[SOLVED] Faulty boot

[nilsA]

I have asked about this earlier, but see that I gave faulty information, so I try starting a new thread, hoping to get it right this time.

I am using the GRUB customizer. When I try choosing thew top, *Kubuntu, option, I get (I get it in Norwegian, so bear with my translation:

Error: Can not find the file 4.4.0-93
Error: You must load the kernel first.

Then I go to Advanced, choose 4.15.0-66, and everything is fine.

Doing ls -l /boot, I get:

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1246835 aug. 8 2017 abi-4.4.0-91-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 217362 sep. 17 18:12 config-4.15.0-65-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 217362 okt. 1 05:02 config-4.15.0-66-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 190356 aug. 8 2017 config-4.4.0-91-generic
drwxr-xr-x 6 root root 4096 nov. 4 15:33 grub
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 56583952 okt. 10 21:47 initrd.img-4.15.0-65-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 56593633 okt. 25 17:36 initrd.img-4.15.0-66-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 44204499 juli 20 23:33 initrd.img-4.4.0-91-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 182704 jan. 28 2016 memtest86+.bin
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 184380 jan. 28 2016 memtest86+.elf
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 184840 jan.

28 2016 memtest86+_multiboot.bin
-rw------- 1 root root 4064177 sep. 17 18:12 System.map-4.15.0-65-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 4064684 okt. 1 05:02 System.map-4.15.0-66-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 3884798 aug. 8 2017 System.map-4.4.0-91-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 8359576 sep. 17 18:20 vmlinuz-4.15.0-65-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 8363672 okt. 1 05:05 vmlinuz-4.15.0-66-generic
-rw------- 1 root root 7097936 aug. 8 2017 vmlinuz-4.4.0-91-generic
nils@xxxxxxxx:~$

Am I right, the problem is in the first line, calling the old version 4.4.0-93?

If so, what to do?

sudo update-grub does not change anything.

[oshunluvr]

Yes, you're right but update grub should create a new grub.cfg and fix the issue. So your problem is update grub is not doing that. I'd look into your customizer and pay close attention to the paths it uses.

In the mean time, you can edit grub.cfg manually and point it at the correct kernel. You might also look at your links in the root directory that refer to vmlinuz and initrd.

If you edit grub.cfg, you're look for lines beginning with:

linux /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-93-generic
initrd /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-93-generic

[jlittle]

You might also look at your links in the root directory that refer to vmlinuz and initrd.

With 19.10 those links, as maintained by APT, aren't in the root directory anymore, they've moved to /boot. If the grub.cfg generated by grub customizer still uses the ones in /, maybe they're pointing at the old kernel.

[oshunluvr]

With 19.10 those links, as maintained by APT, aren't in the root directory anymore, they've moved to /boot. If the grub.cfg generated by grub customizer still uses the ones in /, maybe they're pointing at the old kernel.

Good to know but this posted in the 18.04 subforum?

[jlittle]

Good to know but this posted in the 18.04 subforum?

Must remember to think before posting.

[nilsA]

Yes, you're right but update grub should create a new grub.cfg and fix the issue. So your problem is update grub is not doing that. I'd look into your customizer and pay close attention to the paths it uses.

In the mean time, you can edit grub.cfg manually and point it at the correct kernel. You might also look at your links in the root directory that refer to vmlinuz and initrd.

If you edit grub.cfg, you're look for lines beginning with:

linux /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-93-generic
initrd /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-93-generic

I have been looking at at the entry in Grub Customizer, and to me it looks like it is the last lines that is the problem.

Can I just change them?

Thew entry is like this:

recordfail
load_video
gfxmode $linux_gfx_mode
insmod gzio
if [ x$grub_platform = xxen ]; then insmod xzio; insmod lzopio; fi
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='hd0,msdos3'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos3 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos3 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos3 ecade92b-80d8-4df9-b8c1-03afcba8f8e2
else
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root ecade92b-80d8-4df9-b8c1-03afcba8f8e2
fi
linux /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-93-generic root=UUID=ecade92b-80d8-4df9-b8c1-03afcba8f8e2 ro quiet splash $vt_handoff
initrd /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-93-generic

Will:

linux /boot/vmlinuz-4.15.0-70-generic root=UUID=ecade92b-80d8-4df9-b8c1-03afcba8f8e2 ro quiet splash $vt_handoff
initrd /boot/initrd.img-4.5.0-70-generic

doi, or do I have to change something so that I have an

abi-4.15.0-70-generic

file in /boot?

[oshunluvr]

Yes, you can just change them, but the next run of grub-update should change them. You may have a larger problem like grub is installed somewhere you didn't intend.

If I were you, I'd edit grub.cfg so you can boot to the correct location and kernel, then re-install grub to the correct hard drive, then reboot. Assuming SDA is your boot drive:

sudo grub-install /dev/sda

Then run update-grub and reboot. Have a bootable USB on hand in case something goes wrong.

[nilsA]

Yes, you can just change them, but the next run of grub-update should change them. You may have a larger problem like grub is installed somewhere you didn't intend.

If I were you, I'd edit grub.cfg so you can boot to the correct location and kernel, then re-install grub to the correct hard drive, then reboot. Assuming SDA is your boot drive:

sudo grub-install /dev/sda

Then run update-grub and reboot. Have a bootable USB on hand in case something goes wrong.

It has been such a long time since I did anything but run Kubuntu (only using LTS), so I don't remember how to find the correct boot drive for kubuntu.

And the strange thing - this PC has been booting just fine until some update, I can't remember what time, as the problem started just before I left home for some weeks.

[EDIT]

boot.cfg now points to

linux /boot/vmlinuz-4.15.0-70-generic root=UUID=ecade92b-80d8-4df9-b8c1-03afcba8f8e2 ro quiet splash $vt_handoff
initrd /boot/initrd.img-4.5.0-70-generic

and the problem is aggravated.

The message when booting to Kubuntu is the same, but the PC stops responding to the keyboard and mouse, so I have to restart the PC (by what we used to call the Bug Red Switch).

You are probably right about the grub placement, but I need a little "handholding" to do that. It's so many, many years ago I did something like that, and the grub file was very simple back then.

[nilsA]

Silly me - I just found the "Revert" option in Grub Customizer.

It fixed the problem - whatever it has been.