Grub bootloader disappears after a seemingly random amount of restarts/shutdowns.

[Ty Young]

This happens on Ubuntu-Gnome 14.04.X(X being initial release and all point released after) through 15.10. The OS itself is fine and can be booted into again by reinstalling Grub but will eventually happen again.

This bug can happen right after a new install of Ubuntu-Gnome or many months after. When it does happen, the system works and acts the same as before and after the bug.

Boot-repair logs:

Before: http://paste.ubuntu.com/15493004/

After: http://paste.ubuntu.com/15493018/

Distro: Ubuntu-Gnome
Version: 15.10
Grub version: 2.02~beta2-29ubuntu0.3

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.10
Package: grub (not installed)
Uname: Linux 4.5.0-040500-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_uvm nvidia_drm nvidia_modeset nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.19.1-0ubuntu5
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: GNOME
Date: Thu Mar 24 23:15:47 2016
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-09-14 (193 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-GNOME 15.10 "Wily Werewolf" - Alpha amd64 (20150826.1)
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: grub
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Tim Lunn (darkxst)]

Grub shouldnt just disappear!
Does running "update-grub" break it? (that would get triggered from time to time on system updates)
You dual boot with Windows? Is it possible that Windows is messing with the UEFI Boot Manager? Or does it happen when you reboot from Ubuntu?

I notice this diffing your before and after logs:
- set root='hd1,gpt2'
+ set root='hd0,gpt2'
   if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
- search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd1,gpt2 --hint-efi=hd1,gpt2 --hint-baremetal=ahci1,gpt2 5290bec0-f256-4adf-804a-c44597538b95
+ search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,gpt2 --hint-efi=hd0,gpt2 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,gpt2 5290bec0-f256-4adf-804a-c44597538b95

I don't know why those would change, perhaps grub got confused and used sdb to configure instead of your ubuntu partition (sda)

[Ty Young (bluegoliath)]

I've personally never used update-grub before, so unless the command was given by an update, no.

I run Windows 7 and Ubuntu Gnome on separate hard drives. I had unplugged the Windows 7 HDD for the boot-repair.

Don't think so since it happens when restarting from Ubuntu Gnome and never from Windows 7 to Ubuntu Gnome if the option was there before restarting Ubuntu Gnome.

If it matters any, I get a duplicate UEFI entry for Ubuntu, named after the hard drive model(Model: ST3750528AS). If i select it, the screen flashes blue and enters grub as normal(or looks normal, anyway).

[Phillip Susi (psusi)]

I'm afraid this looks like a bad motherboard/firmware; it appears to have simply "forgot" that it should boot grub. Unless you can identify some particular software action that seems to cause it?

[Erick Brunzell (lbsolost)]

Based on what's said in comment #3 I suspect that there is an EFI System Partition on both the Windows drive (which was disconnected when boot info was gathered) and the Ubuntu drive. That becomes problematic and really is just a limitation of UEFI in itself. I still frequently run into problems with UEFI that require I ask a question at Ubuntu Forums and wait for oldfred to get me straightened out.

[Ty Young (bluegoliath)]

@Phillip Susi

No, I'm not able to find a particular cause for it. As I had said, the system works and acts perfectly normal before this happens and works normal after installing grub again.

I'm a bit confused as to how the motherboard/BIOS could have just *forgot* that Grub existed. Not that I'm calling you a liar or anything, its just I've had Windows 10 Insider Preview(UEFI install) and SteamOS(for a short period of time, anyway) as well as Windows 7 that came with my computer installed had/has no such issues.

@Erick I'm very certain the Windows 7 HDD isn't UEFI as I've never seen any indication that it was.

If it matters any, I have two Ubuntu boot options for Ubuntu Gnome:

1: ubuntu

2: UEFI: ST3750528AS (hard drive model)

Booting into the UEFI option causes the screen to flash blue and text to appear for not even a second before showing the GRUB bootloader. I don't know what it says as it flashes so fast. Booting into the "ubuntu" option just takes me straight to GRUB menu.

[Erick Brunzell (lbsolost)]

Just checking my email this AM and reading your recent replies to Ubuntu GNOME mailing list i see you included a boot info summary with both the Windows drive and the Ubuntu drive connected:

http://paste.ubuntu.com/15574213/

The output of parted -l shows Win 7 is installed non-EFI but Ubuntu is installed in UEFI mode:

=================== parted -l:

Model: ATA Hitachi HDS72101 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 1000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos
Disk Flags:

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 1049kB 18.3GB 18.3GB primary ntfs diag
2 18.3GB 18.4GB 105MB primary ntfs boot
3 18.4GB 1000GB 982GB primary ntfs

Model: ATA ST3750528AS (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 750GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt
Disk Flags:

Number Start End Size File system Name Flags
1 1049kB 538MB 537MB fat32 EFI System Partition boot, esp
2 538MB 742GB 741GB ext4
3 742GB 750GB 8569MB linux-swap(v1)

Model: USB Flash Disk (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdc: 2005MB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos
Disk Flags:

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 16.4kB 2005MB 2005MB primary fat16 boot

Model: Generic- SD/MMC/MS/MSPRO (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdh: 15.8GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: loop
Disk Flags:

Number Start End Size File system Flags
1 0.00B 15.8GB 15.8GB fat32

That is, in itself, problematic. So please open a new thread at Ubuntu Forums here:

http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=333

One of the forum mods there uses the moniker oldfred and he'll be able to answer your question and help you get that straightened out. My method would be to back up all the data on the Ubuntu drive and reinstall in non-EFI mode after creating a new msdos partition table on the Ubuntu drive, but there may be a simpler way :^)

Please do be patient and wait for oldfred to reply.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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