Unable to find a medium containing live file system

Bug #817145 reported by Cody A.W. Somerville
44
This bug affects 9 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
linux (Ubuntu)
Expired
Low
Unassigned

Bug Description

Downloaded and burnt Ubuntu 11.04 (Ubiquity installer) to DVD on friend's computer. Attempted to boot but was dropped to busybox with error 'Unable to find a medium containing live file system'. After finding a USB->PS/2 adapter so keyboard would work, I looked at casper.log and found the error message '/init: line 7: can't open /dev/sdb: No medium found' repeated numerous times followed by 'Unable to find a medium containing a live file system'.

WORKAROUND: Modifying BIOS settings to use AHCI instead of IDE for sata related stuff fixed the issue.

description: updated
Changed in casper (Ubuntu):
status: New → Confirmed
Revision history for this message
Su (su.) wrote :

I have the very same problem with (X)Ubuntu 11.04 (normal and alternate) i386 on a very new Dell OptiPlex 390 system. HDD is on SATA-0. The DVD ROM is on SATA-1. BusyBox v1.17.1 appears after selecting 'try Ubuntu without installation' telling me that it's unable to find a medium containing live file system. Changing HDD and DVD from SATA-0 to SATA-1 and vice versa does not solve the problem.

I'm able to install (X)Ubuntu from a USB device, but then no CD/DVD shows up. It's not visible in the Gnome Disk Utility and there's nothing I can do about it. The DVD ROM runs in Windows7 without any problems.

DELL BIOS does not have any settings (like AHCI or IDE) for the SATA devices, except [ ] DISABLE and [X] ATA (SATA is configured for ATA mode). Of course [X] DISABLE does not help at all.

A Linux Mint XFCE on a USB started as Live System can find and mount the DVD ROM with any media inserted (CD, DVD).

Revision history for this message
Brian Murray (brian-murray) wrote :

This actually sounds like a kernel issue.

tags: added: natty
affects: casper (Ubuntu) → linux (Ubuntu)
Revision history for this message
Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury) wrote :

We would like to collect some additional information about your system. From a terminal, please run the following:

apport-collect 817145

Revision history for this message
Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury) wrote :

Also, would it be possible for you to switch the bios back to IDE and test the latest upstream kernel? It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the release candidate kernel versus the daily build. Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please remove the 'needs-upstream-testing' tag(Only that one tag, please leave the others). This can be done by clicking on the yellow pencil icon next to the tag located at the bottom of the bug description and deleting the 'needs-upstream-testing' text.

If this bug is fixed by the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream-KERNEL-VERSION'. For example, if kernel version 3.1-rc9 fixed and issue, the tag would be: 'kernel-fixed-upstream-v3.1-rc9'.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the tag: 'kernel-bug-exists-upstream'.

Thanks in advance.

Revision history for this message
Su (su.) wrote :

> please run the following:
> apport-collect 817145

Done. There were some error messages regarding firefox, but I hope all relevant data was uploaded. If not, please let me know.

> Also, would it be possible for you to switch the bios back to IDE and test the latest upstream kernel

As I've written earlier the DELL BIOS unfortunately does not have any options for SATA the operation.
Only options are:
[ ] DISABLE
[X] ATA (SATA is configured for ATA mode)

I'll check the DELL website for BIOS updates. Perhaps they have an updated version. Anyway I tried the RC10 kernel image/header and the problem still exists there. By the way, I don't see the "needs-upstream-testing" tag. Or is it just not visible to me?

Thanks and regards
Su

Revision history for this message
Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury) wrote :

One additional request, would it be possible for you to try version 11.10?

Revision history for this message
Su (su.) wrote :

I had the same idea today, loaded down 11.10 and put on a USB pen drive. I can confirm that the DVD drive runs fine in a Ubuntu 11.10 live session. I haven't installed 11.10 on my computer yet, but I think the DVD drive should run on an installed 11.10 too. So as for me the tag of this bug might be changed. Or is there anything else I can do?

Thanks again
Su

Revision history for this message
Roger R. Cruz (roger-r-cruz) wrote :

I'm seeing the same problem with 11.04 on Dell 390. Any new developments with this bug?

Roger R. Cruz

Revision history for this message
Su (su.) wrote :

Hi Roger,

on my Dell 390 with Ubuntu 10.04 LTS everything works fine with the backport kernel from 11.10. Currently I'm running kernel version 3.0.0-14-generic. For that I installed this meta package:

linux-image-generic-lts-backport-oneiric

If you don't want to use 10.04 LTS you should install Ubuntu 11.10 (because everything works fine there too) or try the mainline kernel, but this is not too easy as it is not in the repositories.

Revision history for this message
Graham Lucking (lucking) wrote :

Using Raring Ringtail 20121201 amd64 daily ISO image. Type 'exit' at the Busybox command line and got this:

chroot: can't execute 'mktemp': no such file or directory
cp: can't stat '/root/var/cache/debconf/config.dat': no such file or directory
cp: cant stat '/root/var/cache/debconf/passwords.dat': no such file or directory
sed: '/root/etc/debconf-communicate': no such file or directory
mount: mounting /cdrom on /root/cdrom failed: invalid argument
/scripts/casper-bottom/07remove_oem_config: line 20: can't open /root/usr/share/debconf/confmodule
/scripts/casper-bottom/12fstab: line 25: can't create /root/etc/fstab non existent directory
/scripts/casper-bottom/13swap: line 44: can't create /root/etc/fstab non existent directory
grep: /root/usr/share/i18n/supported: no such file or directory
/scripts/casper-bottom/14locales: line 58: can't create /root/etc/locale.gen: non existent directory
chroot: can't create '/usr/sbin/locale-gen': no such file or directory
/scripts/casper-bottom/18hostsname: line 23: can't create /root/etc/hostname: non existent directory
/scripts/casper-bottom/18hostname: line 25: can't create /root/etc/hosts: no existent directory
cp: omitting directory '/root'
chroot: can't execute '/usr/sbin/install-keymap': no such file or directory
/bin/caper-preseed: .: line 13: can't open'/root/usr/share/
cat: read error Is a directory
cat: can't open'/temp/keyboard.org': no such file or directory
/scripts/casper-bottom/22sslcert: .: line 20: can't iopen/root/usr/share/
cp: can't create '/root/var/log/': Is a directory
cp: can't create '/root/etc/': Is a directory
mount: mounting /dev on /root/dev failed: no such file or directory
mount: mounting /sys on /root/sys failed: no such file or directory
mount: mounting /proc on /root/proc failed: no such file or directory
Target file system doesn't have requested /sbin/init.
no init found. Try passing init=boot arg.

 Added debug= to boot parameters and got this:

[7.691409] [drm] Initialized nouveau 1.1,0 20120801 for 0000:01.0 0n minor 0
+[-e /conf/param.conf]
+ scripts/init-top/consol_setup
+ [-e /conf/param.conf]
+ /scripts/init-top/br1tty
+ [-e /conf/param.conf]
+ /scripts/initi-top/plymouth

Revision history for this message
Ubuntu QA Website (ubuntuqa) wrote :

This bug has been reported on the Ubuntu ISO testing tracker.

A list of all reports related to this bug can be found here:
http://iso.qa.ubuntu.com/qatracker/reports/bugs/817145

tags: added: iso-testing
Revision history for this message
Ubfan (ubfan1) wrote :

The "init line7... /dev/sdb" part of the error message appeared on a Ubuntu 12.04.2 64 bit 2G install media created on a 32 bit Ubunti 12.04 up to date system. Startup disk creator was used, the iso was md5sumed and sha1sumed with no errors. The "try" action was requested and the message was repeating under the cycling dots (made visible with an ESC). Performing the drastic and potentially descructive "pull media/reinsert media", the boot then continued successfully. I then successfully installed to an 8G USB, but it would not boot, not even getting to grub -- even after making the disk/device corrections (bug 384633). I reinstalled grub using the 32 bit system onto the 8G 64 bit stick, and then the boot got to the grub screen. From there, the devices/disks could be edited again, but results were mixed, apparently because sda is not necessarily the hard disk anymore. The usual fix for grub after a manual change is to run update-grub, but if the disks are lettered wrong (hard disk sdb, 8G USB sda), the update will still be wrong.
*** Looks like the 3.5+ kernels are (sometimes) redefining the disk order, which is NOT compatible with what grub sees/expects.
Similar issues with 12.10, with the first grub.cfg created with the USB on sda instead of the expected sdc (bug 384633). Again, much manual corrections of the wrong devices eventually got a booting stick, but haven't done much with 12.10.

Revision history for this message
Ubfan (ubfan1) wrote :

Straightforward 12.04.2 USB install to hard disk -- no other disks present, still got the "init line 7...sdb" message. While error message was presenting, pulled the USB and reinserted, then the install proceeded normally. The error occurs on an Compaq Presario V3000 and a Toshiba Satellite S855. Ubuntu 13.04 does not have the problem.

penalvch (penalvch)
description: updated
Revision history for this message
penalvch (penalvch) wrote :

Cody A.W. Somerville, this bug was reported a while ago and there hasn't been any activity in it recently. We were wondering if this is still an issue? If so, could you please test for this with the latest development release of Ubuntu? ISO images are available from http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/ .

If it remains an issue, could you please utilize your WORKAROUND and run the following command in the development release from a Terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal), as it will automatically gather and attach updated debug information to this report:

apport-collect -p linux <replace-with-bug-number>

If reproducible, could you also please test the latest upstream kernel available (not the daily folder) following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds ? It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please comment on which kernel version specifically you tested. If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tags:
kernel-fixed-upstream
kernel-fixed-upstream-VERSION-NUMBER

where VERSION-NUMBER is the version number of the kernel you tested. For example:
kernel-fixed-upstream-v3.13-rc5

This can be done by clicking on the yellow circle with a black pencil icon next to the word Tags located at the bottom of the bug description. As well, please remove the tag:
needs-upstream-testing

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the following tags:
kernel-bug-exists-upstream
kernel-bug-exists-upstream-VERSION-NUMBER

As well, please remove the tag:
needs-upstream-testing

Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug's Status as Confirmed. Please let us know your results. Thank you for your understanding.

Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
importance: Undecided → Low
status: Confirmed → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote :

[Expired for linux (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]

Changed in linux (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Expired
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