FIXED: Grub boot menu disappeared

[mandyfester]

Hello

I have been using LMDE for a while now and mostly I have been very pleased with the experience.

I ran a sudo apt-get update / upgrade the other day and since then the grub menu which worked quite nicely has disappeared to be replaced by the grub command prompt. Although I am able to log into linux via the prompt I would like the menu back.

I have tried these 2 tips to absolutely no effect:
1. http://www.webupd8.org/2009/12/how-to-recover-grub2-linux.html
2. sudo dpkg-reconfigure grub-pc

Am I missing something very simple here?

Thanks

Mandy

[mandyfester]

I was looking at the file /boot/grub/grub/cfg and noticed that the configuration is wrong.
* The file system should be ext4
* I think the root should be hd0,3, LMDE is on sda3 on my hard drive
* The UUID is correct

Code: Select all

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'LinuxMint GNU/Linux, with Linux 2.6.32-5-686' --class linuxmint --cla
ss gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
   insmod part_msdos
   insmod ext2
   set root='(hd0,msdos3)'
   search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4b53623b-9d88-4559-af44-f9f816fc25a9
   echo   'Loading Linux 2.6.32-5-686 ...'
   linux   /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-5-686 root=/dev/sda3 ro  vga=771 quiet
   echo   'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
   initrd   /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-5-686
}
menuentry 'LinuxMint GNU/Linux, with Linux 2.6.32-5-686 (recovery mode)' --class
 linuxmint --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
   insmod part_msdos
   insmod ext2
   set root='(hd0,msdos3)'
   search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4b53623b-9d88-4559-af44-f9f816fc25a9
   echo   'Loading Linux 2.6.32-5-686 ...'
   linux   /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-5-686 root=/dev/sda3 ro single  vga=771
   echo   'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
   initrd   /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-5-686
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###


Do you think this could be the reason why the grub menu does not show?

Thanks again

Mandy

[ukbrian]

Have you triad a "sudo update-grub" when you got into it? it wouldn't hurt anything but i'm no expert.
ukbrian

[mandyfester]

Yes I have already tried
sudo update-grub

It seems to work OK when I run it but when I reboot all I see is the grub command prompt.

[anamnesis]

Yes I have already tried
sudo update-grub

It seems to work OK when I run it but when I reboot all I see is the grub command prompt.

sudo grub-install
sudo update-grub
hth

[mandyfester]

Thanks, I already tried that.. As I said I followed the steps found here http://www.webupd8.org/2009/12/how-to-recover-grub2-linux.html.

I think the problem is with the grub.conf, I posted a snippet at the top of this post. Any more ideas?

[anamnesis]

Thanks, I already tried that.. As I said I followed the steps found here http://www.webupd8.org/2009/12/how-to-recover-grub2-linux.html.

I think the problem is with the grub.conf, I posted a snippet at the top of this post. Any more ideas?

Here is my working grub.cfg:

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'LinuxMint GNU/Linux, with Linux 2.6.32-5-686' --class linuxmint --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 491a6fb9-8bde-4bfe-96d8-38e5bc6fc1a3
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.32-5-686 ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-5-686 root=UUID=491a6fb9-8bde-4bfe-96d8-38e5bc6fc1a3 ro quiet
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-5-686
}
menuentry 'LinuxMint GNU/Linux, with Linux 2.6.32-5-686 (recovery mode)' --class linuxmint --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 491a6fb9-8bde-4bfe-96d8-38e5bc6fc1a3
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.32-5-686 ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-5-686 root=UUID=491a6fb9-8bde-4bfe-96d8-38e5bc6fc1a3 ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-5-686

[mandyfester]

Well I finally found the problem. It was actually a fault with the laptop... I have an old Dell Inspiron 6000 and recently I replaced a failed hard drive with a 250GB disk. The bios is only compatible with hard disks up to 137GB so I resized the disk using GParted and everything now works fine. I hope this helps someone because I have seen many similar messages.

BTW Windows boots up find even with the whole 250 GB space being utilised.

[Fig]

I've just run into the same problem with a new 160GB drive in my Inspiron 6000.
Do all partitions need to be under 137 GB, or just the root partition?
Do you have a suggestion for a suitable partion table to install Linux Mint on a 160GB drive as the sole operating system?

[CiaW]

I've just run into the same problem with a new 160GB drive in my Inspiron 6000.
Do all partitions need to be under 137 GB, or just the root partition?
Do you have a suggestion for a suitable partion table to install Linux Mint on a 160GB drive as the sole operating system?

You might want to start your own thread, since this one is marked fixed. However I'm not sure where you came up with the root partition having to be under 137gb ? The partition I have lmde 64bit is 150gb which is mounted as / (root), ext4 filesystem. I don't see why you couldn't install it on most of the 160gb, and have a 2nd smaller partition for swap (no more than 5gb) as sda2?

[dawgdoc]

See if there is a bios update from Dell. That may allow you to use larger hard drives. I know at one time no bios would accept larger than 137 Gb. If there is one, you may have to be booted under windows to install it.

Just checked the most recent for inspirion 6000 laptops is version A09, dated 10/12/2005.