17 replies to this topic

[taz]

Hello, I hope someone can help me as I need assistance badly!

I tried to install Vector Linux light on my old PC. As the CD drive is broken,
I used unetbootin. Now in the past, unetbootin has bought up a GRUB menu with
my installed distros (Slitaz and Puppy) along with the new choice of the ISO I selected.

Not so this time. The GRUB bootloader came up with only Vector Linux.
To make things worse, VLL will not install. It gives me a message about a
possibly corrupt config file. This despite the fact I verified the files and
used the same ISO file to install on another PC without problems.

I CAN access MC and other programs from the console prompt, though.

So I appear to have lost all access to Slitaz. I tried to do a ROOT, SETUP
instruction with GRUB to restore the old GRUB menu but it stayed the same. It seems unetbootin alters the GRUB menu.lst file.

I also tried to manually edit the grub command from the bootloader menu as I have a paper copy of the old menu.lst but I get a kernel panic. Here is an example of what it says:
"010d 4096 ram 14 (driver?)"

Kernel panic - not syncing VFS: unable to mount root FS on unknown block"


So I am in a fix and as a newbie, I have no clue what to do.

I need to access Slitaz. I have not touched the partition it is installed on
though I did create a new partition with the VLL install programme. I'm also sure
a made a backup copy of the grub menu.lst in the same directory.

What can I do? Has my old laptop effectively been killed?

Hope someone can help.
Thanks.
Taz

[was_jaclaz]

Post your (previous) menu.lst entry for slitaz.

Post your (current) menu.lst entry for Vector Linux.

Post some details on your partitioning scheme. (before and after).

It is possible that only some paths or device/partition id's need to be fixed.

jaclaz

[Brito]

The vector linux site seems to be down at the moment, too bad because I'm always looking for new distros to try out in older hardware as well.

Not so this time. The GRUB bootloader came up with only Vector Linux.

Hmm.. this looks like a trouble caused by the installer of Vector Linux.

Personally, I would backup all documents to somewhere else, delete all partitions and start all over again from a fresh state to avoid these confusions with grub, partitions and such.

--------

Your disk might also be showing signs of age and start to be faulty, I'd recommend running a diagnosis tool to see how his health is going: http://www.dposoft.net/#b_hddhid (commercial but free to try and check the disk state)

In fact, perhaps running this diagnostic tool before doing anything else wouldn't be a bad idea to clear out the chances of a faulty HDD drive.

[was_jaclaz]

Personally, I would backup all documents to somewhere else, delete all partitions and start all over again from a fresh state to avoid these confusions with grub, partitions and such.

--------

Your disk might also be showing signs of age and start to be faulty, I'd recommend running a diagnosis tool to see how his health is going: http://www.dposoft.net/#b_hddhid (commercial but free to try and check the disk state)

In fact, perhaps running this diagnostic tool before doing anything else wouldn't be a bad idea to clear out the chances of a faulty HDD drive.

Oh, comeon, you could as well suggest taz to buy a new PC (with a working CD drive), that would be faster.....

Don't take it as a critic to your suggestions , but before using a cannon to shoot a fly, an attempt to use a normal flyswatter could be done....

And before running HD regenerator, far better diagnostics programs are advised, including the HD manufacturer's own ones.

jaclaz

[taz]

Thanks for the prompt replies.


My OLD boot menu is:


# For booting SliTaz from : /dev/hda7
#
title SliTaz GNU/Linux (cooking) (Kernel vmlinuz-2.6.25.5-slitaz)
root (hd0,6)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.25.5-slitaz root=/dev/hda7

# End GRUB global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
title Boxpup
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda2 ro vga=normal
# Linux bootable partition config ends

# LXDE Pup
title LXDE Pup
root (hd0,3)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda4 ro vga=normal
# Linux bootable partition config ends

# Linux bootable partition config begins
title Vector Linux Lite
root (hd0,7)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda8 ro vga=normal
# Linux bootable partition config ends



My NEW menu is simply a choice of Unetbootin or Linux:

Unetbootin
Root (hd0,6))
kernel boot/ubnkern load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 ramdisk_size=18
initrd /boot/ubninit
boot

Linux
Root (hd0,6)
kernel /isolinux/kernel/sata load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 ramdisk

initrd /isolinux/initrd.img
boot

I copied that manually so it may not be perfect.


Re partitions: I created a couple of new partitions in my attempts to install VLL.
Vector is indeed a good distro, I've just had some bad luck here.




I appreciate the suggestions about diagnostic programmes but I would need to sort this out first to install them :-)

[Icecube]

To determine where your kernels are located:
Try:

find /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.25.5-slitaz

Try:

find /boot/vmlinuz

Write the result down and post it.

I also find it strange that none of your grub entries in the old config file, have an initrd (which is possible). To be sure, check if the find command returns something:
Try:

find /boot/initrd.gz

Try:

find /boot/initrd

If you have a working floppy drive, you can try supergrubdisk to get your distros booting again:
http://www.supergrubdisk.org/

[was_jaclaz]

It is possible that adding new partitions you have "shifted" partition numbers.

In your "old" menu.lst there are two "hardcoded" items:

root (hd0, n)

root=/dev/sdan+1

In the new menu.lst the (hd0,6) that was previously the Slitaz is now Unetbootin/Linux.

GRUB should have the same autocompletion features of grub4dos:
http://www.boot-land...?...c=4708&st=5
http://diddy.boot-la...s/files/cli.htm

if not, you may want to add grub.exe to the usb stick and chainload it form GRUB with a

kernel grub.exe

command, then use grub4dos to find which partition is which and recreate a working menu.lst with corrected paths.

jaclaz

[taz]

Hi there,
Thanks for your help.

The slitaz vmlinux was returned on (HD0,6) as expected.

Unetbootin temporarily replcaed my grub menu.lst I guess, but because I cannot boot an os, I cannot activate unetbootin to get it to restore the old file as it usually does.

The initrd search returned hd0,1 and hd0,2. These were from my aborted attempts to install VLL.

[was_jaclaz]

go to command prompt (press "c")

Enter, one by one, the lines of your old Slitaz entry, use [TAB] autocompletion.

READ this:
http://diddy.boot-la...s/files/cli.htm

If you have a copy of your old menu.lst, use the configfile command and point to it, like (example)

configfile (hd0,6)/mysavedmenu/menu.lst

jaclaz

[taz]

It is possible that adding new partitions you have "shifted" partition numbers.

In your "old" menu.lst there are two "hardcoded" items:




In the new menu.lst the (hd0,6) that was previously the Slitaz is now Unetbootin/Linux.

GRU

jaclaz

This is because unetbootin on a HD install temporarily re-writes the GRUB config file to boot an iso from the HD. The idea is that once the job is done, the user can activate unetbootin and reset the config file. Because I can't install the iso, I can get back to do this.
Here's a thought: is there anyway I can use the linux shell from my VLL ISO to access unetbootin on my partititon?

I'm a newbie so I don't know how tor if I can do this stuff :-)


"

[was_jaclaz]

taz,
with all due respect , time to read points #f of "common sense advice" (ALL of them):
http://www.boot-land...?act=boardrules

and simply try doing what it was suggested to you.

jaclaz

[Icecube]

If the slitaz vmlinux was returned on (hd0,6), it can still work.

Press c and type the following:

root (hd0,6)

kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.25.5-slitaz root=/dev/hda7

boot

[taz]

go to command prompt (press "c")

Enter, one by one, the lines of your old Slitaz entry, use [TAB] autocompletion.

READ this:
http://diddy.boot-la...s/files/cli.htm

If you have a copy of your old menu.lst, use the configfile command and point to it, like (example)

configfile (hd0,6)/mysavedmenu/menu.lst

jaclaz

Damn. It looked to have worked but then I got a kernel panic.

The same "0106 4096 ram6 (driver?)" as before , plus:

"No filesystem could mount root, tried etx2, ext3, xfs"

"Kernel panic - not syncing vfs: unable to mount root system on unknown block (1,3)"

I've no idea what this means

[Icecube]

What does find /boot/vmlinuz return?

If it returns something, you can adapt the root (hd0,n) command and the root=/dev/sda(n+1) accordingly:

root (hd0,3)

kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda4 ro vga=normal

Vector Linux Lite

root (hd0,7)

kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda8 ro vga=normal

[taz]

Cube, I'm not sure how, but somehow that worked :-)

My most sincere thanks to everyone who took the time to help (I've thanked everyone under their profile name).

Hope I'll learn enough to be able to help others in future.

Greg

[taz]

OK so I'm into my system but I still have some issues:

my menu.lst is blank and when I rewrite it, it just blanks out again straight after I save it.

Each time I reboot, GRUB goes straight to a command prompt and I have to type it all in manually. Something is forcing my menu.lst to be blanked out. I also note that unetbootin is no longer offering to unsitall itself. Can anyone offer any idea as to what is happening and how to correct it?
Thanks
Taz

[Icecube]

Can you tell which entry does work, when you type it manually and what the commands are?

I don't know the distributions that you use, myself, but you have to be root (or have root rights) to change the menu.lst once you have booted a certain distro.

You also can run update-grub (as root) to update your menu.lst file for your distribution. The entries of the other distributions won't appear in this file thought. But you can add them afterwards.

Run then the grub-install command.
To install grub to your MBR:

grub-install /dev/sdX

Where X is a-z.

I always install grub to the first sector of a partition instead of in the MBR. By doing so, each distribution has his own grub and menu.lst and therefore, installing an extra distribution can't mess up all your other menu.lst entries.
For installing grub to the first sector of your partition, use something like

grub-install /dev/sdXn

Adapt the /dev/sdXn to the right partition = root of your distribution (X is a-z and n is a number).
This will not install grub to the MBR, so you need to have another bootloader that can chainload the first sector of the partition. You can use grub for that as well, but I always use GAG.
http://gag.sourceforge.net/
Be sure that you have installed grub to the superblock of your partition before installing GAG to your MBR.

If you need more detailed instructions, run fdisk -l and post the result so I can see how your PC is partitioned. Also mention, which distribution is installed on which partition.

[taz]

Thanks again :-)