Busybox/Initramfs prevents launch of Ubuntu Server 8.04.3

SCUBA_Instructor · 09-27-2009, 09:58 AM

Hi, Prior to posting this I entered search arguments, "Busybox," then "initramfs" to attempt to find another user who may have experienced the same thing; if the solution is imbedded in the message threads, I must have missed it.

Thank you for letting me join the LinuxQuestions.org web site.

On hand is a Ubuntu Server 8.04.3 installer CD.

What works: Installs to a Mac Pro under both Parallels, and then under Fusion both were successful first try.

The problem:

Install to a newly purchased 2 gig Acer Aspire One seems to have succeeded, but upon launching from Grub, Busybox/initramfs intercepts and halts the launch with an error I don't understand:

Starting up ...
Loading, please wait ...
Check root = bootary cat /proc/cmdline
or missing modules, devices: cat /proc/modules 1s /dev
ALERT! /dev/disk/by-uuid/1258703c-d29c-4bda-9d42-fa696e28bd82 does not exist. Dropping to a shell!

Busybox v1.1.3 (Debian 1:1.1.3-5ubuntu12) Built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands.

(initramfs)

In this condition, "help" under Busybox/initramfs provides a list of commands; I have no idea which command would cause the boot to proceed, so I tried "exit." Results were:

(initramfs) exit
Check root= bootarg cat /proc/cmdline
or missing modules, devices: cat /proc/modules 1s /dev
ALERT! /dev/disk/by-uuid/1258703c-d29c-4bda-9d42-fa696e28bd82 does not exist. Dropping to a shell!

The new Acer-PC Aspire One was partitioned into four 80 gig partitions using the Paragon software to do the partitioning. XP is on the first, and Ubuntu Server on the next 80 gig partition. Install was "successfully" done from a Lite-On external CD/DVD over USB.

During the install I changed the default name from Ubuntu to something else (probably a bad idea), and I naively entered "/" root to answer the mount question (finding nothing to tell me what to do).

Ubuntu required a disk driver choice from a long list - finding no reference or guidance as to what to enter, I naively entered IDE Generic, and it took (I guess it "took").

FWIW the Ubuntu installer didn't require me to indentify the mount entry or the disk driver during installs on my Mac (Fusion/Parallels).

I did connect the Internet during the install. I did checkoff/install LAMP during the install from CD.

Goal: To use Joomla in a mock server environment.

I look forward to your guidance, and thank you for taking time to read through all this.

Cheers,
Jack

David1357 · 09-27-2009, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCUBA_Instructor

Ubuntu required a disk driver choice from a long list...

This means the installer could not find an existing driver to match the hardware that it found. You may be able to get around this by trying a later version of Ubuntu (e.g. 8.10 or 9.04).

If you want more detailed help, download the latest System Rescue CD and boot from that. That should have a really recent kernel, which should have support for your hardware. When you get to a command line, run "lspci" and "lspci -n" and see what it reports as your disk drive interface. Also, if it recognized your disk drive interface, you should be able to see what driver was loaded by running "lsmod".

SCUBA_Instructor · 09-27-2009, 03:15 PM

Hi David1357, thanks for replying.

I think I stumbled upon a partial fix, and it worked.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave2k6

When you get to the GRUB menu, press e, then go down one line and press e again.

Now add this to end of boot line, after the -- ,

Code:

all_generic_ide floppy=off irqpoll

If it works, you will need to edit you menu.lst file to include those boot parameters.

At a terminal screen type

Code:

gksudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

Enter your password when asked

Then look for a line similar to below

Code:

title Ubuntu 8.04, kernel 2.6.24-17-generic
root (hd1,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-17-generic root=UUID=e61ff7b5-df4b-46c5-b95f-39de2857387a ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-17-generic
quiet

and add a space after the word splash then type

Code:

all_generic_ide floppy=off irqpoll

(do NOT change the root=UUID bit as yours will be different from above (as it's the drive's id))

then save the file.
__________________
Regards

Problem partially solved; I can now make Ubuntu Server work, if I edit the GRUB each time I boot into it. Attempting to edit the menu.1st file is tough so far, 'cause I don't know what i'm doing.

I get into the boot directory and type
gedit /boot/grub/menu.1st
and ubuntu returns this error:
"The program 'gedit' is currently not installed. To run 'gedit' please ask your administrator to install the package 'gedit'
-bash: gedit: command not found"

OK, I need to suffer embarrassment 'cause I am the administrator.

Any ideas on how to obtain gedit, and how to put it where it belongs?

Problems with Busybox/initramfs are massive, affecting users who are trying to install from CD, and users who are trying to run Ubuntu; the message thread is up to 40 pages over on the Ubuntu website.

Thanks much,
Jack

David1357 · 09-27-2009, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCUBA_Instructor

Any ideas on how to obtain gedit, and how to put it where it belongs?

Try "sudo apt-get install gedit". If you don't want to install anything, you should easily be able to edit the file easily in nano, aka pico.

As as aside: The file name is "menu.lst" not "menu.1st" (i.e., the first character in "lst" is the letter "l" not the number "1").