grub failure in jaunty, command 'grub> quit' does not work, unable to restore through '$ grub' + 'grub> {editing + quit}' or through '$ sudo update-grub'

Bug #312018 reported by tdflanders
2
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
grub (Ubuntu)
New
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

Binary package hint: grub

root@thomas-laptop:/home/thomas# lsb_release -rd ; uname -a ; apt-cache policy linux linux-source linux-source-2.6.28 linux-image-2.6.28-4-generic linux-headers-2.6.28-4-generic linux-restricted-modules-2.6.28-4-generic linux-backports-modules-2.6.28-4-generic grub aptoncd
Description: Ubuntu jaunty (development branch)
Release: 9.04
Linux thomas-laptop 2.6.28-4-generic #5-Ubuntu SMP Fri Dec 26 22:48:51 UTC 2008 i686 GNU/Linux
linux:
  Installed: 2.6.28.4.4
  Candidate: 2.6.28.4.4
  Version table:
 *** 2.6.28.4.4 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/restricted Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
linux-source:
  Installed: 2.6.28.4.4
  Candidate: 2.6.28.4.4
  Version table:
 *** 2.6.28.4.4 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
linux-source-2.6.28:
  Installed: 2.6.28-4.5
  Candidate: 2.6.28-4.5
  Version table:
 *** 2.6.28-4.5 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
linux-image-2.6.28-4-generic:
  Installed: 2.6.28-4.5
  Candidate: 2.6.28-4.5
  Version table:
 *** 2.6.28-4.5 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
linux-headers-2.6.28-4-generic:
  Installed: 2.6.28-4.5
  Candidate: 2.6.28-4.5
  Version table:
 *** 2.6.28-4.5 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
linux-restricted-modules-2.6.28-4-generic:
  Installed: 2.6.28-4.3
  Candidate: 2.6.28-4.3
  Version table:
 *** 2.6.28-4.3 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/restricted Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
linux-backports-modules-2.6.28-4-generic:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: (none)
  Version table:
grub:
  Installed: 0.97-29ubuntu46
  Candidate: 0.97-29ubuntu46
  Version table:
 *** 0.97-29ubuntu46 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
aptoncd:
  Installed: 0.1.98-0ubuntu4
  Candidate: 0.1.98-0ubuntu4
  Version table:
 *** 0.1.98-0ubuntu4 0
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     0.1.98-0ubuntu3 0
        500 http://archive.ubuntu.com jaunty/universe Packages
root@thomas-laptop:/home/thomas#

Revision history for this message
tdflanders (thomasdelbeke) wrote :

I could not:

$ grub
grub> find /boot/grub/menu.lst
grub> root (eg. hd0,0)
grub> setup (eg. hd0,0)
grub> quit

The last stap:

grub> quit fails when installing from jaunty

You can replicate:

root# apt-get remove grub
root# apt-get install grub

The grub from the Jaunty rep does not work at the moment.

This is a major problem:

$ sudo update-grub will not recognise any of the kernels (when logged in to the jaunty partition)

Installing from 8.10 live cd (eg. $ sudo grub-install --root-directory=/media/disk /dev/sda1) does not produce a workable grub. update-grub nor any of the 'ls /usr/sbin/grub*' commands (eg. grub-mkdevicemap) allow to hack in to it. The /media/disk/boot/grub/menu.lst file remains incorrect.

You can actually copy a backup of this file into it, but it won't work either (I think), since the uuid is not recognized. The only thing that actually does work is to install 8.10 (In my case after shrinking main partition, create new) into another boot partition, and have the 8.10 grub restored that way. However, if you boot into your 8.10 and delete /boot/grub and reinstall into the jaunty partition, you get the same problem.

I was left with a very sad alternative:

Create an aptoncd image with the latest patch; rsync jaunty-destop-i386.iso and jaunty-alternate-i386.iso and burn to disc ; reinstall the whole thing. If you do not have a minimalistic aptoncd image of 8.10: too bad luck. In case you have (like me) a 2.1 GB apton-DVD of 8.10 you can still choose between bandwidth and CPU time. You need the latest kernel for a distribution upgrade to jaunty. After that you still have dependency problems when using your jaunty apton-DVD of 2 GB, plus the dbgsym packages are not backed up through aptoncd.

I had this problem when (unwillingly) having to remove grub to install grub2 and grub-linuxbios through apt. Irony wills it that I had the exact same problem during the 8.10 alfa's. I suggest importance high, even when the jaunty grub is fixed. There should be a solution to this very problem build in to the boot loader. So make that wish list importance high.

Thank you guys!

Thomas

Changed in grub (Ubuntu):
status: New → Incomplete
Steve Langasek (vorlon)
Changed in grub (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → New
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