How can I make my Live boot permanent? [SOLVED]

[vindurauga]

Hello everyone,

I am new to Linux and have just installed Linux Mint Isadora onto my laptop.

At first when I tried to boot it from the CD I just got a black screen. Lucky for me I found a post here that really helped me! http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... 91&start=0 (I think their name was beefstu) It said to type in ". i915.modeset=1 driver=intel" to the compatibility line on the boot menu and that worked!
The problem now is that once I installed Linux and restarted without the disk it went back to the five green dots and the black screen. I tried following beefstu's directions again (replacing "nomodeset" to ". i915.modeset=1 driver=intel") but that didn't help.

so here's what I did...

once logged in I went to "Terminal" on the start menu
I typed in "gksudo gedit /etc/default/grub"
I found the line GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""
and typed in ". i915.modeset=1 driver=intel" between the parenthesis. then hit SAVE
I went back to the terminal and typed "sudo update-grub" and hit enter. It said "error: cannot find a device for / (is /dev mounted?)."
then I tried to reboot it and it didn't save or update anything.

Like I said I'm new to this, so still figuring stuff out. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!

[seeley]

Hi vindurauga!
To get effective help it's useful to transmit some details:
1. You have windows installed on your laptop?
2. After downloading the iso-file did you check it with md5sum?
3. How did you burn the CD?
4. Desktop: Gnome, KDE or?
5. 32 bit or 64 bit?
seeley

[vindurauga]

oh! sorry, I guess that would help.

1. I used to have windows installed on my laptop, but since i was having problems booting linux, I Boot Nuked it and now there's nothing. It didn't help with booting Linux though.

2. I'm not sure what md5sum is. I did check the integrity of the disk and it came out fine.

3.I burned the CD as an image . First I downloaded and saved LinuxMint onto this computer and then I burned the image onto a CD.

4.I have a Compaq Presario laptop. I'm not sure what graphics card it has though.

5.Finally, I downloaded the 32 bit.

The initial problem was when it would boot from the CD, I would see 5 green dots and then a black screen. I found a post here with someone who had the same problem and usuing their advice (pressing tab at the boot screen and typing ". i915.modeset=1 driver=intel") I was able to boot successfully and get to the desktop menu.

Now my problem is that I don't know how to make it permanent so that I don't have to boot from the CD and type in a code everytime i turn it on.

Like I said, I'm still learning! I hope that makes it a little clearer.

[vincent]

Are you trying to run "sudo update-grub" from a Live CD environment? If so, that won't work...or at least, not without setting up a chroot. This guide instructs you on the exact steps to setting up a chroot properly from a live CD: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Grub2#Recover%2 ... a%20LiveCD (ignore the steps at the end that tells you to re-install Grub). If you want to, you could also run "sudo update-grub" directly from your installation of Linux Mint; to boot into it first, you'll have to press "e" on your keyboard from the Grub menu, add in "i915.modeset=1 driver=intel" as a boot command, then press CTRL+X to boot from your custom command.

[vindurauga]

Ok, I followed the rules on the link you sent me, but something is still not right. I started from where you told me "Recover Grub 2 via Live CD" and everything seemed to go well untill the restart. I thought maybe that I didn't save and update it correctly but when I ran the recheck "grub-install --recheck /dev/sda " it said everything was ok.

Another thing that I have found is that on some websites they say to delete "quiet splash" from the grub default menu. I tried that when I booted from the Live CD and it loaded differently (it started typeing out everything it was doing instead of showing the five green dots and the LinuxMint logo) and then took me to the desktop. In the terminal I took "quiet splash" out of the grub default and saved and updated that too which worked fine with the directions you sent me, but when it restarted without the disk the same five green dots came up (without the Linux Mint logo) and it went back to the black screen. Does quiet splash have anything to do with permenant installation?

I'm so close!! It could be just a mistake on my part.. Let me know if any of this is unlear.

[vincent]

I specifically said not to run the grub-install command (redundant, you already have Grub installed). I guess I wasn't clear enough...the point of that guide was to get you setup into a chroot, so that you could run "update-grub" without the terminal complaining about /dev, /sys, or /proc not mounted. At one point in the guide, you were instructed to edit /etc/default/grub with nano...did you do so? If you did, and ran update-grub afterwards, still within the chroot, you shouldn't have any problems.

All right, assuming you're back on your desktop right now in your Mint installation...paste the output of the following command here:

Code: Select all

cat /boot/grub/grub.cfg

That will tell me whether or not you followed my instructions correctly.

[vindurauga]

The reason why I ran the install recheck was because I thought it would recheck the update grub command. I was able to get the chroot and then into the nano screen and I put ". i915.modeset=1 driver=intel" between the parenthesis on the line that says GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="" I hit CTRL-X and then Y for yes to save and then ENTER. when I typed update-grub (still in the CHROOT) it said "/etc/default/grub: 1: bind #: not found".

Here is what I got when I typed in the phrase you gave me.

mint / # cat /boot/grub/grub.cfg
#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by /usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ ${prev_saved_entry} ]; then
set saved_entry=${prev_saved_entry}
save_env saved_entry
set prev_saved_entry=
save_env prev_saved_entry
set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
if [ -z ${boot_once} ]; then
saved_entry=${chosen}
save_env saved_entry
fi
}

function recordfail {
set recordfail=1
if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then if [ -z ${boot_once} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi
}
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 3137b760-98e2-4dd8-9deb-551d264c4ed6
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
set gfxmode=640x480
insmod gfxterm
insmod vbe
if terminal_output gfxterm ; then true ; else
# For backward compatibility with versions of terminal.mod that don't
# understand terminal_output
terminal gfxterm
fi
fi
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 3137b760-98e2-4dd8-9deb-551d264c4ed6
set locale_dir=($root)/boot/grub/locale
set lang=en
insmod gettext
if [ ${recordfail} = 1 ]; then
set timeout=-1
else
set timeout=10
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/06_mint_theme ###
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 3137b760-98e2-4dd8-9deb-551d264c4ed6
insmod png
if background_image /boot/grub/linuxmint.png ; then
set color_normal=white/black
set color_highlight=white/light-gray
else
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=white/light-gray
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/06_mint_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry "Linux Mint 9, 2.6.32-21-generic (/dev/sda1)" --class linuxmint --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 3137b760-98e2-4dd8-9deb-551d264c4ed6
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-21-generic root=UUID=3137b760-98e2-4dd8-9deb-551d264c4ed6 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-21-generic
}
menuentry "Linux Mint 9, 2.6.32-21-generic (/dev/sda1) -- recovery mode" --class linuxmint --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 3137b760-98e2-4dd8-9deb-551d264c4ed6
echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.32-21-generic ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-21-generic root=UUID=3137b760-98e2-4dd8-9deb-551d264c4ed6 ro single
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-21-generic
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_lupin ###
### END /etc/grub.d/10_lupin ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 3137b760-98e2-4dd8-9deb-551d264c4ed6
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 3137b760-98e2-4dd8-9deb-551d264c4ed6
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
if [ ${timeout} != -1 ]; then
if keystatus; then
if keystatus --shift; then
set timeout=-1
else
set timeout=0
fi
else
if sleep --interruptible 3 ; then
set timeout=0
fi
fi
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

[vincent]

Your grub.cfg confirms that something went wrong in the process; if you look at the entry for Linux Mint, you won't see the i915.modeset boot option in that line.

You mentionned that you saw the following error: "/etc/default/grub: 1: bind #: not found". To me, that sounds like there's a syntax error in your /etc/default/grub file. Could you please paste the output of the following command?

Code: Select all

cat /etc/default/grub

[vindurauga]

Here you go,

mint@mint ~ $ cat /etc/default/grub
# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
#GRUB_TERMINAL=console

# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
#GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480

# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true

# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_RECOVERY="true"

# Uncomment to get a beep at grub start
#GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"


I see here that ". i915.modeset=1 driver=intel" is not in the GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="" line. The strange thing is that when i type in "nano /etc/default/grub" as a root command it's still saved there but when I type in nano normally, it's gone.

[vincent]

Uhh...no, that's not what I meant. I want to see the /etc/default/grub of your Mint installation, not the default /etc/default/grub of the Live CD environment. Either boot into Mint and run cat /etc/default/grub again, or set up a chroot and run that command within it.

[vindurauga]

This is the same command run within chroot.

mint / # cat /etc/default/grub
bind# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=". i915.modeset=1 driver=intel"

# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
#GRUB_TERMINAL=console

# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
#GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480

# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true

# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_RECOVERY="true"

# Uncomment to get a beep at grub start
#GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"

[vincent]

Yeah, I see the problem here.

"/etc/default/grub: 1: bind #: not found"

That error message you got, means that on line 1 of your /etc/default/grub, there's something that shouldn't be there, i.e. "bind". So, instead of the following:

Code: Select all

bind# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update

You'd want this instead:

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# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update

(Compare your chroot's /etc/default/grub with the Live CD's /etc/default/grub, if you still don't see what I mean.)

No idea how "bind" got in there though, unless you yourself added it in for some reason by mistake.

After you fix that up, run update-grub within the chroot again. This time it should work.

[vindurauga]

YES!
Thank you! Everything is working just fine now. Honestly I have no idea how "bind" got into the default screen, but i'm glad it's gone! Thanks again for being patient!

[vincent]

Glad you got it working in the end.