Install failure at grub installation step
Mike Sussman
mmsussman at gmail.com
Fri Aug 18 02:33:13 UTC 2006
Folks, I am frustrated trying to install kubuntu 6.06.1. I cannot get
the install to work on a laptop with an existing ubuntu (breezy)
installation. Here are the details:
Boot method: CD
Image version: kubuntu-6.06.1-alternate-i386.iso, from
mirror.mcs.anl.gov. Downloaded 8/16/06
Installation Date: 8/17/06 several times during the daytime
Machine: Dell Inspiron 8000 Laptop
Processor: 900MHz Intel
Memory: 512MB
Partitions: two disks.
(parted)
print
Disk geometry for /dev/hda: 0.000-38154.375 megabytes
Disk label type: msdos
Minor Start End Type Filesystem Flags
1 0.031 533.408 primary
2 596.162 800.112 primary ext3 boot
3 800.112 5796.892 primary fat32
4 5796.892 38154.375 extended lba
6 5796.954 10793.671 logical ext3
7 10793.703 37158.156 logical ext3
5 37158.188 38154.375 logical linux-swap
(parted)
print
Disk geometry for /dev/hdc: 0.000-19077.187 megabytes
Disk label type: msdos
Minor Start End Type Filesystem Flags
2 0.031 274.548 primary
4 274.548 572.629 primary ext3
1 572.629 4071.159 primary fat32 lba
3 4071.160 14064.719 extended
5 4071.190 9067.939 logical ext3
6 9067.970 14064.719 logical ext3
HOWEVER: I was using /dev/hda2 for /boot, /dev/hda5 for swap
and /dev/hdc6 for / during the install. The other partitions
are for other (working) OS: Windows ME, Ubuntu Breezy
Output of lspci and lspci -n:
THIS OUTPUT IS FROM MY WORKING Ubuntu Breezy system:
[~]% lspci
0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corp. 82815 815 Chipset Host
Bridge and
Memory Controller Hub (rev 02)
0000:00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82815 815 Chipset AGP
Bridge (rev
02)
0000:00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corp. 82801 PCI Bridge (rev 02)
0000:00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corp. 82801BAM ISA Bridge (LPC)
(rev 02)
0000:00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corp. 82801BAM IDE U100 (rev
02)
0000:00:1f.2 USB Controller: Intel Corp. 82801BA/BAM USB (Hub
#1) (rev
02)
0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc
Rage
Mobility M4 AGP
0000:02:03.0 Multimedia audio controller: ESS Technology ES1983S
Maestro-3i PCI Audio Accelerator (rev 10)
0000:02:06.0 PCI bridge: Actiontec Electronics Inc Mini-PCI
bridge (rev
11)
0000:02:0f.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCI4451 PC card
Cardbus
Controller
0000:02:0f.1 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments PCI4451 PC card
Cardbus
Controller
0000:02:0f.2 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments PCI4451
IEEE-1394
Controller
0000:08:04.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corp. 82557/8/9
[Ethernet Pro
100] (rev 08)
0000:08:08.0 Communication controller: Lucent Microelectronics
WinModem
56k (rev 01)
[~]% lspci -n
0000:00:00.0 0600: 8086:1130 (rev 02)
0000:00:01.0 0604: 8086:1131 (rev 02)
0000:00:1e.0 0604: 8086:2448 (rev 02)
0000:00:1f.0 0601: 8086:244c (rev 02)
0000:00:1f.1 0101: 8086:244a (rev 02)
0000:00:1f.2 0c03: 8086:2442 (rev 02)
0000:01:00.0 0300: 1002:4d46
0000:02:03.0 0401: 125d:1998 (rev 10)
0000:02:06.0 0604: 1668:0100 (rev 11)
0000:02:0f.0 0607: 104c:ac42
0000:02:0f.1 0607: 104c:ac42
0000:02:0f.2 0c00: 104c:8027
0000:08:04.0 0200: 8086:1229 (rev 08)
0000:08:08.0 0780: 11c1:0448 (rev 01)
Base System Installation Checklist:
[O] = OK, [E] = Error (please elaborate below), [ ] = didn't try
it
Initial boot worked: [O]
Configure network HW: [O]
Config network: [O]
Detect CD: [O]
Load installer modules: [O]
Detect hard drives: [O]
Partition hard drives: [O] I specified /dev/hda2 for /boot,
/dev/hdc6 for /, and installer
chose
/dev/hda5 for swap
Create file systems: [O]
Mount partitions: [O]
Install base system: [O]
Install boot loader: [E]
Reboot: [E]
Comments/Problems:
Install went normally until the final step: "Installing
the GRUB boot loader". It hung up there, remaining at that
screen ( 0 % ) for more than 10 minutes. I finally aborted
the install at this point by powering down.
I manually added an entry to my existing GRUB configuration
to boot the new system. My GRUB stanza was:
title media-bay KUbuntu
# boot from /dev/hda2
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.15-26-386 root=/dev/hdc6 ro
resume=/dev/hda5
quiet splash
initrd /initrd.img-2.6.15-26-386
savedefault
boot
This boot failed. The splash screen came up and I got
the first few "OK" messages, but it hung up at
"Loading hardware drivers".
I tried several other GRUB boot options, but, frankly,
they were guesses and had no effect. I did try leaving
off the resume=, quiet, and splash options. The screen
looked very different, of course, but it still hung up
at the "Loading hardware drivers" line.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
I checked the MD5SUM for the iso file before burning it to
CD and I ran the CD self-check at the boot screen. Both
were OK. The self-check completed, but clicking "Continue"
caused an infinite loop because some file was missing.
I had almost exactly the same experience trying to install
using the kubuntu-6.06-alternate-i386.iso. The only
difference was that the install hung up at "Installing
the GRUB boot loader" but the progress was (I think)
40%, not 0%.
I tried an install using the live CD, but the result was a
totally hosed system! The install presented no error messages,
but the boot failed because it could not see the disk drives.
--
Mike Sussman
sussmanm at math.pitt.edu
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