9.10 -> 10.04, no grub, blank screen with '_' cursor

Can you post the contents of your /boot/grub/menu.lst?

Thanks.

Menu.lst is missing.

Here are the contents of grub.cfg

#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by /usr/sbin/grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
  load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ ${prev_saved_entry} ]; then
  set saved_entry=${prev_saved_entry}
  save_env saved_entry
  set prev_saved_entry=
  save_env prev_saved_entry
  set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
  if [ -z ${boot_once} ]; then
    saved_entry=${chosen}
    save_env saved_entry
  fi
}

function recordfail {
  set recordfail=1
  if [ -n ${have_grubenv} ]; then if [ -z ${boot_once} ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi
}
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set a93f7bbc-31f7-486e-9798-3d4eb642cae9
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
  set gfxmode=640x480
  insmod gfxterm
  insmod vbe
  if terminal_output gfxterm ; then true ; else
    # For backward compatibility with versions of terminal.mod that don't
    # understand terminal_output
    terminal gfxterm
  fi
fi
insmod ext2
set root='(hd0,1)'
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set a93f7bbc-31f7-486e-9798-3d4eb642cae9
set locale_dir=($root)/boot/grub/locale
set lang=en
insmod gettext
if [ ${recordfail} = 1 ]; then
  set timeout=-1
else
  set timeout=10
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-20-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
 recordfail
 insmod ext2
 set root='(hd0,1)'
 search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set a93f7bbc-31f7-486e-9798-3d4eb642cae9
 linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-20-generic root=UUID=a93f7bbc-31f7-486e-9798-3d4eb642cae9 ro quiet splash
 initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-20-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-20-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
 recordfail
 insmod ext2
 set root='(hd0,1)'
 search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set a93f7bbc-31f7-486e-9798-3d4eb642cae9
 echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.32-20-generic ...'
 linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-20-generic root=UUID=a93f7bbc-31f7-486e-9798-3d4eb642cae9 ro single
 echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
 initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-20-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.31-19-generic' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
 recordfail
 insmod ext2
 set root='(hd0,1)'
 search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set a93f7bbc-31f7-486e-9798-3d4eb642cae9
 linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-19-generic root=UUID=a93f7bbc-31f7-486e-9798-3d4eb642cae9 ro quiet splash
 initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-19-generic
}
menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.31-19-generic (recovery mode)' --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
 recordfail
 insmod ext2
 set root='(hd0,1)'
 search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set a93f7bbc-31f7-486e-9798-3d4eb642cae9
 echo 'Loading Linux 2.6.31-19-generic ...'
 linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-19-generic root=UUID=a93f7bbc-31f7-486e-9798-3d4eb642cae9 ro single
 echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
 initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-19-generic
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
 insmod ext2
 set root='(hd0,1)'
 search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set a93f7bbc-31f7-486e-9798-3d4eb642cae9
 linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
 insmod ext2
 set root='(hd0,1)'
 search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set a93f7bbc-31f7-486e-9798-3d4eb642cae9
 linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
if [ ${timeout} != -1 ]; then
  if keystatus; then
    if keystatus --shift; then
      set timeout=-1
    else
      set timeout=0
    fi
  else
    if sleep --interruptible 3 ; then
      set timeout=0
    fi
  fi
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

Can you boot to root recovery mode?

Hold shift at power on and select recovery mode from the kernel list.

If you can, select "root" from the next menu then you can run:

mv /etc/X11/xorg.conf /etc/X11/xorg.conf_old; dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

Then reboot.

Hi :)

It might be worth reinstalling the grub2
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2#Reinstalling%20from%20LiveCD
I am sure there is a more elegant way to do this. I am sure ActionParsnip's plan should work though!

Please let us know how you got on!
Good luck and regards from
Tom :)

Tried ActionParsnip's solution first.

Holding shift triggers old grub to start. I have four boot options here (appart from memtest):
1) Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.31-19-generic
works fine and starts Ubuntu normally
2) Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-20-generic
triggers the problem in the question subject - blank screen and typing '_' cursor, but reboots after 10 seconds
3) Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-20-generic (recovery console)
starts booting, but then hangs after line
[<sec>] Adding 5927944k swap on /dev/sda5. Priority:-1 extents:1 accross:5927944k
4) Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.31-19-generic (recovery console)
Hanged the first time, ran smoothly during second attempt.

xorg.conf was absent. a just ran the dpkg-reconfigure command
didn't work.

---
Tom's solution:
tried reinstalling grub2 from LiveCD and installed partition - the problem persists =\

---
Well, since I eventually found the way to boot the system (starting old grub through pressing shift was a surprise for me, need to do some RTFM =)), my question is answered.

Thank you guys for the help! You're great! ;)

Since i didn't find any issues similar to mine, I think i should post a bug for the problems encountered.
Any hints what other information should I give apart from hardware specs? ;)

hi :)

Excellently well found. Sorry i don't know enough about Grub2 to help with ideas about what to post in a bug-report. Hopefully when you post the report the Triage Team will ask you for anything they might need.

If you are going to RTFM then please could you help edit the Community Documentation about Grub2? I don't think the thing about pressing shift is mentioned although i haven't read the whole long daunting page
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2
I am sure just a couple more lines about it would help

Good luck and regards from
Tom :)

Hey, Tom!

I'm not sure editing the Grub2 documentation is necessary. =)
It actually is mentioned:

# On a new install of Ubuntu 9.10 with no other installed operating system, GRUB 2 will boot directly to the login prompt or Desktop. No menu will be displayed.
# Hold down SHIFT to display the menu during boot (formerly ESC in GRUB legacy).

I think that's where the problem goes.
Ubuntu is the only OS in the computer, so the Grub menu is skipped.
By default it should load the latest lernel, normal mode, that is "Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.32-20-generic".
And here it hangs(p2 from previous post of mine), so, most likey the problem isn't in Grub2 at all.

Well, thanks a lot for help and feedback ;)
Will keep on testing.

Best regards and good luck to you too ;)
Andrew

Hi :)

Thanks for checking the documentation there. It is often good to make sure it's right :)

Can you boot up a LiveCd session with no troubles or do you need to use some of the boot-options?

I have just tried installing 10.04 on one of my secondary drives but it doesn't seem to have changed the right Mbr. Also there have been a few other questions about the boot-up so you are far from alone in having problems with this at the moment. From the LiveCd you should be able to see that all your data is safely there which is usually a relief. So it's just a case of accessing it.

I find it interesting that Ubuntu has not gone for safe easy options with the 10.04. As a distro that is trying to capture the mainstream's interest it usually avoids "going out on a limb". While grub2 has been exhaustively tried & tested for what seems like a decade it seems that Ubuntu is the first distro to incorporate it into it's main release. I think it is a very positive move but i still feel unready somehow lol

Good luck and regards from
Tom :)

Hi All,

I managed to make the GRUB2 menu to appear (because I have made the menu hidden, and the timeout was set to 0 = =). But my options are 2.6.32-21 and 2.6.31-20. With either kernels, and with their respetive recovery modes, I still cannot continue booting. If I use the recovery mode, the system message shows that booting stops at about 3.xxxxx second, when using rc5 to hash checking my /home partition (sda7). I guess that something within this two kernels, and combining the new booting mechanism, they fail to boot and just hang. That's why with Grub splash on, there is only cursor blinking and no more response from the system; with Grub splash off (as in the recovery mode), booting hangs just about the same time.

I guess Andrii is lucky with his 2.6.31-19 booting successfully under Lucid, but I'm not having such luck. So I guess I have to boot into live session again (luckily my Kubuntu 10.04 rc image is booting well), and manage to keep updating, hoping that newer patches will fix the damn hanged booting operation...

Now the RC live CD image downloaded this morning (GMT 2:00 AM 4/24) CAN boot into KDE desktop (although the bootsplash is an ugly "Ubuntu 10.04" text) on my Lenovo S10-2 netbook (with Intel GMA 950).

However, 10.04 upgraded from 9.10 still fails to boot. Clean installation boots fine.

I'd guess that this is not a Grub2 bug, since the menu can be evoked by updating grub2 through chroot.

Kernel, video driver, Plymouth or some other booting mechanism is not doing well, but I won't know...

Hi MilchFlasche

Grub2 defaults to a hidden menu whereas the original grub defaulted to showing the menu. Just 1 of many differences! How did you change it? Was the Community Documentation correct about that?

I have been having a similar problem but i assumed it was my ancient ati 1650 graphics card. Indeed i can boot quite happily into recovery - failsafe-graphics. But now i cant seem to set the resolution to my preffered lower setting and have to use the "safer low res" of 1280by 1024. I owuld prefer to use 1024by 768 so i am going to post a question about all that in here.

Anyway, my suggestion i to try booting into

"Recovery mode" - "failsafe graphics"

to see if that works for you too?
Regards from
Tom :)

Hi Tom,

Thanks for your kind suggestion. Unfortunately for me, I can't even get into the recovery mode - the booting just hangs in around 4 or 5 seconds, just as normal booting, after mounting the root file system and the swap. Adding "failsafe graphics" in the Grub2 menu line does not help, either. I'll try choosing "recovery mode" and adding "failsafe graphics" for the last time.

Come on... how come it just hangs and not continue to boot any more?

Okay, I still can't get my upgraded 10.04 into a functional recovery mode, and all the cases came out into a total stop at early stage of booting.

Also, I just found that I'm not having any system logs (dmesg, X.org, kernel... etc.) for that installation ever since my first reboot after the upgrade! All the logs in /var/log in that partition are all from before the finish of upgrade. After the first reboot, all the system messages were not recorded any more. Strange.

I guess for many, this question remains unresolved.

Hi :)

Are you able to boot up a LiveCd session?
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCD

I found a LiveCd session worked but the installed one doesn't, except in failsafe. It does sound as though we are experiencing very different "boot problems" but i wondered if the LiveCd did at least allow you access to your data? If so there's a good answer to your troubles. If a LiveCd of 10.04 wont work or you haven't got a cd then anotehr version (or even a different distro might wor just as well instead. Basically i think using a guide to safely move your data to a separate /home partition would allow you to re-install an older Ubuntu so that you could at least use your machine decently.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Partitioning/Home/Moving
(modifying the ideas in this guide a little bit might help)

Regards from
Tom :)

Hi Tom,

Thanks for your suggestions. Yes actually I have already booted successfully with Kubuntu RC LiveCD session, and have also made a clean install on my spare partition, which boots well too (although no splash shown, just blank screen). This is where I'm typing this message now. From here, I can chroot into my old installation and even check for updates once in a while, to see if new updates can fix the booting problem.

My /home partition were already separated, which has been my SOP in installing any Linux distro. So I can well mount it to my new installation of Lucid if I want. But the question remains that, I don't want to abandon my old installation just because the upgrade breaks it. I guess you would want your installed session to boot successfully too.

Hi :)

Yes, quite. Well you really only need to upgrade if you are running 8.10 or earlier. Actually since 8.04 was LTS it still has 1 year desktop support. 9.04 has 6months support left. 9.10 still has a year's worth of support. So, i guess it might be worth sticking with previous releases and keep checking back every few weeks to see if 10.04 works?

Also perhaps post a bug-report about this as the problem seems to be slightly different from the other bug-reports? Otherwise just click to make it say "This bug affects me too"

Good luck and regards from
Tom :)

Yeah, thanks, good talking to you :)

Thanks, you too :)
Regards from
Tom :)