Ubuntu 11.04 power failure during install get grub but no disk?

Asked by Christopher Brown

During the "install" phase of the upgrade there was a power failure. After when starting up again the following errors are reported:
init: udevtrigger main process (420) terminated with status 1
init: udevtrigger post-stop process (428) terminated with status 1
init: udevmonitor main process (419) killed by TERM signal
The disk drive for / is not ready yet or not present
Continue to wait; or press S to skip mounting or M for manual recovery

Pressing M gives me the following message:
Root filesystem check failed.
A maintenance shell will now be started.
CONTROL-D will terminate this shell and reboot the system.
root@FamilyPC:~#

if I CTRL ALT DEL from this prompt I get the GNU GRUB version 1.98 screen with choices of
- Ubuntu with Linux 2.6.35-28-generic
- above (recovery mode)
- Ubuntu with Linux 2.6.32-30-generic
- above (recovery mode)
Memory test etc.....

somehow I think there may be a way out of this without having to do a complete new install??
I am thinking of booting up using my Ubuntu 10.04 LTS "Lucid Lynx" CD and trying to rebuild from there but seeing that the main preparation of the 11.04 upgrade has been completed and the failure was during the 2nd to last phase during the install this method may now not work.

Does anyone have any helpful suggestions to get me to the OS Desktop?

Thanks
Chris

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Ubuntu update-manager Edit question
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Solved by:
marcobra (Marco Braida)
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Revision history for this message
marcobra (Marco Braida) (marcobra) said :
#1

Please boot from Ubuntu 10.10 live install cd and perform a partition check for errors...

To see partitions type:

sudo fdisk -l

Then using terminal type:

sudo fsck /dev/...

Revision history for this message
Christopher Brown (fazer1) said :
#2

Currently cutting Ubuntu 10.10 disk with iso image as the failed PC was running 10.10 and I only have CD with 10.04 image. This is AMD64 image BTW.
Would rather boot CD to same OS ver as was running before.

I see a "fsck" check and repair LInux file system might well work, will keep you informed.
Thanks

Revision history for this message
Christopher Brown (fazer1) said :
#3

Hmmm?

Booted to CD and ran the commands you suggested.

sudo fsck /dev/sd1

disk shows all OK but then restarted system and still get the same message after the GNU GRUB interface?

Any further suggestions?

Revision history for this message
Best marcobra (Marco Braida) (marcobra) said :
#4

Please connect your pc via ethernet cable and boot in recovery mode and access to root shell with network

Then type:

sudo dpkg --configure -a
sudo apt-get -f install
sudo apt-get --fix-missing install
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
sudo reboot

give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you type it, then press enter.

Revision history for this message
Christopher Brown (fazer1) said :
#5

If I boot up and then get the GNU GRUB interface with the choices I mentioned earlier and select recovery mode I get the same errors with choices of S to skip mounting or M for manual recovery.

Choosing M I get a prompt
root@FamilyPC:~#

but this is without connectivity, therefore no connection to run the commands you suggested.

Do you perhaps mean boot form the 10.10 CD again and run these commands, which I think you may do?

Revision history for this message
Christopher Brown (fazer1) said :
#6

Fixed and all appears to be working now.

I booted to CD with Ubuntu-10.10-alternate-amd64 image. This gave me the option to repair the system and get a prompt with the main bootable HD (/dev/sda1) and network connection. As mentioned the GNU GRUB (recovery mode) option did not get me to a system prompt with network.

Then I ran the commands you listed from the prompt. Had to reboot manually as sudo reboot did not work, probably due to access using CD?
The first command "sudo dpkg --configure -a" appeared to do the most work and when asked to use maintainer config or existing I chose Y for maintainer, was a risk for me as not sure how it would change my settings but as mentioned all appears to be working fine with 11.04 'natty', which I quite like!

This OS needs a confident user but gee it's really good.
Thanks so much for your instant response and input.
Chris

Revision history for this message
Christopher Brown (fazer1) said :
#7

Thanks marcobra (Marco Braida), that solved my question.

Revision history for this message
Oo Nwoye (ositanwoye) said :
#8

Hi Marco

I have the same problem, unfortunately, I do not have access to Ethernet Internet access.

I am at this stage presently

"sudo fsck /dev/sd1

disk shows all OK but then restarted system and still get the same message after the GNU GRUB interface?

Any further suggestions?"

Revision history for this message
Christopher Brown (fazer1) said :
#9

It may be possible for you to use an Ubuntu CD as source to rebuild even if it is an earlier version?
You would have to boot off the CD and mount your /dev/sda1 HD then point to the CD as source of the files?

Perhaps Marco could confirm this?

Revision history for this message
Kreuger Burns (car-crazy33) said :
#10

@Christopher Brown, when you booted the alternate image, what did you do to get the repair option? When I booted my Xubuntu 10 disc there was no repair option in the list. Just the test, install, memcheck and boot to hdd

Revision history for this message
Christopher Brown (fazer1) said :
#11

Booting to the alternate image provided a number of choices of which I cannot remember them all and I am away from my home Linux machine at present. One of the options was definately to a repair option, it was the last in the list.
Here is a link to some info. about the Alternate Install CD:
http://releases.ubuntu.com/10.10/ (page down to 3rd heading on page).

This is the image I used and it provided me with a prompt and network access. I could then see my HD with bootable Linus partition (/dev/sda1) and run the commands Marco kindly provided.

Revision history for this message
Sergio Martinez (sermarcue) said :
#12

I booted to ubuntu-10.10-alternate-amd64.iso following Christopher's link. What is the repair option that you did? The last one is called 'expert' and it goes to ubuntu installation.

Are you sure is the last one? I didn't see any prompr.

Thanks

Revision history for this message
Christopher Brown (fazer1) said :
#13

Again, away from Linux machine at present but will post a list of the options I got after booting to the alternate image when I get back home this evening.
The prompt I got BTW was # at the bottom of the monitor screen, with full access to network, which is ethernet hard wire connetion to router.

Revision history for this message
yassinevic (yassinevic) said :
#14

here is how i solved my probleme.

Run a 10.10 livecd session.
Open a terminal and enter the following commands.

sudo mkdir /media/system
sudo mount </dev/partition> /media/system # main is /dev/sda5 you can get yours from gparted
sudo mount --bind /dev /media/system/dev
sudo mount -t proc /proc /media/system/proc
sudo mount -t sysfs /sys /media/system/sys
sudo chroot /media/system
sudo dpkg --configure -a

Restart your computer and enjoy your new fully working system.

Revision history for this message
Sjoerd de Vries (sjdv1982) said :
#15

Thanks yassinevic, I had the same problem and your solution works

In my case, the problem was caused in the first place by an error in /var/lib/dpkg/status: dpkg's parser seems to have become overly strict since the last release.