The dreaded GNU Grub Boot Prompt after trying to install Elementary OS

Caskla · 09-25-2013, 06:42 PM

Okay, so today I tried to install Elementary OS. I got through the installation and when I was prompted to reboot and select Elementary OS (I dual booted it with Windows 8), I got what is apparently known asthe dreaded grub boot prompt.

I see that there are steps there to help get through it, but I don't quite understand how to apply them to my PC.
When I 'ls', I get "(hd0) (hd0,msdos1) (hd1) (hd2) (hd2,gpt5) (hd2,gpt4) (hd2,gpt3) (hd2,gpt2) (hd2,gpt1)." When I boot into Windows, I have the partitions C:/ and L:/ and I am not sure which one is which. Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Ztcoracat · 09-25-2013, 07:33 PM

Hi:

Sorry to hear your having trouble with your Elementary OS.

I (think) that you can now use the next command (ls and the (hd0) and all the rest; to look at each partition to determine which one is the Linux root, boot, and swap. Look for the dev/sda1 that is your "/boot partition"
If this partition contains /boot, the output will show the full name of vmlinuz and initramfs.

Code:

4. With this information you can now probe each partition of the drive and locate your vmlinuz and initramfs files:

ls (hd0,1)/

At the prompt on your screen; does it say: error: file not found grub rescue?

Also is this a Desktop computer or a laptop? What make and model?

I have asked another member to help here because I don't know about your Windows C:/ or L:/ and I don't want to tell
you the wrong thing.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2/Troubleshooting
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Initramfs

Ztcoracat · 09-26-2013, 03:35 PM

After consulting with another member here It would be better for you to use a Linux LIVE-CD to determine what each drive contains.

With Windows 8 that particular partition is on a UEFI partition all of it's own.

http://www.ehow.com/how_8248552_hidd...n-windows.html
https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...st-4175478139/

Caskla · 09-26-2013, 09:29 PM

Thank you for your help, Ztcoracat.

First of all, I apologize for being unable to reply quicker.

To answer your questions, this a desktop that I built. No, it did not say "error: file not found grub rescue."

I am unfarmiliar with Linux LIVE-CDs. How would I go about using one to determine what each drive contains? Also, since this new partition that I created only contains Elementary OS files that the installer installed, would it be easier to just start the process over? You know, wipe the partition then reinstalling? I guess a better question is, is this issue caused by an error in the installation that is most likely a one time thing, or is this caused by an incompatibility issue, or something else? Because I wouldn't mind retrying if you think it might fix this issue.

Ztcoracat · 09-26-2013, 10:07 PM

You are very Welcome. It's my pleasure to assist you.

If Elementary OS is the only operating system on your new computer than yes, it would be considerably easier to just re-inatall Elementary. Depending on the size of the HDD you could create your own partitions or just allow the installer do it for you if you want the OS to take up the entire disk.

Otherwise you would have to prepare for a dual boot (Windows and Linux) on the same HDD:-

Quote:

How would I go about using one to determine what each drive contains?

If you have Windows 8 installed on your computer than it would be better to use a LIVE Linux CD to determine all of the partitions on your machine. To do so you would go and get any Linux distro's live .iso image and burn it to a CD/DVD and set your computer in the BIOS to boot to the CDROM drive first.Save the changes in your BIOS and than Exit.If you already have Elementary OS on a CD/DVD you can use that-

Quote:

or is this caused by an incompatibility issue

If it is a compatibility issue than all you would need to do is disable the secure boot in your BIOS-
That is if Windows 8 is installed on your computer--

Once the Linux CD loads you can use the terminal to run this command and post the output of it-

Code:

fdisk -l

Caskla · 09-26-2013, 10:44 PM

I don't believe I was specific enough about how I went about installing Elementary OS in my original post.
I extracted the elementaryos-stable-amd64.20130810.iso onto a USB drive and booted into that. I then went through the installation process, and I was then prompted to restart my computer and select Elementary OS. When I booted back up, instead of getting a screen where I could select my OS, I got the grub boot prompt.

I would be happy to boot into the Elementary OS USB drive tomorrow and run the fdisk command, but right now, I need to go. Again, thank you for your time.

EDDY1 · 09-26-2013, 10:47 PM

Quote:

To answer your questions, this a desktop that I built. No, it did not say "error: file not found grub rescue."

Although it doesn't say "error: file not found grub rescue.", you are brought to grub prompt.
What does your hardware consist of?
How many hdd's do you have?
Do you know if you installed to the msdos disk or did you install to the gpt partitioned disk?

Caskla · 09-29-2013, 07:00 PM

Quote:

What does your hardware consist of?

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/11t4n

Quote:

How many hdd's do you have?

I have one HDD.

Quote:

Do you know if you installed to the msdos disk or did you install to the gpt partitioned disk?

I am not sure which one I installed it to. I think I installed it to the gpt partition. I know I didn't install it to my main disk that I am running Windows on.

Also, I attempted to run the

Quote:

fdisk -l

command, but all I got was this

Quote:

Usage:
fdisk [options] <disk> change partition table
fdisk [options] -l <disk> list partition table(s)
fdisk -s <partition> give partition size(s) in blocks

Options:
-b <size> sector size (512, 1024, 2048 or 4096)
-c[=<mode>] compatible mode: 'dos' or 'nondos' (default)
-h print this help text
-u[=<unit>] display units: 'cylinders' or 'sectors' (default)
-v print program version
-C <number> specify the number of cylinders
-H <number> specify the number of heads
-S <number> specify the number of sectors per track

.

I'd like to mention something that I noticed while watching an installation video. In the video, one of the options for installation was "Install elementary OS alongside Windows 8," and I didn't have that option. I was thinking that that might relate to my issue in some way, but I'm not sure.

EDDY1 · 09-29-2013, 07:33 PM

Did you build this system or did they buid?
Is windows bootable?
Try using a live-cd

Ztcoracat · 09-29-2013, 09:18 PM

The commond 'fdisk -l has to be ran as 'root' That's the small letter l, BTW-

Code:

sudo fdisk -l

When you run that command you should get something like this:

Code:

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1              63     7438094     3719016   12  Compaq diagnostics
/dev/sda2   *     7438095   293543077   143052491+   7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda3       332607486   976771071   322081793    5  Extended
/dev/sda5       332607488   334559231      975872   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6       334561280   976771071   321104896   83  Linux
7501:~$

Here's are the partitions on my computer; as an example. Here you can see my dual boot Win's XP and Black Opal/ Ubuntu 12.04--

Quote:

I was thinking that that might relate to my issue in some way

If you didn't have the option to install Elementary OS alongside Win's 8 like in the video; than the only way that you could of been able to install Elementary OS was to create a /journaling file system (Ext 4) and than create another partition for the swap-

Do you recall making 2 partitions?

Quote:

I know I didn't install it to my main disk that I am running Windows on.

If you only have that one 1 TB Western Digital HDD in that desktop tower than there is no other place that Elementary could of been installed.

Caskla · 09-29-2013, 09:42 PM

Quote:

If you only have that one HDD in that desktop tower than there is no other place that Elementary could of been installed.

I apologize, I meant I didn't install it to my main partition.

Quote:

Do you recall making 2 partitions?

I do have another partition that I created for this purpose, but I did not create it through the installer. I only used to installer to install the OS on the empty partition.

This is what comes up when I typed in the command:

Quote:

WARNING: GPT (GUID Partition Table) detected on '/dev/sda'! The util fdisk doesn't support GPT. Use GNU Parted.

Disk /dev/sda: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders, total 1953525168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 1953525167 976762583+ ee GPT
Partition 1 does not start on physical sector boundary.

Disk /dev/sdb: 4004 MB, 4004511744 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 486 cylinders, total 7821312 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 128 7821311 3910592 b W95 FAT32

Quote:

Did you build this system or did they buid?

I built the system.

Quote:

Is windows bootable?

I am not sure how to answer that question. Yes, I can boot into windows. No, I am not booting into windows from a disk or USB drive.

EDDY1 · 09-29-2013, 10:02 PM

To read gpt partitioning you have to use gdisk
What os are you using on live-usb?

Quote:

sudo gdisk

Ztcoracat · 09-29-2013, 10:21 PM

Quote:

/dev/sda1 1 1953525167 976762583+ ee GPT
Partition 1 does not start on physical sector boundary.

This is a partition that was created but it doesn't have any mount points-
Unless I am mistaken-

Quote:

/dev/sdb1 * 128 7821311 3910592 b W95 FAT32

This is your Windows partiton. Thank goodness!
There should be at least another /W95/Fat32 partition and I am having trouble understanding why you don't have another Windows partition-
Because you should:- (bizarre)

Quote:

I am not booting into windows from a disk or USB drive.

The fact that you can boot into Windows is a very good sign. Your Windows OS is permanetly installed on your drive-

Because of the WARNING about fidisk you will have to use GNU parted.
https://www.gnu.org/software/parted/
https://www.gnu.org/software/parted/manual/

If you don't want to do that (use GNU Parted) than you will have to format the usb that has Elementary OS on it.
Than you should be able to install Elementary alongside of your Winows OS.

Quote:

I do have another partition that I created for this purpose

In that case than use that to install Elementary to- As long as you made a /journaling file system (ext4) Unless you want your Elementary to have more room) Than you would create a partition larger than what you have already mad. It's 1024 x (times) the size of the partiton you want to get the calculation in Mib's-

Don't forget to create another partiton for the swap. I would dedicate 1 to 2 GB for the swap partiton.
The swap holds temporary memory packages.
A server can boot w/o a swap partition as long as there's enough RAM. (if your running a server)

Ztcoracat · 09-29-2013, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EDDY1

To read gpt partitioning you have to use gdisk
What os are you using on live-usb?

I think that Elementary is the OS on his live-usb:-

EDDY1 · 09-29-2013, 10:31 PM

Quote:

/dev/sda1 1 1953525167 976762583+ ee GPT
Partition 1 does not start on physical sector boundary.

Windows is bootable & on gpt partition

Quote:

/dev/sdb1 * 128 7821311 3910592 b W95 FAT32

This is a 4Gig usb.
Elementary is capable of installing to GPT & UEFI so it should have gdisk on it.