Grub Error 21 yet again

marco.hahn · 01-03-2008, 01:28 PM

I have a system with IDE-DVD, one SATA HD, on which an openSUSE 10.3 is installed. This worked fine. I have multiple partitions, but most of them are not used:

Code:

# fdisk -l

Platte /dev/sda: 500.1 GByte, 500107862016 Byte
255 Köpfe, 63 Sektoren/Spuren, 60801 Zylinder
Einheiten = Zylinder von 16065 * 512 = 8225280 Bytes

     Gerät boot.  Anfang      Ende    Blöcke   Id  Dateisystemtyp
/dev/sda1             1      2611  20972826    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2          2612     60801 467411175    f  Win95 Erw. (LBA)
/dev/sda5          2612      2742   1052226   82  Linux Swap
/dev/sda6   *      2743      7964  41945683+  83  Linux
/dev/sda7          7965      9270  10490413+  83  Linux
/dev/sda8          9271     60001 407496726   83  Linux

sda1 -- unused, prepared for later use
sda5 -- used as Swap
sda6 -- my root filesystem
sda7 -- a kind of transfer partition, mounted
sda8 -- a separate data partition, mounted

Then I tried to install another copy of openSUSE 10.3 on a memory stick (to have a running Linux in case of trouble ...)

Since the point when I was told the system will reboot after copying all packages, I get:

Code:

Grub loading stage 1.5.

Grub loading, please wait ...
Error 21

No matter whether I have a memory stick inserted or not, no matter whether I go via openSUSE install CD or not. (Now I have trouble and no running Linux ;-/)

/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22.5-31-default and /boot/initrd-2.6.22.5-31-default are readable from a live CD.

Further info:

Code:

# cat device.map
(hd0)   /dev/sda

Code:

# cat menu.lst
# Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Sa Okt 20 12:41:02 UTC 2007
default 0
timeout 8
gfxmenu (hd0,5)/boot/message
##YaST - activate

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title openSUSE 10.3
    root (hd0,5)
    kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22.5-31-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_SAMSUNG_HD501LJS0MUJ1DP835850-part6 vga=0x31a    resume=/dev/sda5 splash=silent showopts
    initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.22.5-31-default

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe -- openSUSE 10.3
    root (hd0,5)
    kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22.5-31-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_SAMSUNG_HD501LJS0MUJ1DP835850-part6 vga=normal showopts ide=nodma apm=off acpi=off noresume nosmp noapic maxcpus=0 edd=off 3
    initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.22.5-31-default

Any ideas? Thanks!

Marco

syg00 · 01-03-2008, 02:12 PM

Doesn't sound like you have USB boot. Regardless you should have installed grub to the key, not the internal disk MBR.
Boot a rescue disk and try this (as root)

Code:

root (hd0,5)
setup (hd0)

Reboot.

Mmmm - just re-read your post.

Quote:

No matter whether I have a memory stick inserted or not, no matter whether I go via openSUSE install CD or not. (Now I have trouble and no running Linux ;-/)

Does this mean you can't boot a CD at all ??? Have you checked the BIOS boot order ???.

marco.hahn · 01-04-2008, 02:06 PM

Thanks syg00. Regarding your second quote: I can boot a rescue system, but if I try to go via "Install" on the install CD to repair the system, the process aborts with a reset after a while.

I tried your hint: rescue system, log in as root, enter "grub" and the two commands you gave. The next boot succeeded.

Thanks a lot!