Help with Mint 7 updates

[Daniel ~]

One or more of these mint 7 updates is rendering my OS un-bootable. Not a Biggy I can and have done a quick restore of the drive. Only the first time I thought it was some thing I installed or changed in "add and remove programs".

So I did a restore and when the update message poped up I undated with out a care...Unbootable. This time from know good restore point from a week ago which ran great until my last update.

Can someone tell me which and why? ":O}

[ccperf721p]

If I had to guess I would say it was mintsystem

How does it render unbootable. Grub cannot find the file, kernel panic, etc etc..

[ThunderRd]

I'll bet it's grub. I have found that on updates with both Ubuntu and Xubuntu (using update manager) that sometimes grub gets re-written and the system won't boot. I don't update that way anymore. I use apt-get and select carefully what I really want to update. I think that the package managers still have a long way to go to be 100% reliable.

Booting with a live cd and editing grub or restoring it with a backup solves it quite easily.

[ccperf721p]

I was going to update the computer I have mint installed on this morning but I rolled out of bed a little late. I'll catch it tonight when I get home..

TR is probably right and if that's the case it's an easy fix.

Package managers are the reason I tend to stick to Gentoo or Arch. It's been primarily Arch lately, just don't have the time to compile everything from source these days and pacman is as good as it gets in package management. I also pretty much stick to rolling release distro's and avoid any hassles come upgrade time..

[Daniel ~]

Thanks guys, I suspected Mint System right off ...but that seemed unlikely to me considering how important and basic to Mint it would seem to be! Getting this wrong...well someone has a lot to answer for! LOL

I'm holding off on up dates for a while! ":O}

(OH! Yes it was a grub message I should have paid more attention to, sorry for the poor reporting on this, but it couldn't find or use the Grub and left me with a clueless prompt as if to say "go ahead, make my day!"

[ccperf721p]

I'll try to type up a basic grub how to. If you can get a grub prompt and have a basic idea of how your system is laid out, you can use the grub prompt to boot any system.

This is where keeping things simple at installation as far as partitioning and kernel naming come in handy.
I have used the same partitioning scheme for a long time so I always know where certain parts of my system exist. I use simple names for my kernels as well, such as kernel-stock and kernel-custom.. It just it makes it simple to get a system back up and running..

[Daniel ~]

I'll print it and give it a try the next time I'm hung out to dry.

[ThunderRd]

Daniel, in /boot/grub there should be a file called menu.lst~

It is a backup of your grub menu file before the updates modified it. If you boot with a live cd, you can copy this file to menu.lst and that should get your machine booted.

You will need to mount the drive first, though, since you are booted with the live cd - do you know how to do that?

I'm off to bed but if you can mount the drive from the live cd this should work. If you don't then better to wait for Cliff.

FYI I have studied this page and learned a lot about grub from it:

http://members.iinet.net.au/~herman546/p15.html

[Daniel ~]

Many thanks T-Bird! Unfortunately...I'd better wait for Cliff...LOL

I have done a restore from back up, so I'm not in trouble right now.

[ccperf721p]

If I am thinking correctly you have 3 linux OS'es on the same rig. How are you booting each distribution?

[Daniel ~]

I hit F8 at boot to bring up a choice of drives menu... I try to keep them all in total ignorance of each other.":O} Each was the only drive connected when I install them and most of the time I just hook one of them up... it's really only when I'm/we are messing about, or I'm backing them all up, that I leave the other two connected to power. saving Power and heat and all that..":O}

But since YOU brought it up....Mint can't find what she needs to compete boot if My sata back up drive is turned on...I don't think Mint is looking long enough for it before giving up... What's up with that? ":O} It's no biggy given that I boot to a CD of Acronis to do back ups...just curious..

[ccperf721p]

You have to consider grub to be a dumb bootloader, it can't really seek to find what it needs, it must be instructed on where everything is.

What I'm thinking is the drive order changes when drives are plugged in and that changes the kernel location.

Might try unplugging all uneeded drives and updating again.

[Daniel ~]

I'll give it a go when I'm done today. Thanks , I don't really remember what was plugged in last time...

[Daniel ~]

Sorry I still get a:
[Minimal Bash-like line editing...etc...No boot.

[ccperf721p]

I know what's wrong, just not sure how to relay to you how to get it going.

I need the outputs of

 cat /etc/fstab
 sudo fdisk -l
 cat /boot/grub/menu.lst

[Daniel ~]

daniel-desktop daniel # cat /etc/fstab

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'vol_id --uuid' to print the universally unique identifier for a
# device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name devices
# that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
# / was on /dev/sda1 during installation
UUID=6937725f-e6f8-441e-aa6d-2f237568595f / ext3 relatime,errors=remount-ro 0 1
# swap was on /dev/sda5 during installation
UUID=668a6fa6-e095-41bb-91a8-200ea5c3fcc1 none swap sw 0 0
/dev/scd0 /media/cdrom0 udf,iso9660 user,noauto,exec,utf8 0 0
/dev/fd0 /media/floppy0 auto rw,user,noauto,exec,utf8 0 0
/dev/scd0 /media/floppy1 auto rw,user,noauto,exec,utf8 0 0
daniel-desktop daniel #


daniel-desktop daniel # sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x8ec67346

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 29178 234372253+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 29179 30401 9823747+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 29179 30401 9823716 82 Linux swap / Solaris
daniel-desktop daniel #


daniel-desktop daniel # cat /boot/grub/menu.lst

# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
# grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
# grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
# and /usr/share/doc/grub-legacy-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not change this entry to 'saved' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default 0

## Graphical boot menu location
gfxmenu=/boot/gfxmenu/linuxmint.message

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 5

# Pretty colours
color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line) and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
# password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader +1
#
# title Linux
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
## kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=/dev/sda1 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,0)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
## alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
## lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=quiet splash

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
## lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
## altoptions=(single-user) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
## howmany=7
# howmany=all

## specify if running in Xen domU or have grub detect automatically
## update-grub will ignore non-xen kernels when running in domU and vice versa
## e.g. indomU=detect
## indomU=true
## indomU=false
# indomU=detect

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
## memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options
## can be true or false
# savedefault=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title Linux Mint 7 Gloria, kernel 2.6.28-13-generic
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-13-generic root=/dev/sda1 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-13-generic
quiet

title Linux Mint 7 Gloria, kernel 2.6.28-13-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-13-generic root=/dev/sda1 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-13-generic

title Linux Mint 7 Gloria, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=/dev/sda1 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic
quiet

title Linux Mint 7 Gloria, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=/dev/sda1 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic

title Linux Mint 7 Gloria, memtest86+
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
daniel-desktop daniel #

[Daniel ~]

I have a new problem! ":O}

I've tried several times to INSTALL Mint 7 to my 320 drive... I keep getting the same error! The CD goes to desk top and everything is fine, I click "Install" and everything partitions fine, (Standard default, all standard defaults on install) OS and software installs fine, it ejects the Install disk and asks me to remove it if necessary, I do... I reboot and get this:

Grub loading Stage 1.5
Grub loading, Please wait
Error 2

And that's all she wrote!

I'm wondering, as this IS the same disk I used to install on my old (current Mint drive), Does Mint Auto update during install? Only hardware connected is my CD drive and the drive I'm installing on...HD DOES run off an PCI-IDE, CD is USB, external. Nothing has change on my system, System running at defaults.

Mint install was a breeze...until today...sigh..

[Daniel ~]

As an experiment I Restored a copy of my Mint (old-current) drive to my (New) 320 drive, works fine. But it does reduce my 320 to a 250 Gig drive.

With Mint messing about with me I thought it would be good to have an extra install lying about...":O}

[ccperf721p]

Let's do a little clean up and see if maybe it's trying to boot the wrong kernel.

Open up the package manager and search for linux-image-2.6.28-11-generic, find that in the list and mark for complete removal. Then reboot..

[Daniel ~]

mark for complete removal.

Searched under Name and description...Rebooting...":O}