Install failure at grub installation step
Mike Sussman
mmsussman at gmail.com
Fri Aug 18 23:16:22 UTC 2006
On 8/18/06, Tod Merley <todbot88 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On 8/17/06, Mike Sussman <mmsussman at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Folks, I am frustrated trying to install kubuntu 6.06.1. I cannot get
> > the install to work on a laptop with an existing ubuntu (breezy)
> > installation. Here are the details:
> >
> > Boot method: CD
> > Image version: kubuntu-6.06.1-alternate-i386.iso, from
> > mirror.mcs.anl.gov. Downloaded 8/16/06
> > Installation Date: 8/17/06 several times during the daytime
> >
> > Machine: Dell Inspiron 8000 Laptop
> > Processor: 900MHz Intel
> > Memory: 512MB
> > Partitions: two disks.
> > (parted)
> > print
> > Disk geometry for /dev/hda: 0.000-38154.375 megabytes
> > Disk label type: msdos
> > Minor Start End Type Filesystem Flags
> > 1 0.031 533.408 primary
> > 2 596.162 800.112 primary ext3 boot
> > 3 800.112 5796.892 primary fat32
> > 4 5796.892 38154.375 extended lba
> > 6 5796.954 10793.671 logical ext3
> > 7 10793.703 37158.156 logical ext3
> > 5 37158.188 38154.375 logical linux-swap
> >
> > (parted)
> > print
> > Disk geometry for /dev/hdc: 0.000-19077.187 megabytes
> > Disk label type: msdos
> > Minor Start End Type Filesystem Flags
> > 2 0.031 274.548 primary
> > 4 274.548 572.629 primary ext3
> > 1 572.629 4071.159 primary fat32 lba
> > 3 4071.160 14064.719 extended
> > 5 4071.190 9067.939 logical ext3
> > 6 9067.970 14064.719 logical ext3
> >
> > HOWEVER: I was using /dev/hda2 for /boot, /dev/hda5 for swap
> > and /dev/hdc6 for / during the install. The other partitions
> > are for other (working) OS: Windows ME, Ubuntu Breezy
> >
> > Output of lspci and lspci -n:
> > THIS OUTPUT IS FROM MY WORKING Ubuntu Breezy system:
> > [~]% lspci
> > 0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corp. 82815 815 Chipset Host
> > Bridge and
> > Memory Controller Hub (rev 02)
> > 0000:00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82815 815 Chipset AGP
> > Bridge (rev
> > 02)
> > 0000:00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82801 PCI Bridge (rev 02)
> > 0000:00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corp. 82801BAM ISA Bridge (LPC)
> > (rev 02)
> > 0000:00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82801BAM IDE U100 (rev
> > 02)
> > 0000:00:1f.2 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801BA/BAM USB (Hub
> > #1) (rev
> > 02)
> > 0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc
> > Rage
> > Mobility M4 AGP
> > 0000:02:03.0 Multimedia audio controller: ESS Technology ES1983S
> > Maestro-3i PCI Audio Accelerator (rev 10)
> > 0000:02:06.0 PCI bridge: Actiontec Electronics Inc Mini-PCI
> > bridge (rev
> > 11)
> > 0000:02:0f.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCI4451 PC card
> > Cardbus
> > Controller
> > 0000:02:0f.1 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCI4451 PC card
> > Cardbus
> > Controller
> > 0000:02:0f.2 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments PCI4451
> > IEEE-1394
> > Controller
> > 0000:08:04.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corp. 82557/8/9
> > [Ethernet Pro
> > 100] (rev 08)
> > 0000:08:08.0 Communication controller: Lucent Microelectronics
> > WinModem
> > 56k (rev 01)
> >
> > [~]% lspci -n
> > 0000:00:00.0 0600: 8086:1130 (rev 02)
> > 0000:00:01.0 0604: 8086:1131 (rev 02)
> > 0000:00:1e.0 0604: 8086:2448 (rev 02)
> > 0000:00:1f.0 0601: 8086:244c (rev 02)
> > 0000:00:1f.1 0101: 8086:244a (rev 02)
> > 0000:00:1f.2 0c03: 8086:2442 (rev 02)
> > 0000:01:00.0 0300: 1002:4d46
> > 0000:02:03.0 0401: 125d:1998 (rev 10)
> > 0000:02:06.0 0604: 1668:0100 (rev 11)
> > 0000:02:0f.0 0607: 104c:ac42
> > 0000:02:0f.1 0607: 104c:ac42
> > 0000:02:0f.2 0c00: 104c:8027
> > 0000:08:04.0 0200: 8086:1229 (rev 08)
> > 0000:08:08.0 0780: 11c1:0448 (rev 01)
> >
> >
> > Base System Installation Checklist:
> > [O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try
> > it
> >
> > Initial boot worked: [O]
> > Configure network HW: [O]
> > Config network: [O]
> > Detect CD: [O]
> > Load installer modules: [O]
> > Detect hard drives: [O]
> > Partition hard drives: [O] I specified /dev/hda2 for /boot,
> > /dev/hdc6 for /, and installer
> > chose
> > /dev/hda5 for swap
> > Create file systems: [O]
> > Mount partitions: [O]
> > Install base system: [O]
> > Install boot loader: [E]
> > Reboot: [E]
> >
> > Comments/Problems:
> >
> > Install went normally until the final step: "Installing
> > the GRUB boot loader". It hung up there, remaining at that
> > screen ( 0 % ) for more than 10 minutes. I finally aborted
> > the install at this point by powering down.
> >
> > I manually added an entry to my existing GRUB configuration
> > to boot the new system. My GRUB stanza was:
> > title media-bay KUbuntu
> > # boot from /dev/hda2
> > root (hd0,1)
> > kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.15-26-386 root=/dev/hdc6 ro
> > resume=/dev/hda5
> > quiet splash
> > initrd /initrd.img-2.6.15-26-386
> > savedefault
> > boot
> >
> > This boot failed. The splash screen came up and I got
> > the first few "OK" messages, but it hung up at
> > "Loading hardware drivers".
> >
> > I tried several other GRUB boot options, but, frankly,
> > they were guesses and had no effect. I did try leaving
> > off the resume=, quiet, and splash options. The screen
> > looked very different, of course, but it still hung up
> > at the "Loading hardware drivers" line.
> >
> > ADDITIONAL NOTES:
> >
> > I checked the MD5SUM for the iso file before burning it to
> > CD and I ran the CD self-check at the boot screen. Both
> > were OK. The self-check completed, but clicking "Continue"
> > caused an infinite loop because some file was missing.
> >
> > I had almost exactly the same experience trying to install
> > using the kubuntu-6.06-alternate-i386.iso. The only
> > difference was that the install hung up at "Installing
> > the GRUB boot loader" but the progress was (I think)
> > 40%, not 0%.
> >
> > I tried an install using the live CD, but the result was a
> > totally hosed system! The install presented no error messages,
> > but the boot failed because it could not see the disk drives.
> >
> > --
> > Mike Sussman
> > sussmanm at math.pitt.edu
> >
> >
> > --
> > ubuntu-users mailing list
> > ubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com
> > https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users
> >
>
> Hi Mike!
>
> Well, well, oh my, you are in the thick of it.
>
> I think that here is your first friend (you probably already have a
> copy and are using it but for the rest):
>
> www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/grub.pdf
>
> I think that what has happened is that your MBR partition table and
> perhaps "1.5" are a bit mixed up as to where things are and how to
> read them.
>
> MBR Friends:
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_boot_record
>
> http://www.geocities.com/thestarman3/asm/mbr/MBR_in_detail.htm
>
> http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/l-linuxboot/
>
> http://linuxgazette.net/issue63/okopnik.html
>
> Step One: In "thestarman" link above (you may have to read a bit,
> goodforya) in the pages on the Linux/GRUB mbrs is a section on using
> "dd" to copy the MBR. Do so, and also a second file copied and saved
> containing not only the MBR (first 512 bytes) but also the first 63,
> 512 byte sectors. This is what I alaways want to do when messing with
> GRUB or any bootloader. At least we can come back to where we were or
> hack over the partition tables as they were to help us understand how
> they need to be.
>
> A partitioning friend:
>
> (Note: requires "find in document" "partition")
> http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/other-formats/pdf/
>
> Step Two (I think): Read up on and then do a GRUB install from the
> GRUB shell command line. You need to know what BIOS sees things as,
> what /dev/ sees things as and how "parted" sees things so you can tell
> GRUB where to go to find itself, your Kernels, RAM-Disk images
> (initrd.img(s), your MS bootloaders (chainloaded from GRUB) etc.
> Normally I might think of doing it through the "grub-install" script
> but your system is complicated enough that I believe I would recommend
> that you do it from the GRUB shell. You need to know where everything
> is from GRUBs viewpoint to do this.
>
> Step Three: Try booting to each thing.
>
> OH, you are gonna get sooooo GRUBby!
>
> Good GRUBbing!
>
> Tod
>
> P.S. - I am putting together a "Boot Camp" presentation for our local
> LUGs where I am, your experience is gold for that. Please write back
> and tell what you did and how it went. Please use copy/paste from
> your Xterms (where you can use them) (works through Xterm's "Edit"
> drop down menu - drag over as you would any other app but then use the
> drop down menu since a ctl+C or ctl+v would pop you on to the command
> line and be seen through the shell there) pasting into text documents
> so we can see the whole thing and you also thereby have a record of
> what you did. Your help would be much appreciated here.
>
> Thanks!!
>
> Tod
Thanks, Tod, for your thoughts, but there is more to this problem than just
the
GRUB installation failure. Let me tell you what I know:
1. As I originally described, my Ubuntu dapper installation seemed to go
OK, but hung up at the GRUB installation step. This installation was
performed
using the "alternate" CD-ROM and was text-based.
2. I was able to use my existing GRUB installation to boot the new system,
but
the boot hung up at the "Loading hardware drivers" step, so there was
something
wrong with the installation other than the GRUB problem.
3. I tried an installation using the "live CD" installer. This
installation also
seemed to go OK, and it did NOT hang up at the GRUB installation step. In
fact, it did the GRUB installation fine, and it constructed a menu.lst file
that
should have worked for Ubuntu, but was completely wrong for all the other
OSs
I have (Ubuntu Hoary and MS-Windows-ME). Unfortunately, the Dapper system
as installed
would not come anywhere near booting. It died at the "Checking
filesystems",
eventually dropping me into a shell and suggesting I run fsck. But nothing
would
run, so I gave up.
4. I made a copy of my existing Hoary system to the partition that I tried
installing Dapper to. I was then able to boot this system without problem.
So
I know that GRUB works.
5. Since I had a copy of a working system, I tried an upgrade from Hoary to
Dapper, but that didn't work, either. Right now I am stymied.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-users/attachments/20060818/e4b471a7/attachment.html>
More information about the ubuntu-users
mailing list