Grub2 gives error :File not found and goes into rescue mode

[Sebastian Canagaratna]

Hi : I have a hard disk /dev/sda and a removable disk /dev/sdb The 1st partition

is a vista partition, but this has been inoperable for some time /dev/sda2 has a linux

stable partition /dev/sdb1 has linux unstable (aptosid) on it, Yesterday I was upgrading to Linux 3.9.2  and thereafter I got this error. The updrade did nt\ot go to

completion. I have a super frub rescue disk with which I can start 3.9.2, but I am unable to repair the grub with update grub and grub-install /dev/sda. I have blanked out the first 512 sectors of dev/sda but that didn't help. Presumably grub is unabke

to find grub.cfg.Trying to run grub-install with other versions of Linux did not help. s this a bug in grub  or is there something I can do to overcome this. I cab see in

Google thaqt others have had this file not found error. I have tried  every likely thing ,but I am aksways left in rescue mode when booting, I'd appreciate any suggestion

Are there any logd which I can look at?

Sebastian

[Sebastian Canagaratna]

Hi Igor:

            The Computer was bootoing off the mbr, though I think I made the vista partition /dev/sda1 the debian stable partition /de v/sda2 as well as the debian unsable partition  /dev/sdb2 bootable. This happened when I was upgrading from 3.8.10-slh-aptosid-686 to the the 3.9-2.slh.1 verdion. The latter must be OK because when I boot from the suoer grub disk everything is OK. Either the MBR is damaged ( when I grub install into /dev/sda eveything is sussessful and no error message is reported or there must be a bug in the version of grub which comes with the latest distribtion.

As I said earlier, I blanked out the first 512 sectors of /dev/sda and  no error is reported whenI grub-install.There is no /etc/grub in debian aptosid. all the files reside is /boot/grub. grub.gfg is here. I di d a grub-update and I verified that the UUID,s were fine, Grub is not finding a file, because the path has presumably got messed up. Afre ther any log files to llok at?

Thanks

Sebastian

On Sat, May 18, 2013 at 8:37 PM, Igor Cicimov <icic...@gmail.com> wrote:

On 19/05/2013 3:12 AM, "Sebastian Canagaratna" <s-cana...@onu.edu> wrote:
>
> Hi : I have a hard disk /dev/sda and a removable disk /dev/sdb The 1st partition
> is a vista partition, but this has been inoperable for some time /dev/sda2 has a linux
> stable partition /dev/sdb1 has linux unstable (aptosid) on it, Yesterday I was upgrading to Linux 3.9.2  and thereafter I got this error. The updrade did nt\ot go to
> completion. I have a super frub rescue disk with which I can start 3.9.2, but I am unable to repair the grub with update grub and grub-install /dev/sda.

So which partition is marked as bootable? Whats your boot order in BIOS? Which linux did you upgrade? Which grub are you trying to install and where? What do you have in /etc/grub/grub.cfg?

[Sebastian Canagaratna]

Further to the questions I raised, I downloaded supergrub2 and I was able to access the system.However, after starting 3.9.3.slh-1 and running update-grub and grub-install /dev/sda0 ( the installation finished. No error reported) still, on rebooting, come to the same error of file not found and getting into grub rescue mode. I downloaded bootinfoscript  and ran it to get the bootinfo which I give below.There is

only one peculiarity . It says v.1.99 is installed but my grub2 id 2.00-14. Though I ran grub-install again which said  Installation finished. no error reported , I ran bootinfoscript again and the version of grub is 1.99. Though I came to operating system through supergrub

as far as I can see the system is under the control of my operating system. Can somebody clarify how version 1.99 of grub is installed when the grub2 on my system is 2.00-14. Will I have to blank out my MBR and start all over again.

Sebastian Canagaratna

Results of bootinfoscript:
Grub2 (v1.99) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sda and looks at sector 1 of
    the same hard drive for core.img. core.img is at this location and looks
    in partition 98 for .
 => Grub2 (v1.99) is installed in the MBR of /dev/sdb and looks at sector 1 of
    the same hard drive for core.img. core.img is at this location and looks
    for (,msdos1)/boot/grub on this drive.

sda1: __________________________________________________________________________

    File system:       ntfs
    Boot sector type:  Windows Vista/7: NTFS
    Boot sector info:  No errors found in the Boot Parameter Block.
    Operating System: 
    Boot files:        /bootmgr /Boot/BCD

sda2: ______________________________________

[Klaus Doering]

On 22/05/13 22:21, Sebastian Canagaratna wrote:
> Further to the questions I raised, I downloaded supergrub2 and I was
> able to access the system.However, after starting 3.9.3.slh-1 and
> running update-grub and grub-install /dev/sda0 ( the installation
> finished. No error reported)

Is this a typo? sda0 ? If you want grub to go into the MBR of your first
disk, than you need to specify
/dev/sda (i.e. the device, not a partition). There are many howtos out
there, for instance this here:
http://www.av8n.com/computer/htm/grub-reinstall.htm

HTH
Klaus

> Linux did not help. /s /this a bug in grub or is there something

> I can do to overcome this. I cab see in
> Google thaqt others have had this file not found error. I have
> tried every likely thing ,but I am aksways left in rescue mode
> when booting, I'd appreciate any suggestion
> Are there any logd which I can look at?
>
> Sebastian
>
>

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[Frank McCormick]

On 05/22/2013 05:21 PM, Sebastian Canagaratna wrote:
> Further to the questions I raised, I downloaded supergrub2 and I was
> able to access the system.However, after starting 3.9.3.slh-1 and
> running update-grub and grub-install /dev/sda0 ( the installation
> finished. No error reported) still, on rebooting, come to the same error

I think you should be installing grub in /dev/sda, the MBR not a
partition.


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Frank

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[Sebastian Canagaratna]

Thank uou Frank and Klaus. As you surmised, it was a typo : I meant to say /dev/sda to be sure I repeated the grub-install

and the version given by bootinfoscript if 1.99 though AI have 2.00-14. When I use grub rescue and type set prefixs=(hd1,msdos1)/boot/grub and then root=(hd1,msdos1) and insmod normal it gives unknown file system error.

Sebastian

On Wed, May 22, 2013 at 7:19 PM, Frank McCormick <debia...@videotron.ca> wrote:

On 05/22/2013 05:21 PM, Sebastian Canagaratna wrote:

Further to the questions I raised, I downloaded supergrub2 and I was
able to access the system.However, after starting 3.9.3.slh-1 and
running update-grub and grub-install /dev/sda0 ( the installation
finished. No error reported) still, on rebooting, come to the same error

   I think you should be installing grub in /dev/sda, the MBR not a partition.


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[Gary Roach]

On 05/22/2013 04:45 PM, Sebastian Canagaratna wrote:

Thank uou Frank and Klaus. As you surmised, it was a typo : I meant to say /dev/sda to be sure I repeated the grub-install

and the version given by bootinfoscript if 1.99 though AI have 2.00-14. When I use grub rescue and type set prefixs=(hd1,msdos1)/boot/grub and then root=(hd1,msdos1) and insmod normal it gives unknown file system error.

Sebastian

On Wed, May 22, 2013 at 7:19 PM, Frank McCormick <debia...@videotron.ca> wrote:

On 05/22/2013 05:21 PM, Sebastian Canagaratna wrote:

Further to the questions I raised, I downloaded supergrub2 and I was
able to access the system.However, after starting 3.9.3.slh-1 and
running update-grub and grub-install /dev/sda0 ( the installation
finished. No error reported) still, on rebooting, come to the same error

   I think you should be installing grub in /dev/sda, the MBR not a partition.


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Hi all

Actully fdisk -l shows the Master Boot Record (MBR)  on  /dev/sda1. This is the standard place for it for ext type formats.  It and the partition table are in the first 512 bytes of first partition. I formatted both systems months ago and have had no trouble until now. All test show that there is nothing wrong with the partitioning. Further, I did nothing to the disk partitions during the update. As I said earlier, my other identical system works fine and the bad system only started giving trouble after a fairly massive update.

Sebastian, Your root="(hd0,msdos1)" should be 'set root="(hd0,msdos1)".' I don't know whether that is a typo or whether leaving off set would make a difference but my information says it should be "set root".

Gary R.

[Gary Roach]

Oops:

We have 2 threads going that are very similar. I posted this to the wrong one. It may still be useful.

Gary R.

[Goh Lip]

On Thu, 23 May 2013 08:51:38 +0800, Gary Roach <gary71...@verizon.net>
wrote:

> Sebastian, Your root="(hd0,msdos1)" should be 'set root="(hd0,msdos1)".'
> I don't know whether that is a typo or whether leaving off set would
> make a difference but my information says it should be "set root".

root="(hd0,msdos1)" is used in v 1.98 and earlier.
set root="(hd0,msdos1)" is used in v 1.99 and later.

Anyway, using supergrub sometimes messes up the OS grub.
Suggest Sebastian redo his grub
# grub-install --recheck /dev/sda
# update-grub

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[Klaus Doering]

On 23/05/13 00:45, Sebastian Canagaratna wrote:
> I meant to say /dev/sda

> set root=(hd1,msdos1)
>

Is your removable hd still attached? IIRC grub counts discs from "0",
so your "hd1" would then refer to your second hd. Do you have grub
installed on the aptosid system? What's your BIOS boot preference?
A mix-up like this could explain why when you reinstalled grub to
version 2.xx you still get reported back v 1.99 by bootinfoscript.

Klaus


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[Sebastian Canagaratna]

Thank you  Klaus. /dev/sda is hd0 and is the permanent hard disk. It has the MBR on which I want to install

Grub. /dev/sdb is the removable hard disk.Its first partition is, as you say,  hd1,msdos1 on which grub2 is installed

under /boot/grub. After I boot into /dev/sdb1 with supergrub I run grub-instsll. I am not running any grub or grub rescue
Commands. Grub-install says installation finished. NO errors reported, the version of grub installed is 1..99 when my
system has grub 2.00-14. On booting, the order is cd, usb ( my removable harddisk is on usb, and then permanent hard disk. Maybe, as Goh says, supergrub is messing

up something, but I am mystified as to why even if there were an error, it is not overwritten by the latest grub-install.

Sebastian

On Thu, May 23, 2013 at 4:14 AM, Klaus Doering <klaus.do...@gmail.com> wrote:

On 23/05/13 00:45, Sebastian Canagaratna wrote:

I meant to say /dev/sda

> set root=(hd1,msdos1)
>

Is your removable hd still attached? IIRC grub counts discs from "0",
so your "hd1" would then refer to your second hd. Do you have grub
installed on the aptosid system? What's your BIOS  boot preference?
A mix-up like this could explain why when you reinstalled grub to
version 2.xx you still get reported back v 1.99 by bootinfoscript.

Klaus

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[Gary Roach]

On 05/23/2013 11:30 AM, Sebastian Canagaratna wrote:

Thank you  Klaus. /dev/sda is hd0 and is the permanent hard disk. It has the MBR on which I want to install

Grub. /dev/sdb is the removable hard disk.Its first partition is, as you say,  hd1,msdos1 on which grub2 is installed

under /boot/grub. After I boot into /dev/sdb1 with supergrub I run grub-instsll. I am not running any grub or grub rescue
Commands. Grub-install says installation finished. NO errors reported, the version of grub installed is 1..99 when my
system has grub 2.00-14. On booting, the order is cd, usb ( my removable harddisk is on usb, and then permanent hard disk. Maybe, as Goh says, supergrub is messing

up something, but I am mystified as to why even if there were an error, it is not overwritten by the latest grub-install.

Sebastian

On Thu, May 23, 2013 at 4:14 AM, Klaus Doering <klaus.do...@gmail.com> wrote:

On 23/05/13 00:45, Sebastian Canagaratna wrote:

I meant to say /dev/sda

> set root=(hd1,msdos1)
>

Is your removable hd still attached? IIRC grub counts discs from "0",
so your "hd1" would then refer to your second hd. Do you have grub
installed on the aptosid system? What's your BIOS  boot preference?
A mix-up like this could explain why when you reinstalled grub to
version 2.xx you still get reported back v 1.99 by bootinfoscript.

Klaus

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Hi all,

Well I just fixed my boot loader problem in about 15 minutes The easy way is to go to www.sourceforge.net/p/boot-repair/home/Home/ and download the .iso file of their boot loader repair disk. Burn a disk, stuff it in your CD/DVD player, reboot your system and sit back and watch the wheels turn. Punch the Repair button when presented. Remove the disk and reboot. Your done. This is supposed to work for a range of boot loaders. Great package.

Gary R.

[Sebastian Canagaratna]

Success!.

Thank you, Gary. I downloaded the 64 bit verison of the boot repair disk and it works; the 32 bit version did not.

Somehow the MBR seems to have gone out of sync with grubsdevices. It looks as if, especially when you chroot to a

mountpoint this can happen.  If root is mounted on /mnt I think one has to do the following: mount /proc .mnt/proc

mount /run /mnt/run mount /sys /mnt/sys mount /dev  /mnt/dev mount /dev/pts /mnt/ded/pts before doing chroot. I am not

sure of this but I found this in the aptosid manual. Somewhere along the line I did a chroot without this and this may have

been the problem, but I am npot sure.

Sebastian