200MBi important updates to new Lubuntu 14.04 install causes failure to boot
 

Trying to install updates to Lubuntu 14.04 after successful dual boot with Windows XP on Toshiba Satellite Pentium 4 3.2GHz with 1.37 GBi of RAM.
Root was 3GBi and it failed so repartitioned to the following
Root 10 GBi
Swap 1 GBi
Rest 20 GBi

After running Software Updater I see 200 MBi of important updates (security) and another 50MBi of optional (program) updates. So I selected only the important ones first and the download and install goes to completion.

After the requested reboot and selecting to boot Ubuntu, the screen either hangs as blank black screen with no HDD activity or a long series of DOS type text scrolls down showing lots of including some errors. One I managed to pick up was

During Grub2 install:
FlexNet detected in Sector 32. This may cause problems booting.

At the end of the reboot text I see:
perf samples too long
Then several attempts to lower the kernal.perf_event_max_sample_rate from 12500 to 6250 and finally to 3250
This is when everything stops and I have to do a reboot.
Grub2 works great with the dual boot and I can get into WinXP

Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Jeff (aka jwilso)

One part is this may be legit or rootkit. http://timtrott.co.uk/uninstall-flex...dates-manager/

I'd do a clean install of this or other and just make the /root a bit bigger. I suspect that part of the problem may be that you don't have enough free space in root. Updates take up a lot of room.

Somebody broke something with the update. It's probably a new kernel - or more likely a driver that came in with it. You should be able to select your prior kernel from the grub menu; see if that still works. For the scrolling messages, try hitting <Ctrl>-s (hold down "Ctrl", hit "s"). That should stop it so you can capture it. <Ctrl>-q to restart it.
Earlier messages may be more useful - that perf message is basically informational. You're probably running your CPU(s) at 100% looping on something else.

Do you know what Flexnet is/does? Do you need it? The link below to the Ubuntu forums discusses it and has a 'solution' of sorts which basically involves removing it's code from sector 32. If you use it for some software that won't help much. I've seen this before and am not sure why they (Flexnet people) put their code in that location. Check out the link, it might give you some ideas while you are waiting for more responses.

https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1661254

Solved - Almost
 

Thanks to jefro for the link to remove FlexNet in windows.
When I do this and then reboot to run Ubuntu it loads wonderfully!
So I downloaded and installed the rest of my 40 MBi of updates (mostly Firefox),
Then tried rebooting and got the same problem....failure to load.
So opening windows xp again and ran FlexNet removal tool and Bingo! Ubuntu loads fine...until next reboot.
So is something in Lubuntu 14.04 or Grub2 installing FlexNet each time?
What else can I do?

Jeff

Nope, it's XP doing it on re-boot. Dell used to do something similar - monitoring, not licensing in that case.
Remove the offending piece of junk - have a read of this for example.

I agree that it may be a typical windows deal but there are references to it being a malware issue if you didn't fully remove that program and the hidden places. Notice that the link points out the reason for this. Some program(s) on windows may not run ever again without buying them.

Might have to change up the install to use the windows loader to point to grub or lilo on different area of drive.