Tried several Ubuntu versions (Ubuntu karmic koala, Linux4One, now Ubuntu Remix. Same effect. Computer AspireOne D250 with dual boot with WinXP. Windows always boot fine when chosen. Grub usually starts from count down (10 sec) but not always as something was changed on previous attempt to boot when it failed, and it remembers the failure. The feeling is that there is very little needed to make booting work, but somehing in Ubuntu is done too fast and hard drive is not ready for it. This is just my inpression, not supported by any knowledge. The typical malfunction is: grub stops boot up, displaying choices.Usually counting down. When Windows chosen - 100% success on boot ups. When waiting until count down triggers boot up, in about 80% screen turns to cursor blinking and it hangs at this point blinking forever. Sometimes it passes the initial boot up sequence but ends up with dead cursor and unresponsive keyboard. Only forced power off can help to get out from this.
When safe mode chosen, it usually stops at line: IRQ 16 and hang at this point. Now, when count down interrupted by highlighting any booting choice, and after waiting a few seconds the return key is pushed and hold a bit longer, the best until starts first beep from overflown keyboard buffer (is it that?), Ubuntu success booting reverses to 80% successful. After last update when I started messing with option given by install program asking how I want to deal with new GRUB offer, computer crashed on followin.g reboot and asked me if I want to report it. Computer right now seems to work, so I'm reporting from computer in question
ProblemType: Package
Architecture: i386
Date: Fri Jan 29 22:58:02 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
ErrorMessage: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Netbook-Remix 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release i386 (20091028.4)
Package: grub-pc 1.97~beta4-1ubuntu4.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-17.54-generic
SourcePackage: grub2
Tags: ubuntu-unr
Title: package grub-pc 1.97~beta4-1ubuntu4.1 failed to install/upgrade: subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-17-generic i686
I've run 11.10 and 12.04 on one of these machines, dual-boot, and have never encountered this issue. Therefore I'm going to mark this as fixed. Please reopen if you're still seeing this issue in recent releases.