error: cannot open `/dev/sdb' while attempting to get disk size - grub2 update

[Neil Perry]

Binary package hint: grub2

Noticed all these errors while performing , dist-upgrade. (I only have one harddrive with is /dev/sda - Not to sure why its looking for /dev/sdb :s

Description: Ubuntu karmic (development branch)
Release: 9.10
grub2:
  Installed: 1.97~beta1-1ubuntu4
  Candidate: 1.97~beta1-1ubuntu4
  Version table:
 *** 1.97~beta1-1ubuntu4 0
        500 http://gb.archive.ubuntu.com karmic/universe Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
Date: Sun Sep 6 09:41:13 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: grub-pc 1.97~beta1-1ubuntu4
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-9.29-generic
SourcePackage: grub2
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-9-generic x86_64

[Colin Watson (cjwatson)]

Could you attach, please:

 * the output of 'sudo debconf-show grub-pc'
 * the file /boot/grub/device.map

 status incomplete

[Neil Perry (nperry)]

neil@desktop:~$ sudo debconf-show grub-pc
  grub-pc/kopt_extracted: true
  grub2/kfreebsd_cmdline:
* grub-pc/install_devices: /dev/sda
  grub-pc/postrm_purge_boot_grub: false
* grub2/linux_cmdline:
  grub2/kfreebsd_cmdline_default: quiet
* grub2/linux_cmdline_default: quiet splash
* grub-pc/chainload_from_menu.lst: true

-----------------------

cat /boot/grub/device.map
(hd0) /dev/sda
(hd1) /dev/sdb

sdb, never had an external drive attached or another hard drive, only thing i connect would be my HTC Dream., suggested to remove /dev/sdb?

[Francesco Duraccio (odo.)]

Hi folks, the same error is affecting me.
i have no device /dev/sdb.

[Ralph (ralph-puncher-deactivatedaccount)]

I had a similar problem with 4 drives, the last being an external USB hard drive. Under Jaunty it is named sdd (by os-prober) while under Karmic it is named sdh (again using os-prober); however, the device.map for Karmic still lists it as sdd. Whenever I run update-grub I get all the same "cannot open `/dev/sdd' ..."errors and later get a grub probe error "Cannot find a GRUB drive for /dev/sdh3. check your device map". I changed device.map under Karmic to sdh (for grub drive hd3) and ran update-grub without errors. The second install of Karmic on sdh also booted.

[hexion (hexium)]

This was affecting my system too.

/dev/sdb was the descriptor for a external drive that's no longer present in the system. I only connect it sometimes.

My /boot/grub/device.map looked like this:
(hd0) /dev/sda
(hd1) /dev/sdb

I removed the second line and the problem disappeared.

[ShdwNova (wiggins-jonathan)]

Thanks hexion, your idea of removing the second line in the device.map file fixes this bug for me.

[Rashad Tatum (rmtatum)]

Try grub-install --recheck /dev/sda

[actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666)]

As hexion says:

gksudo gedit /boot/grub/device.map

comment out:

(hd1) /dev/sdb

save and close grub then run:

sudo update-grub

Perfect
=D

[Michael Sotnikov (stari4ek)]

just want to add, that I have the same bug under lucid linx alpha2.
my /dev/sdb is sata dvd-drive.

[Giuseppe Buzzanca (PiDy) (giuseppebuzzanca)]

I have just installed karmic from a usb-stick and I have the same error (I don't know if this is relevant for this bug).
However I resolved it by running in a terminal:
$sudo grub-mkdevicemap
$sudo update-grub

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

This bug was marked as invalid without any explanation (I think this should never happen). It looks like this was by accident. Reopening (I still see this problem in my lucid box and I don't run any more recent release)

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

perhaps grub-update should run grub-mkdevicemap?

[Marcus Tomlinson (marcustomlinson)]

This release of Ubuntu is no longer receiving maintenance updates. If this is still an issue on a maintained version of Ubuntu please let us know.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for grub2 (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]