appreciation

ulfscha · 02-19-2011, 06:51 AM

Many thanks for your excellent guidance (to an octogenarian)!

I will post a question re grub when I have calmed down from this pleasant experience.

Much obliged, ulfscha

ulfscha · 02-19-2011, 07:09 AM

How can I delete the grub directory from my W 2000 vintage pc. It prevents me from booting either W2k or Linux 10.10

When I tried the various methods listed on the web via a live cd

sudo fdisk -l

sudo mount /dev/sdxx /mnt

I get invariably no such dir xx for any of the xxx I see a few lines above. with or without the *

I tried at least 20 times! I even tried to re-install grub or put on ubuntu LT on a parallel drive but no success.

Any guidance what could be wrong or more likely my mistake(s)?

crts · 02-19-2011, 07:55 AM

Hi,

firstly, welcome to LQ.
Secondly,

Quote:

Linux 10.10

There is no Linux 10.10. I suppose you mean Ubuntu 10.10. Anyway, you need to provide more information on what you tried and what the output was. E.g., what is the output of

Code:

sudo fdisk -l
sudo mount /dev/sdxx /mnt

Also, what is the error message that you get when you try to boot? Do you see the grub menu before the error occurs?

Quote:

How can I delete the grub directory from my W 2000 vintage pc. It prevents me from booting either W2k or Linux 10.10

Deleting the grub directory will most probably not solve this problem; on the contrary, it will make it worse.

ulfscha · 02-19-2011, 10:31 AM

Thanks Ubuntu 10/10 is correct

I do not get the grub menu

grub 1.5 error

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 120.0 GB, 120034123776 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0004b821

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 14593 117218241 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdb: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000ebbe0

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 12256 98446288+ 83 Linux

Disk /dev/sdc: 4043 MB, 4043309056 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 491 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000a7574

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdc1 * 1 492 3948512+ b W95 FAT32
Partition 1 has different physical/logical endings:
phys=(490, 254, 63) logical=(491, 145, 38)
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$

ubuntu@ubuntu:/dev$ sudo mount /dev/sda1 mnt
fuse: failed to access mountpoint mnt: No such file or directory
ubuntu@ubuntu:/dev$

crts · 02-19-2011, 11:13 AM

Code:

$ sudo mount /dev/sda1 mnt

This does not look right. From the output of 'fdisk -l' your ubuntu resides on /dev/sdb1.
So issue the following commands and post the output:

Code:

$ sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt
ls -l /mnt/
ls -l /mnt/boot/

Notice the slash '/' in front of mnt.

ulfscha · 02-19-2011, 06:18 PM

Sorry for my delay as I had no access and sda1 misleader I had tried a, b a1 b c in desperation for all ds but sent you the wrong sample!

With your very helpful advice I got a result that I had not gotten before :

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ cd /
ubuntu@ubuntu:/$ sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt
mount: /dev/sdb1 already mounted or /mnt busy
mount: according to mtab, /dev/sdb1 is already mounted on /mnt
ubuntu@ubuntu:/$ ls -1 /mnt
lost+found (in blue ulfscha)
ubuntu@ubuntu:/$ ls -1 /mnt/
lost+found (in blue ulfscha)
ubuntu@ubuntu:/$ ls -1 /mnt/boot/
ls: cannot access /mnt/boot/: No such file or directory
ubuntu@ubuntu:/$

Many thanks for your patience

EDDY1 · 02-19-2011, 11:54 PM

Quote:

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ cd /
ubuntu@ubuntu:/$ sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt
mount: /dev/sdb1 already mounted or /mnt busy
mount: according to mtab, /dev/sdb1 is already mounted on /mnt
ubuntu@ubuntu:/$ ls -1 /mnt
lost+found (in blue ulfscha)
ubuntu@ubuntu:/$ ls -1 /mnt/
lost+found (in blue ulfscha)
ubuntu@ubuntu:/$ ls -1 /mnt/boot/
ls: cannot access /mnt/boot/: No such file or directory
ubuntu@ubuntu:/$

ls -l (l is lower case L).

http://karuppuswamy.com/wordpress/20...rescue-prompt/

ulfscha · 02-20-2011, 07:12 AM

Many thanks Eddy1!

After many days I thought I had learned the difference between l and 1 it looks alike l and 1 to my old eyes even on this editor

Many thanks for the disk link which I shall try asap today
Have a nice day!

EDDY1 · 02-20-2011, 07:37 AM

You're welcome

crts · 02-20-2011, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ulfscha

Sorry for my delay as I had no access and sda1 misleader I had tried a, b a1 b c in desperation for all ds but sent you the wrong sample!

With your very helpful advice I got a result that I had not gotten before :

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ cd /
ubuntu@ubuntu:/$ sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt
mount: /dev/sdb1 already mounted or /mnt busy
mount: according to mtab, /dev/sdb1 is already mounted on /mnt
ubuntu@ubuntu:/$ ls -1 /mnt
lost+found (in blue ulfscha)
ubuntu@ubuntu:/$ ls -1 /mnt/
lost+found (in blue ulfscha)
ubuntu@ubuntu:/$ ls -1 /mnt/boot/
ls: cannot access /mnt/boot/: No such file or directory
ubuntu@ubuntu:/$

Many thanks for your patience

Well, it looks that you do not have Ubuntu installed. /dev/sdb1 is just a formatted partition but there is no OS installed. Did you remove it while trying to fix it?

ulfscha · 02-20-2011, 02:43 PM

111111111111111111
llllllllllllllllllllllllll

this is what the difference between l and 1 looks like on my pc screen ones are on top

I was able to print the contents of my grubenv file is : some 14 lines full of ######!!!!

I guess I should stick with shovelling snow!

Definitely plan to buy the rescue cd though.

ulfscha · 02-20-2011, 02:51 PM

I noticed that the actual message shows a very clear difference between 'l' and number one '1'

while writing they look very similar

EDDY1 · 02-20-2011, 03:09 PM

It's just the different fonts people use, the difference is l is square on top, 1 is curved.

It's kind of funny, because as I type l it has appearance as 1, but when I submit to LQ it automatically changes to staright line others submit it appears as 1.

ulfscha · 02-21-2011, 07:59 AM

Via the disk utility on my live cd I can mount and see the Linux drive that is being blocked from starting by the grub troubles. I might have deleted the start-up file acc
to one kind advice CRTS )above as I cannot see a star anymore (except on a a back-up disk).

Opening it however is impossible as it sends that I am 'not authorized' (sudo? or my password).

Is there a way that I could make myself sudu or myself in the graphical interface presented by the disk utility 2.30.1 (from Red Had Inc 2007-2009 on my live disk)) ????

crts · 02-21-2011, 09:50 AM

Hi,

on my ubuntu I can bring up the disk utility from terminal like this (with root privileges):

Code:

sudo palimpsest

Please try this and inspect the drives. You could also make some screenshots of all the drives once you are able to open them with a GUI application (Applications -> Accessories -> Take Screenshot). If there is indeed no more Linux installation then you should consider how you want to proceed. Do still want to use Linux in the future? Or do you want to revert back to windows? If the latter, then it is probably easier to fix windows with the windows installation CD. Afterwards you could reclaim the Linux partition for use with windows. If you want to keep Linux then maybe you should just reinstall Linux. If I am not mistaken then you can just click on the install icon when using the liveCD. The installer should be able to install grub properly. But be careful when choosing the disks you want to install in order to not delete windows by accident.