[Bug 1289977] Re: Ubuntu 14.04 Update breaks grub, resulting in "error: symbol 'grub_term_highlight_color' not found"

Sun Apr 27 14:35:04 UTC 2014

I have encountered this bug on both an upgrade and an install of 14.04
with on a Toshiba Laptop

$ sudo parted -l
Model: ATA TOSHIBA MQ01ABD1 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 1000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/4096B
Partition Table: gpt

Number  Start   End     Size    File system     Name                  Flags
 1      1049kB  1075MB  1074MB  ntfs            Basic data partition  hidden, diag
 2      1075MB  1347MB  273MB   fat32           Basic data partition  boot
 3      1347MB  1482MB  134MB   ntfs            Basic data partition  msftres
 4      1482MB  496GB   494GB   ntfs            Basic data partition
 6      496GB   498GB   2048MB  linux-swap(v1)
 7      498GB   968GB   470GB   ext4
 8      968GB   988GB   20.0GB  ext4
 5      989GB   1000GB  11.7GB  ntfs            Basic data partition  hidden, diag

Here is a history:

Installed Ubuntu Studio 12.04 dvd-amd64 from DVD to sda5
No grub menu so ran boot repair:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:yannubuntu/boot-repair 
sudo apt-get update 
sudo apt-get install -y boot-repair 
boot-repair
rename EFI files - yes
grub menu ok - could boot to Ubuntu and Win 8, but no network connection due to PCI-E Qualcomm Atheros AR8161 incompatibilty, so

Installed Ubuntu Studio 13.04 dvd-amd64 from DVD to sda5
No grub menu so ran boot repair as above
grub menu ok - could boot to Ubuntu and Win 8 but Jack latency worse than 12.04 installation on inferior spec PC, so 

Upgraded to 13.10 
No grub menu so ran boot repair as above
grub menu ok - could boot to Ubuntu and Win 8 and Jack latency similar to 12.04 

Ran all advised upgrades  for a few months

Received message to upgrade to 14.04 as Saucy no longer supported, so

Ran 14.04 upgrade with no errors
Booted
error: symbol 'grub-term-highlight-color' not found.
grub rescue>

insert ubuntu 13.04 disk and select try unbuntu
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:yannubuntu/boot-repair 
sudo apt-get update 
sudo apt-get install -y boot-repair 
boot-repair
Select Recommended Repair
rename EFI files - yes
http://paste.ubuntu.com/7320970/
Booted
error: symbol 'grub-term-highlight-color' not found.
grub rescue>
Downloaded and installed Ubuntu Studio 14.04 dvd-amd64 from USB to sda5
Booted
error: symbol 'grub-term-highlight-color' not found.
grub rescue>

insert ubuntu 14.04 disk and select try unbuntu
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:yannubuntu/boot-repair 
sudo apt-get update 
sudo apt-get install -y boot-repair 
unable to locate package boot-repair
boot-repair
file not found

Installed Ubuntu Studio 13.04 dvd-amd64 from DVD to sda5
No grub menu so ran boot repair: as above
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:yannubuntu/boot-repair 
sudo apt-get update 
sudo apt-get install -y boot-repair 
boot-repair
Select Recommended Repair
rename EFI files - NO
http://paste.ubuntu.com/7331102/
grub menu ok - can boot to Ubuntu and Win 8

$ sudo debconf-show grub-pc
  grub-pc/kopt_extracted: false
  grub2/kfreebsd_cmdline:
  grub2/device_map_regenerated:
  grub-pc/install_devices:
  grub-pc/postrm_purge_boot_grub: false
  grub-pc/install_devices_failed_upgrade: true
  grub-pc/disk_description:
  grub2/linux_cmdline:
  grub-pc/install_devices_empty: false
  grub2/kfreebsd_cmdline_default: quiet splash
  grub-pc/partition_description:
  grub-pc/install_devices_failed: false
  grub-pc/install_devices_disks_changed:
  grub2/linux_cmdline_default: quiet splash
  grub-pc/chainload_from_menu.lst: true
  grub-pc/hidden_timeout: true
  grub-pc/mixed_legacy_and_grub2: true
  grub-pc/timeout: 10

Conclusion:
At no time have I run grub-install or deviated from my understanding of a standard procedure.
13.xx appears to dual boot with Win8 provided boot-repair is run after installation.
14.04 boots into grub rescue after both upgrade and installation.
14.04 appears to have no boot-repair facility.
dpkg-reconfigure grub-pc does not appear to be a solution in all cases.
There is no concensus as to who should fix this bug, so I am not holding my breath.
13.04 works OK for me, therefore I will continue with it for the time being.

Ubuntu Studio is excellent - I have used it since distro 9.10, but many new users could be put off forever by this bug because:
They probably only have one machine and if it is nearly new it probably came with Win8 pre-installed.
There may be apps they need that are only available on Windows - mine is CAD, so they will probably prefer the dual boot option. As 14.04 release notes state 'EFI compliant' they will probably assume 'OK for Win8 dual boot' and install 14.04.
In spite of all the good advice, they may not have backed up their data and have probably not created restore disks.
They will not report the error, but they certainly will tell all their friends.

Please fix this; if you need any other info, please ask.

Olly.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1289977

Title:
  Ubuntu 14.04 Update breaks grub, resulting in "error: symbol
  'grub_term_highlight_color' not found"

Status in Ubuntu Release Upgrader:
  New
Status in “grub2” package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  The update from 13.10 to 14.04 via update-manager broke grub for me,
  which resulted in the grub error:

  "symbol 'grub_term_highlight_color' not found"

  on startup.

  To fix the problem I had to boot to my persisting Ubuntu installation
  (e.g. using Super Grub Disk) and had to reinstall grub on my boot
  partition: "sudo grub-install --recheck /dev/sdx"

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
  Package: grub2-common 2.02~beta2-6
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-16.36-generic 3.13.5
  Uname: Linux 3.13.0-16-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.13.3-0ubuntu1
  Architecture: amd64
  CurrentDesktop: Unity
  Date: Sun Mar  9 10:36:45 2014
  EcryptfsInUse: Yes
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-12-10 (88 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.10 "Saucy Salamander" - Release amd64 (20131016.1)
  ProcEnviron:
   LANGUAGE=de_DE
   PATH=(custom, no user)
   XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
   LANG=de_DE.UTF-8
   SHELL=/bin/bash
  SourcePackage: grub2
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2014-03-07 (2 days ago)

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