Hi All,

This is a solution to a problem I encountered yesterday: a boot error after an Ubuntu software update that installs kernel 2.6.20-16-generic. This occurred on a Dell Inspiron 530 with pre-installed Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty) This update became available on Sep. 27,2007.

After installing the update and attempting to reboot, grub displays:

Error 15 File Not Found

The problem is caused by this entry in /boot/grub/menu.lst

kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-16-generic ...etc
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-16-generic

The problem is corrected by simply removing "/boot" from the path. When grub delivers the error, press enter to see the menu list. Then press "e" to edit the kernel that you normally boot into (Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.20-16-generic). Now use the down arrow to select the line that begins with "kernel" and press "e" again. Use the back arrow to go back to the beginning of the path and delete "/boot" so that it reads:

kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.20-16-generic...

Hit enter and repeat for the line beginning with "initrd"

Then press "b" and the system should boot.

After a successful boot, open a terminal and edit /boot/grub/menu.lst:

sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

Scroll to the bottom of the file and remove "/boot" from the beginning of each of the "kernel" and "initrd" entries.

Now the system should be back to normal.

I hope that this helps someone in need.

There is an articles section on this website (look on the top). I have personally run into this problem before, but for me it was a syntax error (and my mistake). Nevertheless, this will no doubt help plenty of people. Perhaps you should submit this as an article there?

I am trying to install both SUSE Linux Enterp. Desktop 10, and Debian, on a Dell Inspiron 530.

The installation starts then after the language and keyboard entry I get “Unable to mount the CD-ROM” from SUSE.

After trying different things I get: Can’t detect the CD-ROM

Debian act somewhat the same way, I figured I am having driver problems. Any help out there?

This can be viewed as a storm in a tea cup. Here is a simple explanation for it.

Basically a user can install its Suse or any other Linux in a single partition or multiple partition.

The command prior to the "kernel" and "initrd" statements is always the "root" statement which identifies the partition where /boot can be found. /boot is the standard location for holding the kernel and initrd files in all Linux. The other location would be /.

In a single partition installation the /boot is always a subdirectory of the root filing system and that single partition is always the mounting point of "/". Therefore the location for the kernel and inird files must be /boot.

However in a multi-partition arrangement it is standard to host /boot in a separate partition so that the root filing system and even swap partition can be housed inside one LVM. Thus once the /boot partition has been mounted by the "root" statement then the location of kernel and initrd files are in root of that partition which is "/". Therefore using / is appropriate in this case.

As the installer or updated could not possibly cover everything combination an error is pretty common.

Once can regard this as a bug, which does not apply to users using a single partition installation, but it pays to understand the difference.

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For the CharlesDaCosta's problem I think the right thing to do is to provide verification

(1) Was the CD burn properly as an iso image and not just copying the file across?
(2) Has a MD5SUM been checked with the iso file to eliminate that there was no error in the download transmission?

in a new thread.

Charles,

I purchased my Dell Inspiron 530 with the intent of installing Debian over the pre-installed Ubuntu. However, I have not been successful at booting into ANY Linux kernel other than the one that is pre-installed and the live Ubuntu disk that came with the machine. I have tried booting into Knoppix, Kanotix, Debian, Xubuntu, Gentoo, even Slackware will not boot. Note that some of these are 'live' disks and they fail at various stages in the boot process. The others fail to load a kernel to run the installer.

This is the output from the uname command on my pre-installed Ubuntu:

$ uname -srpio
Linux 2.6.20-16-generic unknown unknown GNU/Linux

This is the output from the lspci command:

$lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Unknown device 29c0 (rev 02)
00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Unknown device 29c1 (rev 02)
00:19.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation Unknown device 10c0 (rev 02)
00:1a.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation Unknown device 2937 (rev 02)
00:1a.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation Unknown device 2938 (rev 02)
00:1a.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation Unknown device 2939 (rev 02)
00:1a.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation Unknown device 293c (rev 02)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation Unknown device 293e (rev 02)
00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation Unknown device 2934 (rev 02)
00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation Unknown device 2935 (rev 02)
00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation Unknown device 2936 (rev 02)
00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation Unknown device 293a (rev 02)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 PCI Bridge (rev 92)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation Unknown device 2916 (rev 02)
00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation Unknown device 2920 (rev 02)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation Unknown device 2930 (rev 02)
00:1f.5 IDE interface: Intel Corporation Unknown device 2926 (rev 02)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation Unknown device 0423 (rev a1)

Note that almost all of the devices are listed as unknown. My uneducated opinion is that Dell has engineered this hardware for an MS environment and had to seriously patch Ubuntu to make it run on this machine.

Based on my experience with the Inspiron 530, I don't think that Dell is ready for the Linux desktop

Thanks for your suggestion. My intent is just to help anyone who is unlucky enough to have just purchased a new Dell, run the updates and now has an unbootable machine. Probably a very small and specific group.

Perhaps. I have seen plenty of problems with people trying to run linux on dells (especially laptops). I have a compaq and ran into the same problem. I've run into a couple desktops with similar problems, so the group may be larger than you think.

Hi and thanks.

I have purchased the SUSE CDs and DVD. I will try to install them on one of my older computers.

However, I am wondering if the new SATA architecture is the problem.

CharlesDaCosta,

When I started Linux I had Suse 9.1 afew years back. It could already read write Sata disks without a problem.


chagocota & jakykong

People who read my posts will know that I am pretty indiscriminate with the distros I install and the PC I use. I doubt if Dell laptops are a special.

It is possible that many hardware, especially video cards and the Bios, are non-standard stuff that may cause a Linux to flip but I didn't find any serious failing with Laptops, admittedly they are have more than a fair share of installtion problems. The video issue can be overcome by telling the installer to use "vesa" mode, sort of the industrial extened VGA mode standard, instead of the one detected by the video. Linux uses generic drivers and I have never had a need to find a driver outside what the distro has already provide. That may be a challenge if you are using a high-end video card and wish it to do all what it is capable of.

I think if a user is prepared to be flexible and just try to load a Linux that work on a laptop first, examine the setting that proves trouble free and then try to adopt that setting for the Linux he/she intends to use eventually, then there will be a lot less hair needed to be pulled out. Can't guarantee it works always as even with the same kernel the Xorg may be different but it is a good way to start.