GNU GRUB version 0.97

mmce · 11-12-2010, 09:25 AM

hi dears
I have a problem
when I turn on my laptop I see this on the screen:

GNU GRUB version 0.97 (640K lower / 3072K upper memory)

[ Minimal BASH-like line editing is supported. For the first word, TAB
lists possible command completions. Anywhere else TAB lists the possible
completions of a device/filename.]
grub>

what is it?
and what can I do?
plz help me

syg00 · 11-12-2010, 03:28 PM

What has recently changed.

michaelk · 11-12-2010, 03:51 PM

It is the grub command prompt.
If grub (the boot loader) can not find the /boot/grub/menu.lst file then it halts at the command prompt.

What version of Fedora are you running?
Edit:
I see its Fedora 13

stoggy · 11-20-2010, 04:08 PM

when you get to that command line on boot, you could try

Code:

setup(hd0)
root(hd0,0)

You may have to type one more line after the root(hd0,0) ... i forget ... if it just goes back to a command line, type boot and hit enter.

(hd0) - this is your first drive in grub. like /dev/sda or c: If you installed on /dev/sdb or d: you would put (hd1) and so on...
(hd0,0) - this is the first partition on the first drive.

it might boot it would depend on the problem. if the menu or boot dir is gone, your going to have to fix that. If the problem is just that grub hasn't been installed correctly you can get by it with a little push...

impert · 11-20-2010, 05:01 PM

It should be possible to boot manually from the grub prompt. Try typing:

Code:

 find /boot/grub/stage1

this should show the device(s) where grub is installed.
I can't remember if it shows them as (for instance)
/dev/sda2
or whether you get something like
(hd0,1) which is the same thing in grub1speak.
if it's the former, you will have to convert as follows:
sda1 (first disc, first partition) = (hd0,0)
sda2 (first disc, second partition) = (hd0,1)
sdb1 (second disc first partition) = (hd1,0)
sdb2 (second disc, second partition) = (hd1,1) and so on.
In the following I assume it is (hd0,1) Change the (hdx,y) and sdzz to suit your case.
You then need to type:

Code:

root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vml

then hit the <TAB> key Grub will show the possible kernels, or autocomplete if there's only one. Then type, on the same line,

Code:

ro root=/dev/sda2

, and hit <enter>
then type

Code:

initrd /boot/ini

<TAB> as before

make sure the version of the initrd is the same as that of the kernel!
then type

Code:

boot

and hit <return>
If all goes well, it should boot.
Sometimes, particularly with Fedora, there is a separate /boot partition.
In that case, remove "/boot" from the kernel and initrd lines. You will also need to make the "root=/dev/sdzz" point to the / (root) partition, not the /boot partition. You have to know where the / partition is.
It is also possible, when you have found the partition where grub is installed, to use

Code:

cat /boot/grub/menu.lst

, or if there's a separate /boot partition:

Code:

cat /grub/menu.lst

to get the kernel options and you can add these to the kernel line. Note that something is wrong in your menu.lst, so only copy the kernel options, not the root (hdx,y) line or the root=/dev/sdzz.
Hope this helps.