Over full boot prevents update. Out of sequence file name

For diagnostic purposes please provide the output of the following commands:

uname -a
lsb_release -crid
sudo dpkg --audit
df -h
df -i
dpkg -l | grep ' linux-'
dpkg -l | grep '^rc'

Also run:

sudo apt-get clean

Did you get an e-mail from my neighbours . If so you will know why I have not replied sooner. I am now using an old demo Ubuntu from the cd so any answers to your commands will be out of date. As an example

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ uname -a
Linux ubuntu 4.4.0-21-generic #37-Ubuntu SMP Mon Apr 18 18:33:37 UTC 2016 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Files with 4.4.0-21-generic are now up to -79- Presumably the error stopping boot is lack of file vmlinuz-4.4.0-79-generic. Is it possible to add that back? If you need responses to all the commands listed in your response I will, of course, send them BUT they wii be well out of date.

In the meantime I will try to set this disc up to receive e-mails from you. If not an e-mail to <email address hidden> will reach me.

Regards, Peter Ratcliffe.

Before I can go into details, I need some more information about your system.

Can you boot the system normally?

If no, what happens if you try?

If yes, what is the output of the commands given in my previous comment?

On Wednesday 21/06/2017 at 12:47:29, Manfred Hampl wrote:
> Your question #644295 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/644295
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> Manfred Hampl requested more information:
> Before I can go into details, I need some more information about your
> system.
>
> Can you boot the system normally?
>
> If no, what happens if you try?
>
> If yes, what is the output of the commands given in my previous
> comment?
>
> --
> To answer this request for more information, you can either reply to
> this email or enter your reply at the following page:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/644295
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the
> question.

In order to contact you I have got an old (6 years or so) going again,
but of course this computer will not have any up to date content

No, I can't boot normally. When I try I get GNU GRUB Version 2.02
~beta2.36 ubuntu3.11 at the top of the screen, with a line underneath.

Below the line a block of text:

Ubuntu
Advanced options for ubuntu
Memorytest (memtest86+)
Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)
followed by press enter to boot, e to edit c for command line at the
bottom of the screen

When I press enter I get:
error: file ~/vmlinuz-4.4.0-79-generic not found
error you need to load the kernal first
plus a chance to try again, which gets me nowhere.

Regards, Peter Ratcliffe

On 22/06/17 11:09, peter ratcliffe wrote:
> Your question #644295 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/644295
>
> Status: Needs information => Open
>
> You gave more information on the question:
>
>
> On Wednesday 21/06/2017 at 12:47:29, Manfred Hampl wrote:
>> Your question #644295 on Ubuntu changed:
>> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/644295
>>
>> Status: Open => Needs information
>>
>> Manfred Hampl requested more information:
>> Before I can go into details, I need some more information about your
>> system.
>>
>> Can you boot the system normally?
>>
>> If no, what happens if you try?
>>
>> If yes, what is the output of the commands given in my previous
>> comment?
>>
>> --
>> To answer this request for more information, you can either reply to
>> this email or enter your reply at the following page:
>> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/644295
>>
>> You received this question notification because you asked the
>> question.
>
>
> In order to contact you I have got an old (6 years or so) going again,
> but of course this computer will not have any up to date content
>
> No, I can't boot normally. When I try I get GNU GRUB Version 2.02
> ~beta2.36 ubuntu3.11 at the top of the screen, with a line underneath.
>
> Below the line a block of text:
>
> Ubuntu
> Advanced options for ubuntu
> Memorytest (memtest86+)
> Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)
> followed by press enter to boot, e to edit c for command line at the
> bottom of the screen
>
> When I press enter I get:
> error: file ~/vmlinuz-4.4.0-79-generic not found
> error you need to load the kernal first
> plus a chance to try again, which gets me nowhere.
>
> Regards, Peter Ratcliffe
>

Can you please give the output of the commands in the first reply.

Try the following:

When grub fails as described, press the e button to edit the boot command.
change ...vmlinuz-4.4.0-79... into ...vmlinuz-4.4.0-81...
press enter, and press the b key.

Does the system boot now?

On 22/06/17 12:12, actionparsnip wrote:
> Your question #644295 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/644295
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> actionparsnip requested more information:
> Can you please give the output of the commands in the first reply.
>

When I try to boot all I get is an error message as in my previous
reply. One option on the boot error is c for command-line. putting any
of your listed commands into the command-line promt responds with
can't find command.

Peter Ratcliffe

In your previous message to told that at the end of the failed boot attempt you have something on screen with

... press enter to boot, e to edit c for command line ...
If you press e, what happens?

On 22/06/17 13:05, Manfred Hampl wrote:
> Your question #644295 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/644295
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> Manfred Hampl requested more information:
> In your previous message to told that at the end of the failed boot
> attempt you have something on screen with
>
> ... press enter to boot, e to edit c for command line ...
> If you press e, what happens?
>

Manfred,

Pressing e brings up what I assume to be the boot file and allows me to
change ...vnlinuz-4.4.0-79... into ...vmlinux-4.4.0-81....Having done
that there does not seem to be any way of saving the change. If I go
back and then start again from the failure the text is still
....vmlinuz-4.4.0-79....After the change neither enter nor b does
anything. However, f10 (from the bottom of the screen menu) brings up a
full width blue screen with the legend linux 16.04 with . . . witch
light up across the screen as you would expect during a normal boot. At
the conclusion of this the blue screen disappears to be replaced by:

BusyBox vi.22.1 (ubuntu 1:1.22.0-15ubuntu1)built-in shell (ash)
(initridfs) Any clues in this?

regards, Peter Ratcliffe

Ok, apparently this did not work. (You are right, the current version needs F10 or ctrl-X to attempt booting, not enter and b).

I see two possibilities:
1. a new installation of Ubuntu,
2. still trying to repair the current system. The best way to do that probably is via a live system and then chroot-ing into the hard disk system. Do you already have an Ubuntu installer available (on DVD or bootable USB stick)?

On 22/06/17 18:58, Manfred Hampl wrote:
> Your question #644295 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/644295
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> Manfred Hampl requested more information:
> Ok, apparently this did not work. (You are right, the current version
> needs F10 or ctrl-X to attempt booting, not enter and b).
>
> I see two possibilities:
> 1. a new installation of Ubuntu,
> 2. still trying to repair the current system. The best way to do that probably is via a live system and then chroot-ing into the hard disk system. Do you already have an Ubuntu installer available (on DVD or bootable USB stick)?
>

Hi Manfred,

1. I have the Linux Format disc from which the current OS was installed
a couple of years ago. This has an option to install but I will loose
all my data. It also has a working try it boot but I assume that that
won't talk to anything else. Without a repair solution I will install
from this because I have copies of all the important data. I hope there
will be no unexpected snags.

2. I assume that the vmlinuz 79 file is missing which is stopping
boot. I know nothing about the chroot command so that will be a case of
flying blind. If you can figure a way to fix my existing OS I will be
very gratefull otherwise I will do a reinstall, probably tomorrow.
Please advise.

Many thanks, Peter Ratcliffe

Looking into some old question documents from you I see, that you use volume groups. This makes the case a bit more complicated.

If I go back to the very beginning of this thread:
I do not understand how it could be possible that you have in /boot only
abi-4.4.0-81-generic
config-4.4.0-81-generic
initrd.img-4.4.0-79-generic
vmlinuz-4.4.0-81-generic
System.map-4.4.0-81-generic
(and other version-independent files)

I can understand that a space problem may have caused that initrd.img-4.4.0-81-generic could not be created, but where is vmlinuz-4.4.0-79-generic? Why isn't it there?

On 22/06/17 20:08, Manfred Hampl wrote:
> Your question #644295 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/644295
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> Manfred Hampl requested more information:
> Looking into some old question documents from you I see, that you use
> volume groups. This makes the case a bit more complicated.
>
> If I go back to the very beginning of this thread:
> I do not understand how it could be possible that you have in /boot only
> abi-4.4.0-81-generic
> config-4.4.0-81-generic
> initrd.img-4.4.0-79-generic
> vmlinuz-4.4.0-81-generic
> System.map-4.4.0-81-generic
> (and other version-independent files)
>
> I can understand that a space problem may have caused that
> initrd.img-4.4.0-81-generic could not be created, but where is
> vmlinuz-4.4.0-79-generic? Why isn't it there?
>

Manfred,

/boot being too full to allow boot to take place is quite common. When
it first happened I asked question 266261. Dillon replied on 08/05/15
and I have used his suggestions to remove older references using

sudo -i
rm -f abi-4.4.0-79-generic for example and the same for the other
generic references.

This has always worked in the past. In this case
vmlinuz-4.4.0-81-generic was still there and and all was as I expected.
  I shut down when I finished. It was when I next went to use the
computer again it came up with boot failure.

I don't understand volume groups - this is a new one on me. I'm just
glad I kept my old computer which is now back in use. Does this help to
throw light on the problem?

Regards & thanks, Peter Ratcliffe

I assume by manually deleting files from the /boot partition (which in my opinion is absolutely inappropriate advice) you have removed files that are required during the boot process, and this now prevents a successful start of the operating system.

Can you try booting your installation disk in the "try Ubuntu without installing" mode and provide the output that you get for the commands
sudo fdisk -l
sudo mkdir /media/bootpart
sudo mount -r /dev/sda1 /media/bootpart
sudo ls -l /media/bootpart
sudo umount /media/bootpart
sudo lvdisplay

Remark: I have already commented in https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/266626 that manual deletion of files from /boot is not a good approach to cope with "not enough space on /boot" problems. Please see also https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/376620 for a potential solution that I deem reasonable.

Manfred, thanks for your email , the response to your commands is
;

sudo fdisk -gives
fdisk:invalid option --T

sudo mkdir/media/bootpart gets no result

sudo mount -r /dev/sda1 /media/bootpart gets no result

sudo ls - l /media/bootpart gives
total51240
-rw-r--r-- 1 rootroot 1246311 jun 14 12:24 abi-4.4.0-81-generic
-rw-r--r-- 1 rootroot 190356 jun 14 12:24 config-4.4.0-81-generic
drwxt-xr-x 5 rootroot 1024 jun 16 14:28 grub
-rw-r--r-- 1 rootroot 39275758 jun 20 09:48 ninitrd.ing/4.4.0-79-generic
drwx------ 2 rootroot 12288 feb 5 2015 lost+found
-rw-r--r-- 1 rootroot 182704 jan 28 2016 memtest86+.binOn 23/06/17
17:48, Manfred Hampl wrote:> Your question #644295 on Ubuntu changed:
 > https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/644295
 >
 > Status: Open => AnsweredOn 23/06/17 17:48, Manfred Hampl wrote:>
Your question #644295 on Ubuntu changed:
 > https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/644295
 >
 > Status: Open => Answered
 >
 > Manfred Hampl proposed the following answer:
 > I assume by manually deleting files from the /boot partition (which in
 > my opinion is absolutely inappropriate advice) you have removed files
 > that are required during the boot process, and this now prevents a
 > successful start of the operating system.
 >
 > Can you try booting your installation disk in the "try Ubuntu without
installing" mode and provide the output that you get for the commands
 > sudo fdisk -l
 > sudo mkdir /media/bootpart
 > sudo mount -r /dev/sda1 /media/bootpart
 > sudo ls -l /media/bootpart
 > sudo umount /media/bootpart
 > sudo lvdisplay
 >
 > Remark: I have already commented in
 > https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/266626 that manual
 > deletion of files from /boot is not a good approach to cope with "not
 > enough space on /boot" problems. Please see also
 > https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/376620 for a potential
 > solution that I deem reasonable.
 >
 > Manfred Hampl proposed the following answer:
 > I assume by manually deleting files from the /boot partition (which in
 > my opinion is absolutely inappropriate advice) you have removed files
 > that are required during the boot process, and this now prevents a
 > successful start of the operating system.
 >
 > Can you try booting your installation disk in the "try Ubuntu without
installing" mode and provide the output that you get for the commands
 > sudo fdisk -l
 > sudo mkdir /media/bootpart
 > sudo mount -r /dev/sda1 /media/bootpart
 > sudo ls -l /media/bootpart
 > sudo umount /media/bootpart
 > sudo lvdisplay
 >
 > Remark: I have already commented in
 > https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/266626 that manual
 > deletion of files from /boot is not a good approach to cope with "not
 > enough space on /boot" problems. Please see also
 > https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/376620 for a potential
 > solution that I deem reasonable.
-rw-r--r-- 1 rootroot 184380 jan 28 2016 memtest86+.elf
-rw-r--r-- 1 rootroot 184840 jan 28 2016 memtest86+_multiboot.bin
-rw------ 1 rootroot 3883391 jun 14 12:24 System.map-4.4.0-81-generic
-rw------ 1 rootroot 7092784 jun 14 12:24 vmlinuz-4.4.0-81-generic

sudo umount/media/bootpart gets no result
sudo lvdisplay
logical volume
LV Path /dev/ubuntu/vg/root
LV Name root
BG Name ubuntu-v9
LV UUID 22Wpbc-A83r-OKAp-H7PP-bh8R-Tj7m-BO5nBN
LV Write Access read/write
LV Creation host, time ubuntu, 2015-02-05 10:22:27 +0000
LV Status available
# open 0
LV Size 457.80 Gib
Current LE 117197
Segments 1
Allocation inherit
Read ahead sectors auto
- currently set to 256
Block device 252:0 more to follow

On 23/06/17 17:48, Manfred Hampl wrote:
> Your question #644295 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/644295
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Manfred Hampl proposed the following answer:
> I assume by manually deleting files from the /boot partition (which in
> my opinion is absolutely inappropriate advice) you have removed files
> that are required during the boot process, and this now prevents a
> successful start of the operating system.
>
> Can you try booting your installation disk in the "try Ubuntu without installing" mode and provide the output that you get for the commands
> sudo fdisk -l
> sudo mkdir /media/bootpart
> sudo mount -r /dev/sda1 /media/bootpart
> sudo ls -l /media/bootpart
> sudo umount /media/bootpart
> sudo lvdisplay
>
> Remark: I have already commented in
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/266626 that manual
> deletion of files from /boot is not a good approach to cope with "not
> enough space on /boot" problems. Please see also
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/376620 for a potential
> solution that I deem reasonable.
>

Manfred, sorry to have sent you a confusing reply. I ran out of space
before getting to the end. What follows is the last piece starting with
the second Logical Volume.

LV Path /dev/ubuntu/bg/swap_1
LV Name swap_1
BG Name ubuntu-bg
LV UUID 78DmrI-ZFwO-fCWn-uQLb-EHVy-fGE6-k65c7Z
LV Write access read/write
LV Creation host, time ubuntu, 2015-02-05 10:22:28 +0000
LV Status available
# open 0
LV Size 7.67 GiB
Current LE 1963
Segments 1
Allocation inherit
Read ahead sectors auto
- currently set to 256
Block device 252:1

Thats the end of the lvdisplay command. I hope you can piece it all
together. Many thanks for your help. Once this crisis is over I will
go back and reread what has gone before and try to learn the lessons.

Peter Ratcliffe

Manfred,

I seem to be making a real hash for which I am sorry. I have now installed Ubuntu 16.04 from the Linux Format disc which I had kept. The system now boots but, I have yet to adjust all the settings. As of now I have no working email. Thunderbird is installed and appears to work but I have yet to get an incoming email. My IP provider is Fireflyinternet. Can you advise me on how to get connected?

Firefox is working and I can read this question, and others, so I assume a new message will reach you. Sorry, again, for messing you about and look forward to hearing from you.

Peter Ratcliffe

Sorry for not answering in the past days, but I had other things to do.
Did you already overwrite the broken system, or is this a new installation on another system or other partitions?

Sorry, I do not have detailed knowledge about such e-mail provider.

Manfred,

Used my Linux Format Ubuntu 16.04 disc booting from the cd drive and selected the options Ubuntu 16.04 followed by install. Doing this I suppose overwrote what was there before. I have lost all my previous settings. I will ring Firefly tomorrow.

Many thanks, Peter Ratcliffe

Manfred,

Sorry to be a pain again but I am going from bad to worse. I spoke to Fireflyuk.net this morning. Firefly email is working but is not communicating with Thunderbird. They advised me to uninstall Thunderbird and install it again. Having done that I now can't find Thunderbird despite the fact that the download seems to have been successful. Any advice will be very welcome.

To add to my woes I can't get my HP Laserjet P1006 printer, which is on the list of supported printers, to work. HP are always a problem. I've managed to do it before but not this time.

With many rthanks, Peter Ratcliffe

Manfred,

I have managed to get Thunderbird working, don't know how - but one less to worry about.

My printer shows in place on Printers-localhost window as HP-LaserJet-P1006, which is correct and it is in the list of supported printers. However, it doesn't talk to the computer. I've had this before but can't remenber how I fixed it. Internet instructions don't help me very much.

Regards, Peter Ratcliffe

Manfred,

Would you believe the reason I was unable to get my printer to print is that it was broken! All is now up and running. Big thankyou for all your help.

Regards, Peter Ratcliffe