Big Grub Issue

[Fintan]

I guess I'll use the server iso for my next install.

I read through some stuff on dd and cp, but can't figure out how to copy directories including their files from one drive to another.
As you can see I am not really comfortable with the cl yet and don't want to lose / corrupt my data

[Teunis]

Hi Fintan.

About copying large amounts of data, I don't think Dolphin is in any way slowing it down compared to a CLI solution.
In my experience the bottleneck is USB2, I have the option to use USB3 and the difference is incredible.

The CLI option to get all files and directories copied is -R or -r or --recursive.

So to copy your whole home you'd do:

cp ~/home -R /media/your usb drive/

[Fintan]

Thanks Teunis

Well I think I have found the culprit. Since I don't have a HD win7 install I had room for a second distro, so Installed the latest mint KDE with its grub to sda.

This grub sticks vene after over night shut down. My thinking is that something happened after a Kubuntu update/grade with its grub.
I will try reinstalling grub from Kubuntu and see what happens then.

Keep you posted.

[SteveRiley]

this grub sticks vene after over night shut down.

lolwut?

[Fintan]

Sorry, I was writing from my phone. Grub installed from Mint KDE sticks (is still there) even after an over night shut down.

[Teunis]

Yes on multi distro installs we have to be aware Grub is (without tricks) only effectively upgraded from the last done install.

[Fintan]

Sorry I haven't gotten back to you for so long. Busy working.
After almost 6 months of peace from this issue it has arisen again. I have had kubuntu 13.04 and 13.10 running side by side since 13.10 final. Have not done any major updates/grades to 13.10 since. For two mornings running I get an error which only boot-repair can fix. What are the tricks for making this work with grub?

[SteveRiley]

What's the error?

[Fintan]

"Loading error" most of the time, sometimes it throws me something else.

[SteveRiley]

When does this happen -- while GRUB itself is loading, or after you choose one of your two Kubuntu options?

[Fintan]

Neither. I get no grub boot menu at all,, instead I get that error

[Teunis]

Sounds to me like a hardware (disk) problem...

[Fintan]

That would not be good. At all. Just a question. I have been going into sleep mode (closing the lid) a lot lately. would that compromise the HD? This lapptop is barely 2 years old, I don't see the HD failing so quickly.

[Teunis]

Sleep as in suspend to RAM or disk?
As long as you wait for the disk to spin down before you move the laptop it shouldn't matter.

You could run the S.M.A.R.T tools to check on the disk's health...

[SteveRiley]

I'm not (yet) convinced it's a hardware problem. See if you can try to find a pattern. First, run Boot-Repair. Then boot into 13.10. Observe how it behaves. Reboot into 13.10 again. Can you consistently boot 13.10 without problems? Now boot 13.04. Then reboot 13.04 again. Does it work? Finally, boot back into 13.10 again. Does the error appear?