After latest kernel update Grub freaks out

vendion · 2011-01-10 05:44:26

Out of three machine that I have Arch running on, all have grabbed the latest kernel update, only only of them is unable to boot. Grub does not like something that it is finding here is the error that I get:

Booting 'Arch Linux'

root (hd0,5)
Filesystem type is jfs, partition type 0x83
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/disk/by-uuid/c248a2d9-7fd9-48a4-ad-49-551246f36bee resume=/dev/sda5 ro vga=773

Error 2: Bad file or directory type

Press any key to continue...

I already loaded I live cd to make sure that the uuid of the partition did not change and it has not, also the vmlinuz26 and kernel image are in the /boot directory. Is this a one off problem or are other people seeing this issue, wanting to make sure this is not some kind of bug that need reported. I am going to try just using /dev/sda6 instead of the UUID just to make sure that is not the problem (one of the working machines is setup using this method, the other is going through /dev/mapper because it uses LVM)

Daniel_F · 2011-01-10 10:21:27

I believe that error means it can't find vmlinuz26.

Are the other machines also using jfs ??

vendion · 2011-01-10 13:57:57

No this is the only machine that uses JFS on /boot, the other machines have a separate /boot partition that is ext2. While would the kernel update affect what filesystems Grub can read from.

Last edited by vendion (2011-01-10 14:10:56)

Daniel_F · 2011-01-10 18:36:59

I'm just pointing out differences...

is your vmlinuz26 a real file or a link ??

vendion · 2011-01-10 20:43:10

It seams to me that it is a real file here is the output of ls -l

-rw-r--r--    1 root    2209920 Jan 8 13:19 vmlinuz26

The size of the file looks valid to me

Daniel_F · 2011-01-10 21:38:03

I'm out of ideas here...

vendion · 2011-01-10 21:45:18

Yea same here kind of why I posted here

I really would not want to do a reinstall on the system... would it be possible to create a small 100MB or so partition use that for /boot and reinstall grub just to elimite the possibility that it is JFS that is causing this error?

Last edited by vendion (2011-01-10 21:48:04)

.:B:. · 2011-01-10 21:51:29

What does the output of 'file' return on both your kernel image and initrd? Did you try to reinstall the kernel and/or regenerate the initrd?

vendion · 2011-01-10 22:24:55

For the kernel file returns:

kernel26.img: gzip compressed data, from Unix, last modified: Mon Jan 10 04:49:59 2011, max compression

as for the vmlinuz26 (is this the file you are talking about?)

vmlinuz26: Linux kernel x86 boot executable bzImage, version 2.6.36-ARCH (tobias@T-POWA-LX) , RO-rootFS, root_dev 0x902, swap_dev 0x2, Normal VGA

I have not tried to reinstall the kernel or regenerate the initrd, what would be the best way to do this from the Arch live cd?

vendion · 2011-01-12 13:37:12

I have tried rebuilding the the kernel image and even tried reinstalling grub with no luck. After not having a usable system for several days I ended up just having to reinstall and maybe found out more about the problem. Using the net install image and a 64 bit install this time making a EXT2 boot and a root partition of JFS right after install I get a panic during boot about how the system can't find a valid filesystem on what would be root partition. Even when passing the "rootfstype=jfs" to the kernel line in grub it still errors out telling me that it is "Bailing out, your on your own. Good luck!" (pretty funny error messages if you are not ripping your hair out). After that I redid the install this time making a EXT4 root partition and everything is working.

It seems to me that this all points to a problem with JFS on 64 bit systems, my other systems are all 32 bit and usign JFS root just fine... can anyone else confirm this?

Last edited by vendion (2011-01-12 13:39:56)

patroclo7 · 2011-01-12 13:59:57

Not really able to help, but in a similar case a reinstall seems to me a bit drastic. You could have just tried the good old lilo bootloader (or even grub2 in case of desperation...)

scarecrow · 2011-01-12 14:00:56

Maybe there is some relevance to that bug?
https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/20638
Can't tell, not using JFS myself.

eothred · 2011-01-12 14:50:42

Hmm, I *think* I have a related issue. I recently restarted my computer (macbook pro with dualboot using refit), and when I try to boot into the Arch Linux partition I just see GRUB with capital letters and it doesn't move from there. How can I get any useful error logs out?

I did download the latest packages, but I didn't install it since I saw that there would be an update of the kernel (only pacman -Syuw in other words).

Arch Linux

#1 2011-01-10 05:44:26

After latest kernel update Grub freaks out

#2 2011-01-10 10:21:27

Re: After latest kernel update Grub freaks out

#3 2011-01-10 13:57:57

Re: After latest kernel update Grub freaks out

#4 2011-01-10 18:36:59

Re: After latest kernel update Grub freaks out

#5 2011-01-10 20:43:10

Re: After latest kernel update Grub freaks out

#6 2011-01-10 21:38:03

Re: After latest kernel update Grub freaks out

#7 2011-01-10 21:45:18

Re: After latest kernel update Grub freaks out

#8 2011-01-10 21:51:29

Re: After latest kernel update Grub freaks out

#9 2011-01-10 22:24:55

Re: After latest kernel update Grub freaks out

#10 2011-01-12 13:37:12

Re: After latest kernel update Grub freaks out

#11 2011-01-12 13:59:57

Re: After latest kernel update Grub freaks out

#12 2011-01-12 14:00:56

Re: After latest kernel update Grub freaks out

#13 2011-01-12 14:50:42

Re: After latest kernel update Grub freaks out

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