grub rescue

Emma77 · 02-16-2010, 08:23 PM

Firstly, I apologise because I'm aware there are lots of threads about this, i've read them. None of them quite match my situation. I've got myself in a right bl**dy mess!

I decided to try Ubuntu, and installed it on hdb, leaving Debian on hda. Didn't really like it (although it is astonishingly beautiful) so I got rid of it and made use of the drive.

I did anticipate this problem, I checked the /boot directory, but could only see references to Debian, so I thought it'd be okay.

There's not many commands available to me from this prompt, but:

Code:

ls (hd0,1)/boot
./ ../ grub/ vmlinuz-2.6.26-2-686 config-2.6.26-2-686 System.map-2.6.26-2-686 i
nitrd.img-2.6.26-2-686 initrd.img-2.6.26-2-686.bak

and:

Code:

ls (hd0,1)/boot
./ ../ device.map stage1 stage2 e2fs_stage1_5 fat_stage1_5 jfs_stage1_5 minix_s
tage1_5 reiserfs_stage1_5 xfs_stage1_5 default menu.lst menu.lst~

I'm confident Debian is still in /dev/hda1. I'm sure it's simply a matter of telling grub not to bother looking for Ubuntu on /dev/hdb because it's long gone. Please help, because i'm not familiar with grub in the slightest.

Thanks.

Emma77 · 02-17-2010, 08:51 AM

Phew. I did it, had to edit ... some files i can't rememeber, haha!

I think it was a 'default'. I commented it out. It still puzzles me though. The only references in menu.lst to any operating system was the two Debian variants, single user mode and the normal one. So where does Ubuntu fit into all this, where are the lines to load ubuntu?

This was the main reason I didn't like ubuntu. Although staggeringly beautiful, it just does things in funny ways. I don't have time for learning curves, I need it to do useful work.

I can only think the file named /boot/grub/default invokes ubuntu somehow, but there's nothing there to see, apart from the one line at the top saying simply 'default'. Very strange.

I'm now on the look-out for something that will tidy up the grub better than it now is, because it feels awfully clunky. I like a slick system.

lugoteehalt · 02-17-2010, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emma77

Code:

ls (hd0,1)/boot
./ ../ grub/ vmlinuz-2.6.26-2-686 config-2.6.26-2-686 System.map-2.6.26-2-686 i
nitrd.img-2.6.26-2-686 initrd.img-2.6.26-2-686.bak

and:

Code:

ls (hd0,1)/boot
./ ../ device.map stage1 stage2 e2fs_stage1_5 fat_stage1_5 jfs_stage1_5 minix_s
tage1_5 reiserfs_stage1_5 xfs_stage1_5 default menu.lst menu.lst~

How come the same command 'ls (hd0,1)/boot' gives two different answers?? Am I missing something??

Emma77 · 02-18-2010, 12:47 AM

Oh, no, sorry, that's simply a typo. I hadn't noticed that.

One is /boot, and the other is /boot/grub.

j1alu · 02-18-2010, 09:51 AM

put the debian-installation cd into the cdrom and boot.
choose advanced and then rescue.
answer the default qeustions (language, keyboard, country). wait till all is loaded from cd.
tell it to re-install grub to mbr (which should be hd0, but you get examples).
reboot without the installation cd.
hopefully that will work.

Laurens73 · 02-25-2010, 04:44 PM

Well, the fastest way to restore your favorite distro after removing the latest is using Super Grub Disk - It looks like a small kid has wroten it, but it works terrific.

This CD also works very well after installing other systems like Windows which claim to have C: as the only startup disk. Super Grub Disk will offer the options available when the MBR is damaged for what reason ever.

rameshp3 · 03-11-2010, 06:22 AM

thanks for posting