub it has some code (core.img) in sectors just after MBR and grub menu in the Ubuntu partition.

[Gazucha]

Apologies for the delayed response..

Hi again Fred...

First is BIOS seeing hard drive? If BIOS does not see a drive then no system will boot.
Then the BIOS has to find a bootable system in the MBR (if BIOS not UEFI).
MBR will then find more boot code either Windows in Windows partition or if grub it has some code (core.img) in sectors just after MBR and grub menu in the Ubuntu partition.

Bios sees the Hard Drive - without problem

How can I tell if "MBR has found more boot code either Windows in Windows partition or if grub it has some code (core.img) in sectors just after MBR and grub menu in the Ubuntu partition." ?

Cheers

[Gazucha]

Hola Mips.

sudo fdisk -l

fdisk -l gives me a list of the Partitions...

/dev/sda1 * 2048 57573375 28785664 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 57575422 58603519 514049 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 57575424 58603519 514049 82 Linux Swap / Solaris

With the asterix on sda1 indicating the Boot Partition.

Then what?

Why is there the sda2 and why is it in the Swap space?

(p.s. no sudo needed)

[oldfred]

Grub does not use boot flag, but a few BIOS have to see a boot flag to even let you start to boot, so we still suggest you have one. It is required for the Windows partition with boot files.

With MBR partitioning you can only have 4 primary partitions. Windows has to be in a primary but Linux does not. To have more than 4 partitions you can convert any one primary to an extended partition. The extended partition is just a container for logical partitions and you can have many logical partitions in the extended. You only have swap in your extended.

BootInfo report shows details of what is in the MBR, PBR (usually just for Windows) and how grub is installed.

Post the link to the BootInfo report that this creates. Is part of Boot-Repair:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Info
Boot Repair -Also handles LVM, GPT, separate /boot and UEFI dual boot.:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair

[ronniew]

has anyone suggested using PLop to boot from usb?

[Gazucha]

BootInfo report shows details of what is in the MBR, PBR (usually just for Windows) and how grub is installed.

Post the link to the BootInfo report that this creates. Is part of Boot-Repair:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Info
Boot Repair -Also handles LVM, GPT, separate /boot and UEFI dual boot.:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair

This is where I was getting stuck before, as wasn't totally sure how and when to Boot the Boot-repair CD. Gonna try again.....

[Gazucha]

Aaha!

Boot-Repair DVD!

First run link is http://paste.ubuntu.com/5773899/

still not booting...

Running another now.

[Gazucha]

This is when I select the lower option box (ask for online support etc.) ~~~ http://paste.ubuntu.com/5774120/


Then ran this one with the "repair file system" selected. ~~~ http://paste.ubuntu.com/5774129/

Still only the flashing white line.....

[Gazucha]

has anyone suggested using PLop to boot from usb?

Hi Ronniew, thanks for your reply,

Yeah, it was suggested, back when I still had no optical drive.

How do you think that could help?
Bear in mind that the on-board USB is version 1.0. I have a PCMCIA card for USB 2.0

[oldfred]

If you only have USB1, that is not bootable, not sure if plop would then let you boot or not.

It looks like you install is fine. But with only one system you do not normally get grub menu. IF you hold shift key from BIOS does then grub menu appear?

It may be a video issue or other boot parameter is required.
How to set NOMODESET and other kernel boot options in grub2
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1613132
BIOS live installer Boot Options
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootOptions