The directories and files in the root partition look similar to my other working 13.04 partition with the exception of .old files. The /sbin/init is there. Here is what the initrd.img has within it: $ lsinitramfs initrd.img | grep init initrd.img bin/run-init scripts/init-top scripts/init-top/udev scripts/init-top/all_generic_ide scripts/init-top/blacklist scripts/init-top/ORDER scripts/init-bottom scripts/init-bottom/udev scripts/init-bottom/ORDER init lib/modules/3.11.0-11-generic/kernel/drivers/scsi/initio.ko lib/firmware/ene-ub6250/sd_init2.bin lib/firmware/ene-ub6250/sd_init1.bin lib/firmware/ene-ub6250/ms_init.bin conf/initramfs.conf I followed the ideas for using the command line of grub at: https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-users/2013-August/271141.html and set seemed all okay as did ls. Then I did: linux /boot/vmlinuz-3.10.0.6-generic root=/dev/sda3 ro debug and initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.10.0.6-generic and boot (Note: these versions are not mine. They came from the web page. I can't copy and paste if I can't boot. :-)) The same result ensued. $ ldd sbin/init not a dynamic executable I went looking for the libraries needed using frohro@frohro-e6410:/media/frohro/5b901d56-389b-48b1-a911-08dab37d228d$ readelf -d sbin/init | grep NEEDED 0x0000000000000001 (NEEDED) Shared library: [libnih.so.1] 0x0000000000000001 (NEEDED) Shared library: [libnih-dbus.so.1] 0x0000000000000001 (NEEDED) Shared library: [libdbus-1.so.3] 0x0000000000000001 (NEEDED) Shared library: [libjson-c.so.2] 0x0000000000000001 (NEEDED) Shared library: [librt.so.1] 0x0000000000000001 (NEEDED) Shared library: [libc.so.6] and found them all ls lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ ld-2.17.so libnsl-2.17.so ld-linux-x86-64.so.2 libnsl.so.1 libacl.so.1 libnss_compat-2.17.so libacl.so.1.1.0 libnss_compat.so.2 libanl-2.17.so libnss_dns-2.17.so libanl.so.1 libnss_dns.so.2 libatasmart.so.4 libnss_files-2.17.so libatasmart.so.4.0.5 libnss_files.so.2 libattr.so.1 libnss_hesiod-2.17.so libattr.so.1.1.0 libnss_hesiod.so.2 libaudit.so.1 libnss_nis-2.17.so libaudit.so.1.0.0 libnss_nisplus-2.17.so libblkid.so.1 libnss_nisplus.so.2 libblkid.so.1.1.0 libnss_nis.so.2 libbrlapi.so.0.6 libntfs-3g.so.841 libbrlapi.so.0.6.0 libntfs-3g.so.841.0.0 libBrokenLocale-2.17.so libpamc.so.0 libBrokenLocale.so.1 libpamc.so.0.82.1 libbsd.so.0 libpam_misc.so.0 libbsd.so.0.6.0 libpam_misc.so.0.82.0 libbz2.so.1 libpam.so.0 libbz2.so.1.0 libpam.so.0.83.0 libbz2.so.1.0.4 libparted.so.0 libc-2.17.so libparted.so.0.0.1 libcap.so.2 libpci.so.3 libcap.so.2.22 libpci.so.3.1.9 libcidn-2.17.so libpcprofile.so libcidn.so.1 libpcre.so.3 libcom_err.so.2 libpcre.so.3.13.1 libcom_err.so.2.1 libpcsclite.so.1 libcrypt-2.17.so libpcsclite.so.1.0.0 libcrypto.so.1.0.0 libply-boot-client.so.2 libcrypt.so.1 libply-boot-client.so.2.1.0 libc.so.6 libply.so.2 libdbus-1.so.3 libply.so.2.1.0 libdbus-1.so.3.7.4 libply-splash-core.so.2 libdevmapper-event.so.1.02.1 libply-splash-core.so.2.1.0 libdevmapper.so.1.02.1 libply-splash-graphics.so.2 libdl-2.17.so libply-splash-graphics.so.2.1.0 libdl.so.2 libpng12.so.0 libe2p.so.2 libpng12.so.0.49.0 libe2p.so.2.3 libpopt.so.0 libexpat.so.1 libpopt.so.0.0.0 libexpat.so.1.6.0 libprocps.so.0 libext2fs.so.2 libprocps.so.0.0.1 libext2fs.so.2.4 libpthread-2.17.so libfuse.so.2 libpthread.so.0 libfuse.so.2.9.2 libreadline.so.5 libgcc_s.so.1 libreadline.so.5.2 libgcrypt.so.11 libreadline.so.6 libgcrypt.so.11.7.0 libreadline.so.6.2 libglib-2.0.so.0 libresolv-2.17.so libglib-2.0.so.0.3800.0 libresolv.so.2 libgpg-error.so.0 librt-2.17.so libgpg-error.so.0.10.0 librt.so.1 libgudev-1.0.so.0 libSegFault.so libgudev-1.0.so.0.1.3 libselinux.so.1 libhistory.so.5 libsepol.so.1 libhistory.so.5.2 libslang.so.2 libhistory.so.6 libslang.so.2.2.4 libhistory.so.6.2 libssl.so.1.0.0 libiw.so.30 libss.so.2 libjson-c.so.2 libss.so.2.0 libjson-c.so.2.0.1 libsystemd-daemon.so.0 libjson.so.0 libsystemd-daemon.so.0.0.10 libkeyutils.so.1 libsystemd-journal.so.0 libkeyutils.so.1.4 libsystemd-journal.so.0.10.2 libkmod.so.2 libsystemd-login.so.0 libkmod.so.2.1.3 libsystemd-login.so.0.7.1 liblvm2app.so.2.2 libthread_db-1.0.so liblzma.so.5 libthread_db.so.1 liblzma.so.5.0.0 libtinfo.so.5 liblzo2.so.2 libtinfo.so.5.9 liblzo2.so.2.0.0 libudev.so.1 libm-2.17.so libudev.so.1.3.5 libmemusage.so libulockmgr.so.1 libmount.so.1 libulockmgr.so.1.0.1 libmount.so.1.1.0 libusb-0.1.so.4 libm.so.6 libusb-0.1.so.4.4.4 libncurses.so.5 libusb-1.0.so.0 libncurses.so.5.9 libusb-1.0.so.0.1.0 libncursesw.so.5 libutil-2.17.so libncursesw.so.5.9 libutil.so.1 libnewt.so.0.52 libuuid.so.1 libnewt.so.0.52.15 libuuid.so.1.3.0 libnih-dbus.so.1 libwrap.so.0 libnih-dbus.so.1.0.0 libwrap.so.0.7.6 libnih.so.1 libx86.so.1 libnih.so.1.0.0 libz.so.1 libnl-3.so.200 libz.so.1.2.8 libnl-3.so.200.12.1 plymouth libnl-genl-3.so.200 security libnl-genl-3.so.200.12.1