Ubuntu
grub2 package

[Grub legacy/2 issue] Grub boot menu does not show me the most recent kernel updates

Asked by Edgard

I am running Ubuntu Lucid on my (Medion) Notebook. At start up, the highest kernel version number displayed on the grub boot menu is 2.6.31-17 although since the installation of this kernel, there have been several updates, including today's update - version 2.6.32-25. I don't know whether there may be a good reason for this (I continue working with the "old" kernel without any problems). However I would like to solve the problem, as I plan to complete all updates before upgrading to Maverick. Note that I tried solving the problem by running:

% sudo update-grub

The output is promising...:

Searching for GRUB installation directory ... found: /boot/grub
Searching for default file ... found: /boot/grub/default
Testing for an existing GRUB menu.lst file ... found: /boot/grub/menu.lst
Searching for splash image ... none found, skipping ...
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-25-generic
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-24-generic
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-23-generic
Found kernel: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-17-generic
Found GRUB 2: /boot/grub/core.img
Found kernel: /boot/memtest86+.bin
Updating /boot/grub/menu.lst ... done

... but when I reboot, the problem turn out to persist.

Not exactly knowing whether it has something to do with my problem, I also tried to solve the problem by editing
file /boot/grub/menu.lst and replacing the entry "# howmany=all" by "howmany=all". This had no effect at all.
Note also that this file mentions the most recent kernels:

...

title Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS, kernel 2.6.32-25-generic
uuid 6b2fe719-e58d-4743-be15-0f446e633d0a
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-25-generic root=UUID=6b2fe719-e58d-4743-be15-0f446e633d0a ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-25-generic

title Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS, kernel 2.6.32-25-generic (recovery mode)
uuid 6b2fe719-e58d-4743-be15-0f446e633d0a
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-25-generic root=UUID=6b2fe719-e58d-4743-be15-0f446e633d0a ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-25-generic

title Ubuntu 10.04.1 LTS, kernel 2.6.32-24-generic
uuid 6b2fe719-e58d-4743-be15-0f446e633d0a
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-24-generic root=UUID=6b2fe719-e58d-4743-be15-0f446e633d0a ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.32-24-generic

... etc......

I finally also tried to "sudo startupmanager", but it keeps revealing the same problem. The startupmanager itself first launches update-grub with the output described above (so, it "sees" the recent kernels). However, the next GUI that pops up to allow - among other options - to select the default kernel, only shows a menu containing:
- 3.6.31-17 - generic (2 entries: without and with recovery mode)
- 3.6.31-14 - generic (2 entries: without and with recovery mode)
- memory test (memtest86+) (2 entries: without and with serial console 115200)
- Window 7 and Windows Vista

I also consulted a few log files of the system, but I don't know exactly where to look and didn't notice something suspect, there.

Could someone help me out there, please?

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Ubuntu grub2 Edit question
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François Tissandier
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Revision history for this message
François Tissandier (baloo) said : 		#1

Mmmm. Did you install Grub 2?
What do you see as Grub version at the top of your grub menu ?
Maybe you are editing the Grub1 menu when Grub2 is actually used at boot but not updated?

Another idea: do you have 2 Ubuntus installed on the hard drive? On two different partitions I mean, like Kubuntu / Ubuntu?

Revision history for this message
Edgard (ehnyssen) said : 		#2

Thanks for your reply. The answer to your last question is: no - I only have one Ubuntu (Lucid Lynx) on my system in dual boot with Windows 7 and Windows Vista.

However, the idea of a confusion between two Grubs on my system is interesting. I rebooted my system and at the the top of the Grub menu window is a title "GNU GRUB version 1.97~beta4". I also launched synaptic to see what Grub(-related) packages are installed: it appears that grub2 is NOT marked as installed while grub and grub-common ("common files shared by the different flavors of Grub") are. (Grub seems to be considered as a "legacy" package by synaptic). Do I understand well that maybe all updating operations have grub2 as target while the actual grub program that effectively boots my system searches it's info in files that are not affected by these updates?

Unfortunately, I have to leave my work unfinished this evening, but tomorrow I will take the necessary steps (backups, uninstalling grub, installing grub2...) to fix the problem (or at least try to). For the moment, I keep this discussion open. Already thank you for the effort to help me.

Revision history for this message
Best François Tissandier (baloo) said : 		#3

Maybe you can install grub2 and make sure it's used.

-Install grub-pc if not yet installed...
-Then it's supposed to add an entry in your grub1 menu to open the grub2 menu and test it;.. But if you are already using grub2 at boot, but keep using grub1 during kernel upgrades, maybe this step will be useless.
-try the "sudo upgrade-from-grub-legacy", that's the command to switch completely from grub1 to grub2.

Of course, make sure you have backups or a LiveCD to be able to fix any problem before listening to my advices :)

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delance (olivier-delance) said : 		#4

For me, you have in MBR Grub2 installed. But you update menu.lst of Grub Legacy, adn not grub.cfg of Grub2.
I think the simplest is to switch to Grub2, by installing package, as it's already in MBR.

Revision history for this message
Edgard (ehnyssen) said : 		#5

Thanks François Tissandier, that solved my question.

Revision history for this message
Edgard (ehnyssen) said : 		#6

Thank you very much gentlemen.

In synaptic, I marked grub2 and grub-pc for installation (which spontaneously marks "legacy" grub for uninstallation) and applied the changes. Rebooting reveals now a menu mentioning GNU GRUB version 1.98-1ubuntu7 as title and - as I hoped - shows the actual list of kernels installed on my system - starting with kernel version 2.6.32-25-generic.

I am very satisfied and consider my problem solved. Thanks again for your precious help.

Revision history for this message
François Tissandier (baloo) said : 		#7

Great ! Welcome Edgard !