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-   -   Ubuntu ate my other distros! (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/ubuntu-ate-my-other-distros-479722/)

ArthurDent 09-02-2006 07:52 AM

Ubuntu ate my other distros!
 
Hello folks,

I have a real problem here.

My main distro of choice is Fedora Core 5 which is - if you like my "production system" that I use every day. I have heard so much about Ubuntu however that I thought I would give it a go myself so I tried the live distro and subsequently installed it on a spare partition (over an old version of Mandrake actually).

Everything seemed OK until I shut down last night. Now when I boot I can ONLY boot into Ubuntu. All other distros (FC5 with 2 kernels, FC4 with 3 Kernels, Suse 10.0, and Gentoo each on their own partition) ALL crap out during the boot process - the PC simply reboots itself.

The scary thing is that I can't even boot from a live CD (e.g. Knoppix) same thing happens.

I have tried to boot from the FC5 DVD and use rescue mode - same problem.

Apart from Ubuntu the only thing I can now use is Win98 (which is on a separate disk - HDA)

From Ubuntu I can read the contents of the FC5 partition (HDB6) which seem OK.

How do I troubleshoot this?

Where do I go from here?

I really need FC5 back. My data is OK (/home is on its own partition) but I have everything I need in FC5.

HELP!

Thanks in advance

Mark

debiant 09-02-2006 08:02 AM

That's what you get for cheating on her :P

can you give us the /boot/grub/menu.lst

ArthurDent 09-02-2006 08:12 AM

Here is my Ubuntu /boot/grub/menu.lst ...

Incidentally - Yesterday I decided I preferred the FC5 Grub splash screen so I did grub-install /dev/hda from within FC5 (I could get into it then) and everything seemed fine. I could boot into FC5 / Suse / Ubuntu etc. from there no problem. This morning when everything failed I switched back to Ubuntu's Grub (which you see here) but the result is the same...

Code:

# 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 change this entry to 'saved' 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                10

## 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=/dev/hdb7 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd1,6)

## 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

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
##      altoptions=(recovery mode) 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

## 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

## ## End Default Options ##

title                Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-26-386
root                (hd1,6)
kernel                /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-26-386 root=/dev/hdb7 ro quiet splash
initrd                /boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-26-386
savedefault
boot

title                Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-26-386 (recovery mode)
root                (hd1,6)
kernel                /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-26-386 root=/dev/hdb7 ro single
initrd                /boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-26-386
boot

title                Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-23-386
root                (hd1,6)
kernel                /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-23-386 root=/dev/hdb7 ro quiet splash
initrd                /boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-23-386
savedefault
boot

title                Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-23-386 (recovery mode)
root                (hd1,6)
kernel                /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-23-386 root=/dev/hdb7 ro single
initrd                /boot/initrd.img-2.6.15-23-386
boot

title                Ubuntu, memtest86+
root                (hd1,6)
kernel                /boot/memtest86+.bin
boot

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title                Other operating systems:
root


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/hda1
title                Windows 95/98/Me
root                (hd0,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader        +1


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hdb10.
title                SuSE Linux 9.2 (i586) (on /dev/hdb10)
root                (hd1,9)
kernel                /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.8-24.17-default root=/dev/hdb10
initrd                /boot/initrd-2.6.8-24.17-default
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hdb10.
title                SuSE Linux 9.2 (i586) (on /dev/hdb10)
root                (hd1,9)
kernel                /boot/vmlinux-2.6.8-24.17-default.gz root=/dev/hdb10
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hdb6.
title                Fedora Core (2.6.17-1.2174_FC5) (on /dev/hdb6)
root                (hd1,5)
kernel                /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.17-1.2174_FC5 ro root=LABEL=/1 rhgb quiet
initrd                /boot/initrd-2.6.17-1.2174_FC5.img
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hdb6.
title                Fedora Core (2.6.17-1.2157_FC5) (on /dev/hdb6)
root                (hd1,5)
kernel                /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.17-1.2157_FC5 ro root=LABEL=/1 rhgb quiet
initrd                /boot/initrd-2.6.17-1.2157_FC5.img
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hdb8.
title                Gentoo Base System version 1.6.13 (on /dev/hdb8)
root                (hd1,7)
kernel                /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.11-gentoo-r5 root=/dev/hdb8
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hdb8.
title                Gentoo Base System version 1.6.13 (on /dev/hdb8)
root                (hd1,7)
kernel                /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.11-gentoo-r5.old root=/dev/hdb8
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hdb8.
title                Gentoo Base System version 1.6.13 (on /dev/hdb8)
root                (hd1,7)
kernel                /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.11-gentoo-r6 root=/dev/hdb8
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hdb8.
title                Gentoo Base System version 1.6.13 (on /dev/hdb8)
root                (hd1,7)
kernel                /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.12-gentoo-r4 root=/dev/hdb8
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hdb8.
title                Gentoo Base System version 1.6.13 (on /dev/hdb8)
root                (hd1,7)
kernel                /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.12-gentoo-r6 root=/dev/hdb8
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hdb9.
title                Fedora Core (2.6.16-1.2069_FC4) (on /dev/hdb9)
root                (hd1,8)
kernel                /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.16-1.2069_FC4 ro root=LABEL=/12 rhgb quiet
initrd                /boot/initrd-2.6.16-1.2069_FC4.img
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hdb9.
title                Fedora Core (2.6.15-1.1833_FC4) (on /dev/hdb9)
root                (hd1,8)
kernel                /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-1.1833_FC4 ro root=LABEL=/12 rhgb quiet
initrd                /boot/initrd-2.6.15-1.1833_FC4.img
savedefault
boot


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hdb9.
title                Fedora Core (2.6.15-1.1831_FC4) (on /dev/hdb9)
root                (hd1,8)
kernel                /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-1.1831_FC4 ro root=LABEL=/12 rhgb quiet
initrd                /boot/initrd-2.6.15-1.1831_FC4.img
savedefault
boot

Thanks

Mark

debiant 09-02-2006 08:53 AM

have you tried to mount /dev/hdb9 /mnt


do you have a backup menu.lst from before Ubuntu was installed? compare it to what you have currently and see if there is anything severly different. You might even try changing it to the old menu.lst and just manually adding the Ubuntu boot options.

Holy hell you have a lot of partitions man. If not a menu.lst on dev/hdb9 try one of the many others:p See if the results are different.

You could try one more time a grub-install /dev/hda1 /path/to/grub-install while chrooted into /dev/hdb9 as well to see if this might fix.

EDIT: You are very promiscous indeed, no wonder FC is leaving you...

debiant 09-02-2006 09:16 AM

Ohh... how about grub-install --root-directory=/boot/ /dev/hda Maybe that's it, Do you have grub images in your root dir and /boot/dir?

also grub --recheck

just throwing ideas around now, but hell two minds are better than one right? Unless I help you screw things up even more I guess :p

Also do any of your distros have seperate partitions for /boot because if FC5 has a seperate boot partition and you did grub-install /dev/hda from FC5 then that might cause it to fail when you need to do grub-install --root-directory=/boot /dev/hda

ArthurDent 09-02-2006 09:19 AM

Well I have tried messing around with different menu.lst / gub.conf options but so far all with the same result.

I am very much afraid that the problem is more serious than that however. Remember I cannot even boot from a live distro or a rescue disk.

The only thing that will boot is Ubuntu (and Win98).

Perhaps you're right - Ubuntu is the "fatal attraction" Glenn Close of the Linux world - she's pushed the others out and is making my life hell!

Thanks

Mark

debiant 09-02-2006 09:40 AM

lol, so how about the boot dir thing, you have any seperate boot partitions?

flipwhy 09-02-2006 09:50 AM

im still too new to say anything(only got ubuntu a few mins ago)...but every little counts...why dont you try changing your default dstro to fedora in your grub...?
or maybe you need to change your default runlevel..

ArthurDent 09-02-2006 09:56 AM

Quote:

Also do any of your distros have seperate partitions for /boot
Nope.
I have a separate partition for /home (/dev/hdb2) and swap (/dev/hdb5) but other than that each of the distros has its own / partition and no other.

Could Ubuntu have messed up the swap partition?

The other funny thing is that when I try to boot the other distros or use a rescue disk (which all still fail) and finally give up to go back to Ubuntu in order to post here I find that Ubuntu complains that its partition (/dev/hbd7) is not clean and insists on fixing it and then rebooting (which then works fine second time around) is this significant?

Thanks

Mark

ArthurDent 09-02-2006 10:01 AM

Quote:

why dont you try changing your default dstro to fedora in your grub...?
In the FC5 grub.conf Fedora is the default boot. This morning I turned it on and left it to make a cup of tea. It repeatedly tried to boot FC5 - failed and rebooted and tried again... and again... and again... etc.

Thanks for trying though. Any other ideas?

Mark

debiant 09-02-2006 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArthurDent
Nope.
I have a separate partition for /home (/dev/hdb2) and swap (/dev/hdb5) but other than that each of the distros has its own / partition and no other.

Could Ubuntu have messed up the swap partition?

The other funny thing is that when I try to boot the other distros or use a rescue disk (which all still fail) and finally give up to go back to Ubuntu in order to post here I find that Ubuntu complains that its partition (/dev/hbd7) is not clean and insists on fixing it and then rebooting (which then works fine second time around) is this significant?

Thanks

Mark

That's because the machine is shutting down improperly.

Try from Ubuntu one more time

grub-install --root-directory=/boot /dev/hda

and at the live cd or rescue cd have you just tried typing rescue as the boot option (also double check your bios to ensure that CDRom drive is first in boot order)

ArthurDent 09-02-2006 10:51 AM

Quote:

Try from Ubuntu one more time
grub-install --root-directory=/boot /dev/hda
Just tried that - No change...

Quote:

at the live cd or rescue cd have you just tried typing rescue as the boot option
Yes. Well, on the FC5 DVD the command is "linux rescue" (once the DVD has started - which answers your last point, proving that the system is booting from the CD drive).

In all cases the boot process seems to start out fine - ie a live CD will start its checks for hardware etc and then (at various points) just crap out and the machine starts to reboot.

When trying to start FC5 from the hard drive (either FC5's /etc/grub.conf or Ubuntu's /boot/grub/menu.lst) it gets to this point:
Code:

Uncompressing Linux... OK, booting the kernel.
Red Hat nash version 5.0.32 starting
INIT: version 2.86 booting

... then boom - reboot!

I watched it do that about 20 times...


Thanks again for your help

Mark

debiant 09-02-2006 11:22 AM

Check this out:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=439516

Just so happens you have FC5 same kernel

ArthurDent 09-02-2006 12:32 PM

OK That helped - but not in the way that you hoped..

I had some success. Changing to runlevel 1 in itself didn't help (still craps out almost straightaway) but I noticed that FC4 has the entry "root=LABEL=/12 rhgb quiet" whereas FC5 has "root=LABEL=/1 rhgb quiet"

Now I have no idea what this means but as it happens when I boot into Ubuntu the drive icons on the desktop include one labelled "/1" and one labelled "/12". If I double-click the /1 drive the file browser shows it to be /dev/hdb9 (FC4) and if I open /1 it shows it to be /dev/hdb6 (FC5) !!!

Is it possible that Ubuntu has somehow screwed up the partition table or whatever it is called?

Taking off the "quiet" option in grub flashed up a few error messages and I'm sure one of them (when trying to boot FC5) said something about /1 needed recovery and that was before it got to /home so perhaps /1 is where / should be for FC5?

Do you think?

If I am on the right lines how could I test / fix it?

Thanks again


Mark

galego 09-02-2006 11:58 PM

as long as FC5 was the last distro you installed which it seems like it was (before you introduced Glenn Close); the problem seems to be in your menu.lst. why you cant boot from live cd im not sure, maybe you havent specified the drive?

anywho your windows entry should look like this:
Code:

title                Windows 95/98/Me at hda1
rootnoverify        (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader        +1

the change is "root" to "rootnoverify" this may be causing a conflict.
try this first and see if you can boot into both windows and FC5. I know you already CAN boot into windows.


also look here:
http://www.justlinux.com/forum/showthread.php?t=143973

it seems the issue is with menu.lst. unless Mandrake and FC5 shared root or they were together in an extended partition and Glenn Close separated it. in which case.......


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