I installed ubuntu 12.04.1 on old vista partition reformated as ext4 and cannot boot to the new ubuntu.

I normally run ubuntu 10.04.4. (ext3) It still boots. I can read the new partition and it looks ok.

here is blkid:
/dev/sda1: LABEL="TOSHIBA SYSTEM VOLUME" UUID="D0041350041338C4" TYPE="ntfs"
/dev/sda2: UUID="459cb99f-ed4d-41a0-8e69-0b04b2a9506e" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sda3: UUID="9bbddec1-866a-4775-934a-d12e467c085f" TYPE="swap"
/dev/sda4: UUID="ad2076e1-8d0e-45bb-b821-e16fe9846036" TYPE="ext3"
/dev/sdb1: LABEL="Iomega HDD" UUID="6E32565E32562AFB" TYPE="ntfs"

directory listing of /boot/grub on 10.04 ls -m1
default
device.map
e2fs_stage1_5
fat_stage1_5
grubenv
installed-version
jfs_stage1_5
menu.lst
menu.lst~
menu.lst.backup
minix_stage1_5
reiserfs_stage1_5
splashimages
stage1
stage2
xfs_stage1_5

The top of menu.lst as adjusted (between ===== lines)
=================================================================
# 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 20

## 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=ad2076e1-8d0e-45bb-b821-e16fe9846036 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,3)

## 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

## specify if running in Xen domU or have grub detect automatically
## update-grub will ignore non-xen kernels when running in domU and vice versa
## e.g. indomU=detect
## indomU=true
## indomU=false
# indomU=detect

## 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 10.04.4 LTS, kernel 2.6.32-45-generic
root (hd0,3)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-45-generic root=UUID=ad2076e1-8d0e-45bb-b821-e16fe9846036 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-45-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 10.04.4 LTS, kernel 2.6.32-45-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,3)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-45-generic root=UUID=ad2076e1-8d0e-45bb-b821-e16fe9846036 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-45-generic

##----------------- Try to boot new ubuntu partition
title Ubuntu 12.04.1 1
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-29-generic-pae root=UUID=459cb99f-ed4d-41a0-8e69-0b04b2a9506e ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-29-generic-pae

title Ubuntu 12.04.1 2
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-29-generic-pae root=UUID=459cb99f-ed4d-41a0-8e69-0b04b2a9506e ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-29-generic-pae

title Ubuntu 12.04.1 3
root (hd0,3)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-29-generic-pae root=UUID=459cb99f-ed4d-41a0-8e69-0b04b2a9506e ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-29-generic-pae
##-----------------
=================================================================


The bottom 3 entries were my attempt to modify menu.lst.
hd0,2 gives error 17 cannot mount partition
hd0,1 and 3 give (opps didn't write it down) cannot file file or device


directory of 12.04 /boot ls -m1
abi-3.2.0-29-generic-pae
config-3.2.0-29-generic-pae
grub
initrd.img-3.2.0-29-generic-pae
memtest86+.bin
memtest86+_multiboot.bin
System.map-3.2.0-29-generic-pae
vmlinuz-3.2.0-29-generic-pae

the /grub directory is full of .mod files and did not contain a menu.lst so I copied the one from 10.04 over... It did not make any difference.

directory of 12.04 /boot/grub with the .mod files manually removed from ls -m1
boot.img
cdboot.img
command.lst
core.img
crypto.lst
diskboot.img
efiemu32.o
efiemu64.o
fs.lst
g2hdr.img
gfxblacklist.txt
grldr.img
grub.cfg
grubenv
kernel.img
lnxboot.img
load.cfg
locale
moddep.lst
partmap.lst
parttool.lst
pxeboot.img
terminal.lst
video.lst

fsdisk -l follows
Disk /dev/sda: 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: 0x970575bf
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 192 1536000 27 Unknown
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda2 192 13083 103552173+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 * 18591 19458 6962176 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda4 13084 18590 44234977+ 83 Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order

Disk /dev/sdb: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 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: 0xc4de3fa1

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 1 121601 976760001 7 HPFS/NTFS

------------------
What should I do?

It would make it a bit more readable if you enclose your files with the [ code ] [ / code ] tags. Check out this page for more tag details..
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi....php?do=bbcode

I installed ubuntu 12.04.1 on old vista partition reformated as ext4 and cannot boot to the new ubuntu.

I normally run ubuntu 10.04.4. (ext3) It still boots. I can read the new partition and it looks ok.

here is blkid:

directory listing of /boot/grub on 10.04 ls -m1
The top of menu.lst as adjusted

The bottom 3 entries were my attempt to modify menu.lst.
hd0,2 gives error 17 cannot mount partition
hd0,1 and 3 give (opps didn't write it down) cannot file file or device

the /grub directory is full of .mod files and did not contain a menu.lst so I copied the one from 10.04 over... It did not make any difference.

directory of 12.04 /boot/grub with the .mod files manually removed from ls -m1
fdisk -l follows
------------------
What should I do?

The default bootloader for Ubuntu 9.10 and later is Grub2. I see you still have Grub Legacy. Did you downgrade to Legacy? If you want to continue to use Grub Legacy you need to put this entry in the menu.lst file of 10.04 to boot sda2, 12.04:

If 12.04 is installed on sda2, the above should work. Grub2 still counts drives from zero but counts partitions from one which is a change from Grub Legacy which counted both drives/partitions from zero. The two lines commented out (#) may or may not be necessary. If it boots, don't change them. If it fails with the entry above, remove the hash marks (#) from the left of the last two lines. You could also use a standard chainloader entry for sda2. The entry above should work for other Ubuntu derivatives on that partition.

Another option you can use is when you boot to 12.04 install its bootloader to the mbr. If you prefer Grub Legacy, then don't do this. The reason you do not see menu.lst and all the grub files on 12.04 are different is obviously because it is Grub2. The equivalent file to menu.lst in Grub2 is the grub.cfg file.

1 members found this post helpful.

Thanks for the analysis.

I upgraded to grub2 and all is well (with booting).

It looks like a lot of work to get 12.04 up to speed. I have the laptop and an add on monitor. 12 has decided I want to mirror them??? and the laptop screen has black bands on the sides?? etc. etc. Glad I didn't just upgrade 10.

I got the laptop in the summer of 2008, before grub2. An upgrade probably suggested sticking with what was working or I made that choice and was stuck with it. That means I've had this laptop on ubuntu happily since then when I couldn't handle vista's buggyness especially regarding it's inability to copy large files across wireless.

Thanks again.