my computer will not boot after installing ubuntu and wiping windows

the computer it is on has a 80g boot hdd and a AMD64 processor if that helps

Did you md5sum check to CD? If all is well place Cd in tray and restart machine, follow prompts.

   David
   in TN

yes I followed the install prompts and I told it to use the entire disk. So I am assuming that it would delete windows because it was the only other thing on that HDD. After the install process all worked well and it told me that I could continue to explore or I could reboot now but nothing would be saved or changed until I rebooted. So I rebooted. The computer went through all its check screens it then said verifying DMI pool and then it checked the cd drives for boot up because they are set for first check on boot up, but then it passes that and sets on an empty line.

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo su -
root@ubuntu:~#
root@ubuntu:~# /sbin/grub -install --recheck --no-floppy /dev/sda
-su: /sbin/grub: No such file or directory

Hi

When you get to the grub menu on your current install it might offer you a list of choices for booting into Ubuntu. Try the 2nd option "recovery mode" which should take you to a menu, scroll down that to find something like "Safe graphics" or "fix x-server", something like that. Hopefully you should then be able to boot into ubuntu like that. Then we 'just' need to install the drivers for your graphics card.

I hate to say it but when you got to the command-line
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$
you were actually in ubuntu. The server edition runs entirely from the command-line only so if you have installed normal desktop edition (or netbook) then all you need to do is start the "x session" so try the command

start x

hopefully without even putting sudo in front. However, either you are using the Server Edition (in which case there is no desktop gui) or else the drivers for your graphics card are not working so "start x" might not work, unless you get lucky = it is worth a try tho!

Do you know which graphics card you have? Is it NVidia or Ati? If it is Ati then try installing fglrx (or something). I really don't know the NVidia one(s), perhaps nouveau or something. You might be able (in safe graphics mode) to go up to the top taskbar and click on

System - Administration - "Hardware Drivers"

and let the system work out which drivers for you.

However i would google and find some good blogs or threads about your graphics card if you can because graphics cards can be a tricky area and i don't know much about the different ones. Please post urls in here to let us see which thread/blogs you are thinking of following if you want us to quickly check they look about right.

Alternatively ...

Are you using the 64bit edition of desktop ubuntu on a desktop machine? Please try the 32bit LiveCd
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCD

You have already tried a LiveCd session when you were installing, you were "exploring" the LiveCd. Often the 64bit edition doesn't work quite so well as the 32bit and i have the 32bit version on my 64bit machine.

If you have a laptop or "all in one" type machine rather than a normal desktop with separate monitor then it might be worth trying the "Netbook Edition" or "Netbook Remix" as they have special drivers for the type of hardware found in anything from hand-helds right up to full-sized laptops.

Good luck and regards from
Tom :)