#1 2015-10-26 12:11:22

zv_odd

New Member

Registered: 2015-10-26

Posts: 4

Grub didn't install?

I'm having some issues with booting a fresh install ( From USB created with RC1 ISO).
I partitioned an external USB Hard Drive '/dev/sdc' with this set-up (no swap):

    Device        Boot        Start        End    Sectors    Size  Id Type     
    /dev/sdc1     *            2048     391167     389120    190M  83 Linux    
    /dev/sdc2                393214  215234559  214841346  102.5G   5 Extended
    └─/dev/sdc5              393216  215234559  214841344  102.5G  83 Linux
    Free space            215234560  234441647   19207088    9.2G

In the set-up menu it asked me if I wanted to install grub on the MBR, but that said it detected a windows install, i.e. I assume be default it was trying to install on the MBR of /dev/sda. So I selected no.
Then it asked me to select a different  device/partition to install grub to: so I selected grub to install to /dev/sdc1 i.e. the boot partition.

But when I boot off the drive it just sits at a black screen with an underscore cursor line _

I've tried it twice now, same result.

BTW I had a very similar experience when I installed Debian next to Crunch Bang on my laptop. But in that case the Debian install was just not showing up in grub. In that case when I ran an 'apt-get upgrade' in Crunch Bang that happened to include a grub update, it fixed the hidden Debian install.

Last edited by zv_odd (2015-10-26 13:21:34)

damo

....moderator....

Registered: 2015-08-20

Posts: 6,734

Re: Grub didn't install?

Can you start a tty (Ctrl-Alt-F1)?

Also google "debian black screen blinking cursor", and you will find a lot of hits.

You could reinstall, this time putting grub on the mbr - it should pick up the win partition (or you can install grub fro a live session)

Last edited by damo (2015-10-26 12:30:28)

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zv_odd

New Member

Registered: 2015-10-26

Posts: 4

Re: Grub didn't install?

It definitely not booting into the OS, this blank screen is almost instantly there after selecting the boot device from bios. I did verify the ctrl+alt+F(n) combo for switching ttyl does nothing at this point.

I think it more or less related to grub not installing/configuring correctly. Surely there is somthing  I did wrong? Or maybe there a bug in the installer script? The thing is i've had this happen with a debian install when using the live installer too. i.e. trying to install grub onto the boot section of something other than the main hard drive of a system.

It seems fairly hard to find the information I'm missing, reading the grub docs isn't super helpful when you don't have a clue.

Should my boot partition really be formated as ext2?

I am attempting the BusenLabs live cd grub install currently.
Whilst reading this guide.

root@debian:/# mkdir /cmnt
root@debian:/# mount /dev/sdc5 /cmnt
root@debian:/# chroot /cmnt
root@debian:/# grub-install /dev/sdc1 
Installing for i386-pc platform.
grub-install: error: cannot find a device for /boot/grub (is /dev mounted?)

So should I get out of chroot and `mount /dev/sdc1 /cmnt/boot` ?
So I ended up doing the following, for successful results:

sudo mount /dev/sdc5 /cmnt
sudo mount /dev/sdc1 /cmnt/boot
for i in /dev /dev/pts /proc /sys /run; do sudo mount -B $i /cmnt$i; done
sudo chroot /cmnt

grub-install /dev/sdc1
update-grub

*EDIT: grub-update changed to update-grub

Last edited by zv_odd (2015-10-26 15:54:30)

xaos52

The Good Doctor

From: Planet of the @pes

Registered: 2015-09-30

Posts: 695

Re: Grub didn't install?

Surely the last command must be 'update-grub'.

When you have a separate boot partition, you must mount that boot partition on the changeroot mountpoint before running grub-install. Why? Because the grub directory is a subdir of the boot directory, and the boot directory is empty iwhen the boot partition is not mounted.

altman

Member

From: Canada

Registered: 2015-10-24

Posts: 619

Re: Grub didn't install?

Something I learned the hard way years ago !

Last edited by altman (2015-10-26 15:53:40)

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zv_odd

New Member

Registered: 2015-10-26

Posts: 4

Re: Grub didn't install?

I still wonder why the live install didn't install grub correctly in the first place?
The files appeared to be in  /dev/sda1 before I chrooted and reinstalled grub, donno about the config.

altman

Member

From: Canada

Registered: 2015-10-24

Posts: 619

Re: Grub didn't install?

It might be that , it happned some times on my end with debian/ debian derived installs , might be your iso that s corrupted also .

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My Linux installs are as in my music; it s on Metal