After upgrading from breezy, the system will not boot

[Chris Wagner]

I upgraded to dapper after a call for testing the new dist-upgrade process (https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-devel/2006-January/014700.html).
The upgrade was pretty rocky, and much manual intervention was required (I had to remove mplayer, do some special switches for dpkg/apt). I was only able to use the update-manager for a small portion of the upgrade.

Once I'd finally completed the upgrade, my system would no longer boot. The kernel would uncompress and I'd get the line "OK, Booting the kernel...". Then, I'd get about 4 - 5 lines (some about "insmod") that vanished too quickly to read. The screen would then go black, except for a blinking cursor in the upper-left corner of the screen. This screen would be displayed only for about 1 second, until a distorted version of my computer's BIOS screen would come up (blue/green vertical lines throughout it).

Moving the hard drive to an entirely separate computer produces the same results.

When attempting to use rescue mode, I was greeted with a message like "/dev/hda4 does not exist. Dropping to a shell!". /dev/hda4 was the root partition.

By booting from a live CD, I attempted to disable usplash (that was my best guess as to what the problem could be), by adding an "exit" to the beginning of /etc/init.d/usplash.

I successfully installed 'dapper flight 2' on another partition, of the same hard drive. I've since done several upgrades and have not encountered this problem; I am able to boot into a usable system.

Perhaps something is corrupt? Any suggestions as to which packages I might try re-installing/removing?

[Alan Bell (alanbell)]

my upgrade was fairly simple, I used synaptic and added the dapper repositories then upgraded everything available. It took a couple of passes and I interrupted it once. Everything looked fine until I rebooted, none of the boot options work, new kernel or the Breezy kernel. I am missing /dev/hdg1 (hdg is my only drive). I am downloading the live CD now to try to fix it.

[Alan Bell (alanbell)]

I booted off the Dapper live CD and that would not see my hard disk either, nothing in /dev/hd* except for /dev/hdc which is my CDROM drive. I booted from a Knoppix CD and could see it with no problem, it looks like the kernel does not understand the disk, but I don't understand why booting into the old kernel would not fix the problem. The disk itself is a very ordinary IDE drive but it is on the third IDE interface

in recovery mode I noticed the following
ide_media[1541]: main: unable to read from '/proc/ide/ide3/hd10/media'
shortly after that I get the message
ALERT! /dev/hdg1 does not exist. Dropping to a shell!

I think the key to the problem is that hd10 does not exist on the ide3 interface, hdg does however and /proc/ide/ide3/hdg/media just contains the word 'disk'
Why is it looking for a drive called hd10? how do I tell it that hdg is a more productive thing to look for?

[Alan Bell (alanbell)]

searching about reveals that there are other bugs reported for the HPT370 controller, which I have. I am marking this a duplicate of 26998.

[Alan Bell (alanbell)]

unmarked as a duplicate because I didn't confirm with the original bug reporter that he is using the HPT370 controller. My issue certainly seems to be in line with the others who can't boot with that controller.

[Chris Wagner (chris-wagner)]

To confirm, I am *not* using the HPT370 controller (well, I don't know much what it is -- but I'm not using a RAID device, so...).

I don't believe this issue could be directly related to my hardware, due to the following (as stated in original report):
 * Moving the hard drive (that holds the failing installation) to another PC leads to the same results on that other PC, when booting.
 * For a fresh dapper installation (from the flight 2 CD) on another partition (of the same hard drive), this problem does not occur. I have since performed many "apt-get update; apt-get upgrade" commands on this installation and this problem has not re-occurred *on the 'clean' partition*.

Also notable is, I've since performed many updates to the "bad" installation by mounting the drive and chroot'ing; it still does not work.

[Marius Gedminas (mgedmin)]

I installed Dapper's kernel on my otherwise Breezy system on January 17. It did not come up after a reboot -- I got a funky greenish broken screen. In rescue mode I "got /dev/hda4 not found, panic, panic, here's a shell" (I'm paraphrasing). In other words, I think I encountered the same problem.

Here's what I did then to fix my system: in the shell offered by the rescue mode I typed

    modprobe ide-disk

then pressed Ctrl+D. The system continued to booted and came up successfully. Then I ran

   sudo dpkg-reconfigure linux-image-`uname -r`

and the next reboot was completely successful. (Except for the blue-greenish borrupt screen instead of usplash; I fixed that one by installing usplash from dapper.)

I hope this helps.

[Chris Wagner (chris-wagner)]

Thanks Marius, your suggestion did the trick.

Now, should we close this bug? It is possible that the problem still exists, but it may be so unlikely/rare that it's not worth leaving this bug open. Any thoughts?

[Marc Grosse (marc-grosse)]

I've a similar problem. Breezy is running perfectly. Great.
Trying to load dapper flight7 from a live-CD, it stops and freezes defnetly on "mounting root file system".
I see no possibility to change anything.
Upgrading from Breeze to dapper via upgrade-manager, it works perfectly till rebooting system where it stops and freezes defnetly on "mounting root file system".

[Chris Wagner (chris-wagner)]

Marc, it sounds like this may very well be a different bug. My boot failed at a different point.

Did you get a screen with scattered color (as I described in the original description)?

Did you try the procedure given by Marius, above? This solved my problem. If it does not solve yours, then it seems likely you're seeing another bug (and should probably file another report).

Have you tried multiple installs? When you say "tried to load dapper flight7 from a live-CD", do you mean that you simply tried to boot the Live-CD? Or that you installed dapper from the CD?

[Marc Grosse (marc-grosse)]

Chris

I got some scattered color on the very top of the screen.
I tryied the procedures by Marius, but nothing works.
So probably you are right, it's not the same bug.
I posted a new request (43950)

About multiple installations, I tried a lot of times different ways:
- booting from live-CD: doesn't boot
- urgrading from breezy to dapper online via urgrade-manager: this works,
dapper runs, but only till restarting systems and it will not boot
anymore...
- booting from live-CD but removing "quiet and splash" fron F6 command-line:
it works and starts live-CD. Dapper works installed in RAM, but installing
on hd, it works till creating partitions: ERROR, not able to create
partitions!

That's a new problem I found a few minutes ago: so dapperflight7 is not able
to "mount root file system" and not able to create the necessary partitions
hda1 (/) and hda5 (swap), even they are present on the hd from previous
breezy installation!

I'm really hanging with that situation: breezy is still running well, dapper
was running on previous motherboard ASUS 8N-E but in not running on new ASUS
8N32-SLI.
Thanks a lot for your precious help
Regards
Marc

On 5/10/06, Chris Wagner <email address hidden> wrote:
>
> Marc, it sounds like this may very well be a different bug. My boot
> failed at a different point.
>
> Did you get a screen with scattered color (as I described in the original
> description)?
>
> Did you try the procedure given by Marius, above? This solved my
> problem. If it does not solve yours, then it seems likely you're seeing
> another bug (and should probably file another report).
>
> Have you tried multiple installs? When you say "tried to load dapper
> flight7 from a live-CD", do you mean that you simply tried to boot the
> Live-CD? Or that you installed dapper from the CD?
>
> --
> After upgrading from breezy, the system will not boot
> https://launchpad.net/bugs/30333
>

[Marc Grosse (marc-grosse)]

I got some scattered color on the very top of the screen.
I tryied the procedures by Marius, but nothing works.
So probably you are right, it's not the same bug.
I posted a new request (43950)

About multiple installations, I tried a lot of times different ways:
- booting from live-CD: doesn't boot
- urgrading from breezy to dapper online via urgrade-manager: this works, dapper runs, but only till restarting systems and it will not boot anymore...
- booting from live-CD but removing "quiet and splash" fron F6 command-line: it works and starts live-CD. Dapper works installed in RAM, but installing on hd, it works till creating partitions: ERROR, not able to create partitions!

That's a new problem I found a few minutes ago: so dapperflight7 is not able to "mount root file system" and not able to create the necessary partitions hda1 (/) and hda5 (swap), even they are present on the hd from previous breezy installation!

I'm really hanging with that situation: breezy is still running well, dapper was running on previous motherboard ASUS 8N-E but in not running on new ASUS 8N32-SLI.

[Dutch (straykat)]

Don't know if this is related, but.
Updated Kubuntu Breezy 30 May with Adept. Changed breezy to dapper in the repositories as instructed by the Kubuntu site.
Adept said all done. Did a reboot but the kernel came up as 2.6.12 (breezy) then went into kernel panic.
After numerus attempts rebooted Windows & downloaded Kubuntu 6.06 RC from an USA server. CD would boot but could not install.
Back to Window & downloaded the RC again but from the UK. Same result?
Re-installed Kubuntu Breezy & back on line?

[Marc Grosse (marc-grosse)]

Hi

I have exactly the same problem: CD is stopping directly after "mounting root file system", or if I remove "quiet - splash" (key F6) it stops one step later (don't know exactly why).
I tried upgrade via Synaptic and could run dapper perfectly, but impossible to install. Installation stops somewhere on step "creating root file"
Breezy is running perfectly, so no doubt about my system configuration.
Hope problem will be solved in final dapper 6.06.

[Chris Wagner (chris-wagner)]

Dutch, I don't think you're seeing the same problem. With my problem, I never saw a "kernel panic" message. I suggest you file a separate bug. (By the way, what is "Adept"?)

Marc Grosse, I'm confused as to exactly what your problem is, but it sounds to me like you may have two separate problems, neither of which sounds like it's related to this bug.

[Marc Grosse (marc-grosse)]

Sorry, I'm not a technical expert, so I'm just concerned by that dapper 6.06 not running while breezy ist great and perfect. I love it.
I described and posted my problem in bug # 43950, but nobody seams to be aware about a solution.
What can I do to bring more infos about the problem?
Thanks anyway and let's hope the best, waiting the final dapper version.

[Ronny Bangsund (ronnyb)]

There are an awful lot of boot problems that look very similar
to this, and I try to post wherever I can. It's now less than
24 hours till Dapper is supposed to be released, but the kernel
is not booting. I've tried all the tricks mentioned in this thread
and other, similar threads, but 2.6.15-23-686 refuses to boot.
The initrd is broken as shipped, and no better after trying to
fix it. mkinitramfs makes a big, fat one that still won't be
recognised, and update-initramfs makes a slimmer, but still
broken one.

I've tried -23-386, but it's no different. I can't make the initrd
work at all.

I can boot the leftover kernel from Breezy, but it's useless for
any development (need accelerated 3D).

[Marc Grosse (marc-grosse)]

Bingo, I got it!
On the french forum, someone found that removing usb2 support on bios allows to start the live-CD and install it.
That works perfectly. Great.
Once installed and updated with some 380 updates, I restarted my system without USB2 support: great, it works.
Again with USB support from bios, it decompresses LINUX... done but stops defnetly on "booting the kernel"
(kernel is 2.6.15-23)
Hope that will help finally developpers to find the bug.
Thanks to all.
Marc

[Bernard Moreton (moreton)]

I did an on-line dist-upgrade which went more or less fine, with a lot of manual intervention to recover from lost connections; but on the reboot I could not load X. I now have a console-only system, with the old kernel. I've downloaded a live CD to remedy the situation.

[Chris Wagner (chris-wagner)]

Bernard, I don't think this bug, that you're seeing, is related to the one I saw, as described in the original description. You should probably file another bug, or perhaps a support request.

[Matjaz (matjazpirnovar)]

Hi,

This doesn not relate to this topic. But whn I tried to submit the bug report an error occured (?). Anyway, I would like to send a bug report (below) regarding uprading from breezy to dapper. Please if anyone can send it to the proper address.
Thanks.

I upgraded Ubuntu 5.10 with Ubuntu 6.06 today from online source - direct online upgrade from Ubuntu website link.
During first phase (I think it was the 'removing' phase) I got a window popped out which said: "battstat-applet-2" note came. It said that it quit running followed by if I want to send a report now or save and send it manually later. I think it mentioned somewhere that this note was treated as a crash.
Also it said that installation will keep running (and I think that it doesn't affect the system, as I remember) and now after upgrade it seems everything works fine.

I didn't know how to reproduce it in 3 steps etc.

Hope this report helps somehow.

Regards

[Chris Wagner (chris-wagner)]

Matjaz, it sounds to me like your "battery status applet" crashed during the upgrade. This may not be worth reporting, as it may have only been something that could occur on the upgrade from 5.10 to 6.06, and you say it's unreproducable.

[John Vivirito (gnomefreak)]

Is this bug safe to close? it seems everyones issues have been fixed?

[Chris Wagner (chris-wagner)]

It's very likely the bug still exists, even though we've all determined a solution to our problems. I guess "whether or not this bug should be closed" should be up to the maintainer of this initramfs-tools, then.

[Yannis Thomopoulos (ioannis-th)]

Why do developers prefer to close their eyes on a bug like this rather than face it? Everyone who has upgraded from Breezy to Dapper find a myriad of bugs to deal with, including me. Myself, I cannot login anymore as a normal user, but only if I login as root from kdm/gdm (modfied the config to be able to do so). The funny thing, is that with kernel 2.6.12 from breezy I can login fine most of the time, but then I do not have sound working, even though the modules are installed and before the upgrade it worked. As for the bug mentioned here, I have heard a lot of people claiming that initrds are broken, and myself can confirm this. I cannot boot with 2.6.15, unless I create a new initrd with yaird instead of mkinitrd.

Question: Do I need an initrd if my modules required for booting are included in the kernel?

[Steven Harms (sharms)]

Does this bug affect a fresh install of dapper?

[Marc Grosse (marc-grosse)]

Hi Steven

This bug specific to dapper (brezzy was running perfectly on same system) affects as well a fresh install of dapper as an upgrade from brezzy via Synaptic.
A lot of problem reports has been posted on several forums, french, English... without any solution but (for my CPU) removing the USB2 support in bios!)
Warm regards

[Chris Wagner (chris-wagner)]

As the original bug description states, I made a fresh install from "dapper flight 2" and had no problem. Would you like me (and others) to test a fresh install of "dapper final"? ...Because I'm almost certain the install will be unaffected by this bug. If this bug still exists, my guess is that it occurs through some unlikely chain of events that can occur during an upgrade.

If you're looking to resolve this bug, then it might be best to simply close it. I don't know if this report holds much valuable information, anyhow; most of the comments above are just noise, at this point.

[Marc Grosse (marc-grosse)]

Chris

it's not only a problem of installation, it's also the same problem at system startup: system (32 or 64 bits, both tested) is hanging at "mounting root file system". Removing USB2 support in bios makes it work properly.
My system is up to date with new kernel 2.6.15-25-386.
How can I send you a "log" to make it more then just "noise"!

[Chris Wagner (chris-wagner)]

Marc, I think the bug you're seeing is different from the one I encountered. I believe the bug that I saw was a problem with my initramfs; it seems like it was corrupted or something. It sounds like your problem is more like a kernel/driver issue.

I suggest another bug report be opened for the issue that Marc, and perhaps others, are seeing, and this bug report be closed, unless the devlopers would like to keep it open for the record -- because I don't think I'll be able to reproduce it.

[Steven Harms (sharms)]

Bug filer cannot reproduce problem, and commenter is advised to open a seperate bug for usb2(?). Thanks for all the input!

[vijay (vijay-calmet)]

I can confirm this on my system - Asus K8N-E motherboard, AMD Athelon 3000+ CPU, running Ubuntu
 "version 2.6.15-27-amd64-generic (buildd@king) (gcc version 4.0.3 (Ubuntu 4.0.3-1ubuntu5)) #1 SMP PREEMPT Fri Dec 8 17:50:54 UTC 2006" 64-bit.

On the Motherboard BIOS configuration, if I enable "High-speed" mode for the USB (480 Mbits/sec), The Ubuntu boot hangs, trying to load the OHCI_hcd.

My Windws XP boot on the same hardware works fine with this BIOS setting.

Changing the BIOS USB setting to "Full Speed" (12 Mbits/sec) allows Ubuntu to boot normally.

I can reproduce this fairly easily, so let me know what info you need to diagnose this.
Please provide clear and complete instructions - I'm still learning my way around Linux.

[Marc Grosse (marc-grosse)]

Hi Vijay

I thought youa re one of my collegues from Chennai
Anyway, nice to hear from you and to get confirmation that my "old" problem
was not only in my dreams!

I totally agree with you and found that the problem is live upgrading from
brezzy to Dapper (previous version was working properly) and still life in
6.10.
I'm not a specialist, but even upgrading Bios and changing motherboard to
ASUS A8N32 - SLI Deluxe, the problem is there.
I cannot imagine a problem from motherboard (one never know anyway)
System is working properly with XP (the only thing probably which is working
properly with XP!)

But I found also that disconnecting a front panel IcyBox with 8 slots
reading memory cards is removing the problem at boot. After boot, hot
plugging the IcyBox, everything is working. Probably it's only a booting
problem.

Kind regards
Marc

2006/12/27, vijay <email address hidden>:
>
> I can confirm this on my system - Asus K8N-E motherboard, AMD Athelon
> 3000+ CPU, running Ubuntu
> "version 2.6.15-27-amd64-generic (buildd@king) (gcc version 4.0.3 (Ubuntu
> 4.0.3-1ubuntu5)) #1 SMP PREEMPT Fri Dec 8 17:50:54 UTC 2006" 64-bit.
>
> On the Motherboard BIOS configuration, if I enable "High-speed" mode for
> the USB (480 Mbits/sec), The Ubuntu boot hangs, trying to load the
> OHCI_hcd.
>
> My Windws XP boot on the same hardware works fine with this BIOS
> setting.
>
> Changing the BIOS USB setting to "Full Speed" (12 Mbits/sec) allows
> Ubuntu to boot normally.
>
> I can reproduce this fairly easily, so let me know what info you need to
> diagnose this.
> Please provide clear and complete instructions - I'm still learning my way
> around Linux.
>
> --
> After upgrading from breezy, the system will not boot
> https://launchpad.net/bugs/30333
>

[Chris Wagner (chris-wagner)]

vijay - Have you posted a comment to the wrong bug report?? Your subject reads:
  Re: Enabling USB 2.0 "High-speed"(480 Mbit/s) prevents Boot
I don't think your problem is the same as (or related to) the problem that I experienced long ago. You should file another bug if you have not unintentionally posted a comment to this bug report.

[Chris Wagner (chris-wagner)]

Marc - Is the bug mentioned by vijay the same bug that you reported in bug 43950??

If so, I think we need to start a fresh bug report and have you two describe your problem as best you can...

[Marc Grosse (marc-grosse)]

Vijay, Chris

have a look at new bug report 77922. Hope that can help.
Regards