Update Ubuntu 7.1 to 8.04 failed (using Update manager)

Please, can you give some more info about your hardware, motherboard, CPU, RAM, Video card.

Can you try change the boot argument to root=/dev/[your hd root partition, i.e. the one that's mounted at "/"] like e.g. root=/dev/sda2 in lilo/grub?

Does the oldest kernel work properly (with all of the system working)?
Which kernels are now installed?

It seems like it doesn't find the appropriate partition of your HD. Also you can try to tell it the appropriate boot partition, like e.g. (hd0,0).
It seems that your problem is worse than that, but you can try.
To attempt to fix things temporarily, can you try to either re-install the kernel and grub, or to remove the kernels that don't work?

Dear Ariel,
My computer is a standard Dell Vostro 200 with:
Pentium Dual-core E2180 processor, 2048Mb RAM, 160Gb ATA hard drive,
Intel video card(X3100 graphic media accelerator).
The non-standard bit is that I shrank the Windows partition (Vista came
at purchase) to allow me to install Ubuntu. Because of a slight error on
my part I installed Ubuntu twice- each having its own partition. I tried
the update/upgrade on only one partition. Naturally, I tried to boot the
new Ubuntu from the extended boot menu and I tried the recovery mode.
Only later did I try the original kernel option on the boot menu (...16,
I think) which is what I'm using now. The desktop does now show what
seems to be a heron so something must have succeeded.
Thank you very much for your interest, I hope that I can learn something
from it.
Brian Russ

On Tue, 2009-02-03 at 21:40 +0000, Ariel Cabral wrote:
> Your question #59779 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/59779
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> Ariel Cabral requested for more information:
> Please, can you give some more info about your hardware, motherboard,
> CPU, RAM, Video card.
>

Well,
First, open a terminal and execute this command:
 uname -r
The result is the kernel you are using (the working one, i suppose).
To see which version of Ubuntu are you using go to System->About Ubuntu.
You can remove the kernels that not work (the ones that not informed by uname) by editing the file /boot/grub/menu.lst
 sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst
Be extremely careful while editing this file.
Hope this helps, let me know.

Dear jetbundle,
You have spotted something that I didn't spell out in my question. I
bought my computer as a Dell Vostro with Vista installed. I shrank the
Vista partition to install Ubuntu but, by a slight mistake, I installed
Ubuntu twice, each in its own partition. The upgrade was attempted on
only one of them.
The unchanged one is Gnome 2.20.1 and the kernel(from the boot menu) is
2.6.24.14
The one I am now using is Gnome 2.22.3 from the kernel 2.6.24.16 but the
boot menu also contains kernels 2.6.24.23 and 22. I used Startup
Manager to remove the Recovery Mode and Memory Test options from the
boot menu because of the clutter.
As regards your suggestions:
I know I can edit the boot menu from the terminal but I am wary of that
in case something else goes wrong.
The oldest kernel does work though I can't be positive that all of the
system is working. I do not understand about the installation of the
kernels - can one have more than one? - or is the boot menu showing up
bogus options ?
I am certain that the correct partition has been affected. (Yet another
detail - the second, unaffected one has KDE as well as Gnome and no
heron on it.)
I am reluctant to try re-installation of the kernel and Grub at this
point because of the difficulty of backing up all my files (the CD drive
isn't reliable) and because I would prefer to first understand a bit
more about what I'm handling.
How do you remove the superfluous kernels ? What do you think would
happen if, in the future, I try upgrading to 8.10 ?

I'm still very impressed with the whole Ubuntu enterprise and wish to
continue and see it prosper.
Brian

On Wed, 2009-02-04 at 00:16 +0000, jetbundle wrote:
> Your question #59779 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/59779
>
> jetbundle requested for more information:
> Can you try change the boot argument to root=/dev/[your hd root
> partition, i.e. the one that's mounted at "/"] like e.g. root=/dev/sda2
> in lilo/grub?
>
> Does the oldest kernel work properly (with all of the system working)?
> Which kernels are now installed?
>
> It seems like it doesn't find the appropriate partition of your HD. Also you can try to tell it the appropriate boot partition, like e.g. (hd0,0).
> It seems that your problem is worse than that, but you can try.
> To attempt to fix things temporarily, can you try to either re-install the kernel and grub, or to remove the kernels that don't work?
>

Well,
Please, open a terminal and execute this command:
 uname -r
The result is the kernel you are using (the working one, i suppose).
To see which version of Ubuntu are you using go to System->About Ubuntu.
Please, can you paste the result of those commands here?
Hope this helps, let me know

Well, what I thought was that maybe grub doesn't boot in the right partition. In principle, all the options that are in the boot menu should be available (and I personally won't remove options from it). If you want to edit the grub configuration then make sure you backup your /menu/grub/menu.lst file (e.g. to /boot/grub/menu.lst.save) that you can recover it using a live CD. But you don't need to modify that file to play around. A safe way, that shouldn't cause any damage is to go to some option in the boot menu, press "e", I think, and then edit the options. That doesn't change the configuration/menu, but only affects that particular time you boot. If you installed linux twice, then it's not unlikely that it wants to boot to a wrong partition.

Can you tell me your partition table and your /etc/fstab file for both linux systems, i.e. what partitions (with the right labels, like hda1 etc.) you have on your HD, and what's in them/where they are mounted? Your /boot/grub/menu.lst file would also be helpful.

Dear jetbundle,
I attach some info' that might help you. Oddly, I couldn't see a fstab
file for the second Ubuntu partition but as it is the one I ignore I'm
not worried, just puzzled. From the boot menu you see the first two
options for 8.04 that don't work, the third one I'm using now and then
the other 7.10 installation that I haven't tried to update and works OK.
You could say that I can carry on regardless but I'm thinking that I may
want some time to upgrade again and then what might happen ? Also, that
would put in yet another boot menu option so I think pruning them would
be preferable.
One thing I haven't got hold of is the difference between upgrading
Ubuntu and upgrading the kernel. Should one try to keep them in step,
have you any choice , actually ?
Thanks again,
Brian

On Sun, 2009-02-08 at 19:30 +0000, jetbundle wrote:
> Your question #59779 on grub in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub/+question/59779
>
> jetbundle proposed the following answer:
> Well, what I thought was that maybe grub doesn't boot in the right
> partition. In principle, all the options that are in the boot menu
> should be available (and I personally won't remove options from it). If
> you want to edit the grub configuration then make sure you backup your
> /menu/grub/menu.lst file (e.g. to /boot/grub/menu.lst.save) that you can
> recover it using a live CD. But you don't need to modify that file to
> play around. A safe way, that shouldn't cause any damage is to go to
> some option in the boot menu, press "e", I think, and then edit the
> options. That doesn't change the configuration/menu, but only affects
> that particular time you boot. If you installed linux twice, then it's
> not unlikely that it wants to boot to a wrong partition.
>
> Can you tell me your partition table and your /etc/fstab file for both
> linux systems, i.e. what partitions (with the right labels, like hda1
> etc.) you have on your HD, and what's in them/where they are mounted?
> Your /boot/grub/menu.lst file would also be helpful.
>

Dear Ariel,
My boot menu will show you all. The first two options fail. The third is
the one I'm using while the other partition holds the second Ubuntu
installation - it works but I ignore it largely.
I know I could edit the menu to remove the clutter but can I remove the
'dud' kernels ?
Thanks again, Brian

On Sat, 2009-02-07 at 23:49 +0000, Ariel Cabral wrote:
> Your question #59779 on grub in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub/+question/59779
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Ariel Cabral proposed the following answer:
> Well,
> First, open a terminal and execute this command:
> uname -r
> The result is the kernel you are using (the working one, i suppose).
> To see which version of Ubuntu are you using go to System->About Ubuntu.
> You can remove the kernels that not work (the ones that not informed by uname) by editing the file /boot/grub/menu.lst
> sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst
> Be extremely careful while editing this file.
> Hope this helps, let me know.
>

Hi again,
Please, can you open a terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal), execute the following commands and paste the results here:
 lsb_release -a
 uname -r
 lspci
 sudo fdisk -l
you can copy from here and paste on the terminal (one line at a time), and when you asked for a password, give yours (the one you use to log in).
To remove the dud kernel (you must do it manually), from a terminal, you can use the following command:
 gksu /boot/grub/menu.lst
but I didn't recommend you to do this by now until we have the previous info to tell you what to delete.
Hope this helps, let me know.

Dear Ariel,
Here are the answers to your suggestions. All went well: I had already
tried 'gparted' which gives a good display as well.
Thanks, Brian

On Thu, 2009-02-12 at 10:56 +0000, Ariel Cabral wrote:
> Your question #59779 on grub in ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub/+question/59779
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Ariel Cabral proposed the following answer:
> Hi again,
> Please, can you open a terminal (Applications->Accessories->Terminal), execute the following commands and paste the results here:
> lsb_release -a
> uname -r
> lspci
> sudo fdisk -l
> you can copy from here and paste on the terminal (one line at a time), and when you asked for a password, give yours (the one you use to log in).
> To remove the dud kernel (you must do it manually), from a terminal, you can use the following command:
> gksu /boot/grub/menu.lst
> but I didn't recommend you to do this by now until we have the previous info to tell you what to delete.
> Hope this helps, let me know.
>

Hi Brian,
That means that you problem is solved?

Hi Brian,
That means that your problem is solved?