Kernel update to 2.6.20-16, won't boot now (grub)

Bug #158442 reported by DaveM
4
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
grub (Ubuntu)
Invalid
Undecided
Unassigned

Bug Description

The latest update I got for Feisty (recommended update from the update manager) upgraded the kernel to 2.6.20-16. The system wouldn't boot afterwards. I replaced menu.lst with the backup copy and it booted ok. I then tried just replacing all "2.6.20-15" with "2.6.20-16" and it's still ok. The menu.lst prior to update was as follows:

---- cut here ----

# 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=UUID=56089c53-9454-405f-95b7-bc08bfce3aac ro

## Setup crashdump menu entries
## e.g. crashdump=1
# crashdump=0

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,2)

## 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

## 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 2.6.20-15-generic
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-15-generic root=UUID=56089c53-9454-405f-95b7-bc08bfce3aac ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-15-generic
quiet
savedefault

title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.20-15-generic (recovery mode)
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-15-generic root=UUID=56089c53-9454-405f-95b7-bc08bfce3aac ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-15-generic

title Ubuntu, memtest86+
root (hd0,2)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

### 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 Microsoft Windows XP Professional
root (hd0,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1

---- cut here ----

Diffing that with the menu.lst after the update:

66c72
< # kopt=root=UUID=56089c53-9454-405f-95b7-bc08bfce3aac ro
---
> # kopt=root=UUID=56090c53-9454-405f-95b7-bc08bfce3aac ro
89c95
< # defoptions=quiet splash
---
> # defoptions=quiet splash vga=791
125a132,143
> title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.20-16-generic
> root (hd0,2)
> kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-16-generic root=UUID=56090c53-9454-405f-95b7-bc08bfce3aac ro quiet splash vga=791
> initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-16-generic
> quiet
> savedefault
>
> title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.20-16-generic (recovery mode)
> root (hd0,2)
> kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-16-generic root=UUID=56090c53-9454-405f-95b7-bc08bfce3aac ro single
> initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.20-16-generic
>
128c146
< kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-15-generic root=UUID=56089c53-9454-405f-95b7-bc08bfce3aac ro quiet splash
---
> kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-15-generic root=UUID=56090c53-9454-405f-95b7-bc08bfce3aac ro quiet splash vga=791
135c153
< kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-15-generic root=UUID=56089c53-9454-405f-95b7-bc08bfce3aac ro single
---
> kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.20-15-generic root=UUID=56090c53-9454-405f-95b7-bc08bfce3aac ro single

description: updated
Revision history for this message
jtholmes (jtholmes) wrote :

Thank your for your report

Revision history for this message
Rocko (rockorequin) wrote :

I had a similar thing happen when updating from kernel 2.6.24-2 to 2.6.24-3 using an otherwise (mostly) Gutsy 7.10 installation. The update got both the root drive AND the UUID wrong in menu.lst and so nothing would boot.

The update set all images to boot off hd0,6 (the last drive in the system, actually an NTFS partition) and all UUIDs for the kernel to 29c871f8-fec2-433a-b3ee-db6a5db91b5b, which doesn't match any of the existing UUIDs:

sda1: n/a
sda2: 61556D693E9261F4
sda3: 6f6a8163-c3d6-4086-986b-80da5401cf4e
sda4: 30597d9d-d167-4d42-a19e-5a02de7942a9
sda5: 452fd5dd-4b6c-410f-80ab-245b396fd157
sda6: 560C55ED0C55C89F
sda7: dd9eeb99-91a1-4c12-9b4f-9f2f6e59369e

It should have chosen sda3 (ie hd0,2).

If it's relevant, there is also a /boot/grub/menu.lst on sda5 (ie hd0,4). Updates run from sda3 used to modify the menu.lst on sda5 for some reason but these days they modify the sda3 menu.lst file.

Some version info:

kernel 2.6.24-2
update-inetd 4.27-0.5
update-manager 1:0.81.1
update-manager-core 1:0.81.1
grub 0.97-29ubuntu4

Revision history for this message
xteejx (xteejx-deactivatedaccount) wrote :

Hi DaveM,
Thanks for reporting this to us, and sorry no-one got back to you. Have you experienced this problem in a supported version of Ubuntu, i.e. Hardy 8.04 LTS onwards? If you need help upgrading, you can follow the instructions at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/EOLUpgrades Thank you.

Changed in grub (Ubuntu):
status: New → Incomplete
Revision history for this message
xteejx (xteejx-deactivatedaccount) wrote :

We are closing this bug report because it lacks the information we need to investigate the problem, as described in the previous comments. Please reopen it if you can give us the missing information, and don't hesitate to submit bug reports in the future. To reopen the bug report you can click on the current status, under the Status column, and change the Status back to "New". Thanks again!

Changed in grub (Ubuntu):
status: Incomplete → Invalid
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