Install issue with Ubuntu. Help!

BigEmpty · 12-04-2009, 06:35 PM

Ok. I want Ubuntu as my other OS. Actually I want it to be my main OS but...
I am having trouble installing my Ubuntu 8.10. I installed it from Windows first because it told me I have that option when I put the disk in. But when I booted and chose Ubuntu, it's just a blank screen (black) with the cursor blinking for about 5 minutes or so.
Then I installed it again through rebooting cd first as ordered in BIOS. It has more user interaction involved and it finished sucessfully and asked me to reboot. then it asked me to take out the cd. And then...
I got this:

Code:

usplash-setting mode 1152 x 864 failed
usplash-using mode 1024 x 768

Gave up waiting for root device. Common problems:
 -boot args (cat/proc/cmdline)
   -check rootdelay = (did system wait long enough?)
   -check root = (did the system wait for the right device?)
-missing modules (cat/proc/modules; ls/dev)
ALERT! /devc/disk/by uuid/address does not exist. Dropping to a shell.

BusyBox v1.10.2 (Ubuntu 1:1.10.2-1ubuntu6) built in shell (ash)

and then a prompt.

What am I doing wrong? I checked the cd for errors and no errors were found.

irishbitte · 12-04-2009, 08:17 PM

basically it's telling you that the device:

Quote:

/devc/disk/by uuid/address does not exist.

If you installed ubuntu in windows, this means that the file which holds this 'device' was not created or is not visible.

BigEmpty · 12-04-2009, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by irishbitte

basically it's telling you that the device: If you installed ubuntu in windows, this means that the file which holds this 'device' was not created or is not visible.

I also installed Ubuntu by cd boot and it's still will not let me reboot to Ubuntu.

mark_alfred · 12-04-2009, 09:39 PM

Try going onto a command line in maintenance mode (or repair mode, or single user) and running the following as root (or preceded by sudo):

Code:

update-initramfs

If that doesn't work, use nano to alter the menu list to remove the splash option.

[code]nano /boot/grub/menu.lst{/code]

nano is a command line editor. To exit from the file and save your work, press "Ctrl-X", at which point it'll ask if you want to save the file, which you would.

There's usually something like the following:

Code:

kernel	/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.26-1-686 root=/dev/hda1 ro splash=silent

Your menu.lst will likely say something different for splash. Regardless, just try eliminating the splash option, and see if you have any luck. Or maybe even simpler is to remove the package usplash via "aptitude remove usplash"

Quote:

and then a prompt.

Maybe if you try the command "startx" at the prompt, something will happen.

disclaimer: I use Debian, not Ubuntu. So, my advice may not apply. For that matter, given that I'm a pretty average guy, even if you were using Debian, my advice may still not apply.