Serious grub problem after update this morning (btrfs issue?)

[Teunis]

During an update early this morning I noticed an error and sure enough. it's now impossible to reboot, even by using the "Boot from first hard disk" option offered by the Live CD/USB.
I saved the log and the error happened about here:

Configuring grub-common (1.99-18ubuntu1) ...
Configuring grub2-common (1.99-18ubuntu1) ...
Configuring grub-pc-bin (1.99-18ubuntu1) ...
Configuring grub-pc (1.99-18ubuntu1) ...
/usr/sbin/grub-probe: error: file not found.
Auto-detection of a filesystem of /dev/sda8 failed.
Try with --recheck.
If the problem persists please report this together with the output of "/usr/sbin/grub-probe --device-map="/boot/grub/device.map" --target=fs -v /boot/grub" to <bug-grub@gnu.org>
Generating grub.cfg ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-19-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-19-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-18-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-18-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /@/boot/memtest86+.bin
Found Windows 7 (loader) on /dev/sda2
Found Ubuntu precise (development branch) (12.04) on /dev/sda6
Found Windows Vista (loader) on /dev/sdb2
Found Windows Vista (loader) on /dev/sdb3
Found Ubuntu 11.10 (11.10) on /dev/sdb8
Found Ubuntu precise (development branch) (12.04) on /dev/sdb9
done

Auto-detection of a filesystem of /dev/sda8 failed, this is the / for the brtfs install.

(And Ooops!, I had the HD of my previous computer hooked up bia USB and that's what showed up as /dev/sdb)

This laptop has Win7 and two times 12.04 installed, the crash happened while in the version installed on brtfs, using the grub file on the external disk I can still access the ext4 install and that's where I'm in right now.

When I do sudo upgrade-grub the only partition recognised is the present but it does not result in a bootable system.
Without the external disk this grub menu is displayed white on black but any and all options are terminated with

error: no such partition

When I try sudo update-grub from the Live CD I get an error stating /dev is not mounted.

Update:
In the mean time I have run

sudo grub-install /dev/sda

and I can do a regular boot into the ext4 version.
Update-grub does still not recognise the Win7 and btrfs OS's.

What I've so far googled suggests to run the Win7 CD for a repair but I feel this would not fix the problem with the brtfs install.

Any suggestions are welcome!

[dibl]

Any of the new kernels should recognize a btrfs filesystem, so that error is a bit scary -- like the filesystem itself is corrupted, maybe. First I would try to mount it in the OS that works. If it mounts and you can see the directory structure and files on it, then that means the filesystem is probably OK. But if it won't mount correctly or you can't see the directories and files, then ....

BTW, while I'll happily recommend btrfs for data storage partitions, especially large muti-device storage, it really is not designed to be any better than ext4 for running the OS itself. And since it still has no stable repair utility, it isn't readily fixable if you lose power or something like that (i.e. not a candidate for laptops).

[Teunis]

The problem is indeed the brtfs format not being recognised by grub-probe.
Apparently this was recently enabled but presently in regression.

The conclusion is that brtfs is NOT suited for a boot partition.

Right now I've too little time to investigate working twelve hour shifts while living in a hotel with a 256KB/s connection so I have reinstalled on ext4.

[dibl]

Right now I've too little time to investigate working twelve hour shifts while living in a hotel with a 256KB/s connection ...

Depending on WHERE the hotel is located, that could be either great, or awful!

;-)

[SteveRiley]

Depending on WHERE the hotel is located, that could be either great, or awful!

Hm. OK, let's vote. If you had to choose, would it be...

Bandwidth!



...or...

Sand!

[Teunis]

Both options are silica (SiO2) based...

When I'm here during daylight and look out I see sheep.

Anyhow, the machine runs fine, even Win-7 has shown up again.
I still have to play with the edgers ppa because bumblebee is giving an error but that's for another night.

[Snowhog]

I'd have to vote Bandwidth! I could tolerate a less than ideal locale if I have quality Internet access. I would find it hard to tolerate an ideal locale and no Internet!

[SteveRiley]

Both options are silica (SiO2) based...

Hah. Didn't even think of that -- slick observation!

When I'm here during daylight and look out I see sheep.

Sheep that apparently require a...clock? What is that place, a Marshall Field? BWAHAHAHA! Actually, that photo is odd enough that I'm going to try to figure out how to work into a presentation.

I'd have to vote Bandwidth! I could tolerate a less than ideal locale if I have quality Internet access. I would find it hard to tolerate an ideal locale and no Internet!

We are truly geeks.

[Jonas]

I'm completely clueless regarding grub and boot managing. So I always use ext4 for my partitions, but I have this issue aswell, since yesterday morning updates. I can boot up thru the paralell debian install I have, but as stated - I don't know how to look in to this. Any basic help for me learning and understand, maybe I (my box) could shed some light to the issue.

/Jonas

Oh and that beach looks awfully lonely? If there isn't a partner on that sofa, I'd choose bandwidth ... if the partner is fetching a drink I'd say most deffo Sand!

edit2;

Sheep that apparently require a...clock? What is that place, a Marshall Field? BWAHAHAHA! Actually, that photo is odd enough that I'm going to try to figure out how to work into a presentation.

lol, that sheep looks like he/she waiting for the bus - maybe have had it up to his/her ears with the poor bandwidth, to a sunny beach

[SecretCode]

Right now I've too little time to investigate working twelve hour shifts while living in a hotel with a 256KB/s connection so I have reinstalled on ext4.

Last year I had occasion to stay in a guest house (less than 20 rooms) in Accra, Ghana ... with free 14Mb/s internet. That's faster than any speed then available to consumers in South Africa.

[NoWorries]

The main computer that I have Precise on is a Compaq Presario CQ1 All-in-One and after the Grub update and a reboot, it failed and just emitter repetitive beeps. Nothing to show why it failed. I downloaded the latest build and tried reinstalling with a couple of different options and these all failed. So this computer is now useless and collecting dust.

I have an old PC (i386) that also has Precise on it for checking when such calamities occur, and after all the updates it went through without a hitch and is now the only working Precise computer that I have. So I am wondering if the grub problem is Bios related. I hope this problem is fixed soon. I will probably wait till the weekend and have another go.

[MoonRise]

I have to agree with SR. What's with the clock!?!?

I also agree with Snowhog on which one would rather have.

[Teunis]

Jonas, the first thing to do after booting in the working Debian is tlso o open a Konsole or terminal and running the command

sudo upgrade-grub

.
This should pick up all bootable partitions and make a new grub instance including the now missing entry of Kubuntu.

That's what not worked for me, contrary to a week ago anything on btrfs is now causing /usr/sbin/grub-probe to stall, basically making your computer unbootable.
You used the well supported ext4 so you should have less of a problem restoring grub.

There are aseveral external Live CD's to help repairing a botched grub or boot sequence, SuperGrub disk is probably best known.
A regular Live CD might also be of help, especially commands from the terminal give a good feedback as to where something stops.

Please be aware a Live CD installed on a USB drive is much faster and convenient.

[Jonas]

Jonas, the first thing to do after booting in the working Debian is tlso o open a Konsole or terminal and running the command

sudo upgrade-grub

.
This should pick up all bootable partitions and make a new grub instance including the now missing entry of Kubuntu.

That's what not worked for me, contrary to a week ago anything on btrfs is now causing /usr/sbin/grub-probe to stall, basically making your computer unbootable.
You used the well supported ext4 so you should have less of a problem restoring grub.

There are aseveral external Live CD's to help repairing a botched grub or boot sequence, SuperGrub disk is probably best known.
A regular Live CD might also be of help, especially commands from the terminal give a good feedback as to where something stops.

Please be aware a Live CD installed on a USB drive is much faster and convenient.

yes, that's what I've been doing, and has worked up til now. Today update-grub on the debian install wont find the Kubuntu install/kernel. Will have to research this with a liveUSB, be it SuperGrub och kubuntu liveUSB.

Will report back if I can resolve this.

b.r

Jonas

PS; It's funny because i think that the last 3 releases I've had no major problem in aplha stage, but when it hits beta, I have one or two issue that make me have to reinstall the system.

[Jonas]

looking at launchpad I think this bug is the cause - looks very similar as my trouble.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub2/+bug/960010

EDIT: *some hours later*installed super grub on a USB and it gave me entry back into precise install, a fresh kubuntu liveUSB of 12.04 nor 11.10 was it possible to access the installs, all froze. Not sure if I repaired GRUB but atleast I can save whatever I have here worth saving. I'll research it some more, hopefully the new kernel tonight give me GRUB up and running(?).

br
Jonas