LinuxQuestions.org - grub error 18... 21... 2... !

Hi all,

Hope some can shed some light on this problem for me.

Trying to install Ubuntu 8.04 on a USB harddrive. Ive unplugged my (hardware raided) SATA drives to save myself overwriting my MBR (again). When I install straight to the disk with the partitions like:

Setup A:
60Gb - ext - Ubuntu (mounted at /) + boot loader
8Gb - Swap
~250Gb - free space

I get a Grub error 18. Forums I looked at largely attribute this to old harware and bios settings but my mobo is <1 year old and none of the setting people talk about fixing the problem are in my bios as far as I can see. mobo is a asus p5n32-e sli plus.

When I go like:

Setup B:
50Mb - ext 3 - boot loader
60Gb - ext 3 - ubuntu
~250Gb - free space

I get grub error 21. Couldnt find much info on fixing this.

After somehow screwing up and getting an error 2 Ive gone back to try setup A again and am getting 18 again.

If anyone has any ideas how to sort this Id be very grateful.

My /boot/grub/menu.lst looks like:

Code:

# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)

#            grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),

#            grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub

#            and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.



## default num

# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and

# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.

#

# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry

# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.

# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not use 'savedefault' or your

# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.

default                0



## timeout sec

# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry

# (normally the first entry defined).

timeout                3



## hiddenmenu

# Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)

hiddenmenu



# Pretty colours

#color cyan/blue white/blue



## password ['--md5'] passwd

# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing

# control (menu entry editor and command-line)  and entries protected by the

# command 'lock'

# e.g. password topsecret

#      password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/

# password topsecret



#

# examples

#

# title                Windows 95/98/NT/2000

# root                (hd0,0)

# makeactive

# chainloader        +1

#

# title                Linux

# root                (hd0,1)

# kernel        /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro

#



#

# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST



### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified

## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below



## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs



## ## Start Default Options ##

## default kernel options

## default kernel options for automagic boot options

## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z

## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.

## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro

##      kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro

##      kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro

# kopt=root=UUID=e7cfc379-f994-4dfd-86a5-0d7585fab9aa ro



## Setup crashdump menu entries

## e.g. crashdump=1

# crashdump=0



## default grub root device

## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)

# groot=(hd0,0)



## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options

## e.g. alternative=true

##      alternative=false

# alternative=true



## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options

## e.g. lockalternative=true

##      lockalternative=false

# lockalternative=false



## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the

## alternatives

## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5

# defoptions=quiet splash



## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options

## e.g. lockold=false

##      lockold=true

# lockold=false



## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option

# xenhopt=



## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option

# xenkopt=console=tty0



## altoption boot targets option

## multiple altoptions lines are allowed

## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options

##      altoptions=(recovery) single

# altoptions=(recovery mode) single



## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst

## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the

## alternative kernel options

## e.g. howmany=all

##      howmany=7

# howmany=all



## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option

## e.g. memtest86=true

##      memtest86=false

# memtest86=true



## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system

## can be true or false

# updatedefaultentry=false



## should update-grub add savedefault to the default options

## can be true or false

# savedefault=false



## ## End Default Options ##



title                Ubuntu 8.04, kernel 2.6.24-16-generic

root                (hd0,0)

kernel                /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-16-generic root=UUID=e7cfc379-f994-4dfd-86a5-0d7585fab9aa ro quiet splash

initrd                /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic

quiet



title                Ubuntu 8.04, kernel 2.6.24-16-generic (recovery mode)

root                (hd0,0)

kernel                /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-16-generic root=UUID=e7cfc379-f994-4dfd-86a5-0d7585fab9aa ro single

initrd                /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic



title                Ubuntu 8.04, memtest86+

root                (hd0,0)

kernel                /boot/memtest86+.bin

quiet



### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

and sudo fdisk -l

Code:

Disk /dev/sda: 320.0 GB, 320072933376 bytes

255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders

Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Disk identifier: 0x000d64f4



  Device Boot      Start        End      Blocks  Id  System

/dev/sda1  *          1        7295    58597056  83  Linux

/dev/sda2            7296        8268    7815622+  82  Linux swap / Solaris