[Resolved] Stuck on "Grub Loading" Screen.

indiv0 · 2012-12-19 20:21:43

Hello everyone!

I have been attempting to set up a dual boot Windows 8/Arch Linux system.

I have installed Windows 8 and Arch Linux, and I have correctly set up and configured Grub.

I have been having a very puzzling problem however, which stems from my BIOS settings.

Whenever I set my boot sequence to "Hard Disk, CDROM" and attempt to boot, my system hangs on the "Grub Loading" screen indefinitely.

However, when I set the boot sequence to "CDROM, Hard Disk", the system goes to the "Loading Operating System ..." screen, scans the CDROM for bootable partitions, fails to find them (Presumably. No actual error message it outputted), then successfully loads Grub.

I have searched the web and the wiki for an answer, but because all of my queries are interpreted as changing the boot order of the OSes listed in Grub, I have been unable to find an answer.

While this is not a critical problem, I wish to have it configured as "Hard Disk, CDROM" because otherwise it adds about 10-15 seconds to the boot time as it has to scan the CDROM before proceeding.

Can anyone help me with this problem?

ADDITIONAL INFO:
I am using AHCI, with three hard drives. Both operating systems are installed to the first one (an SSD), with:
/dev/sda1 - SYSTEM_RESERVED
/dev/sda2 - Windows 8
/dev/sda3 - /boot
/dev/sda4 - Extended partition (following partitions belong to /dev/sda4)
/dev/sda5 - /
/dev/sda6 - /var
/dev/sda7 - /home

The other two hard drives simply store data.

Last edited by indiv0 (2013-12-02 06:44:21)

cfr · 2012-12-19 23:36:52

Rather than telling people you've installed and configured grub correctly, you should give the commands you issued to install it and detail your grub config. (e.g. post grub.cfg if appropriate.)

I'm assuming you are booting in BIOS legacy mode and using grub-bios. Is that correct?

Output from fdisk -l /dev/sda would be useful, too.

indiv0 · 2012-12-20 07:14:33

Commands I used:

pacman -S grub-bios
grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
modprobe dm-mod
grub-install --target=i386-pc --recheck --debug /dev/sda
mkdir -p /boot/grub/locale
cp /usr/share/locale/en\@quot/LC_MESSAGES/grub.mo /boot/grub/locale/en.mo

Yes, I am booting in legacy BIOS mode using grub-bios.

fdisk output:

Disk /dev/sda: 256.1 GB, 256060514304 bytes, 500118192 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xb61a40eb

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1            2048      718847      358400    7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2          718848   163842047    81561600    7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda3   *   163842048   164366335      262144   83  Linux
/dev/sda4       164366336   500117503   167875584    5  Extended
/dev/sda5       164368384   205328383    20480000   83  Linux
/dev/sda6       205330432   246290431    20480000   83  Linux
/dev/sda7       246292480   500117503   126912512   83  Linux

grub.cfg

#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
insmod part_gpt
insmod part_msdos
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
  load_env
fi
set default="0"

if [ x"${feature_menuentry_id}" = xy ]; then
  menuentry_id_option="--id"
else
  menuentry_id_option=""
fi

export menuentry_id_option

if [ "${prev_saved_entry}" ]; then
  set saved_entry="${prev_saved_entry}"
  save_env saved_entry
  set prev_saved_entry=
  save_env prev_saved_entry
  set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
  if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then
    saved_entry="${chosen}"
    save_env saved_entry
  fi
}

function load_video {
  if [ x$feature_all_video_module = xy ]; then
    insmod all_video
  else
    insmod efi_gop
    insmod efi_uga
    insmod ieee1275_fb
    insmod vbe
    insmod vga
    insmod video_bochs
    insmod video_cirrus
  fi
}

if [ x$feature_default_font_path = xy ] ; then
   font=unicode
else
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='hd0,msdos5'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos5 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos5 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos5  3ec2db7b-ff67-4aa1-8202-daf71513beea
else
  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 3ec2db7b-ff67-4aa1-8202-daf71513beea
fi
    font="/usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2"
fi

if loadfont $font ; then
  set gfxmode=auto
  load_video
  insmod gfxterm
  set locale_dir=$prefix/locale
  set lang=en_US
  insmod gettext
fi
terminal_input console
terminal_output gfxterm
set timeout=5
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'Arch GNU/Linux, with Linux core repo kernel' --class arch --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-core repo kernel-true-3ec2db7b-ff67-4aa1-8202-daf71513beea' {
	load_video
	set gfxpayload=keep
	insmod gzio
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ext2
	set root='hd0,msdos3'
	if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos3 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos3 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos3  e1698dc0-becc-4ed7-a446-2bd79b337946
	else
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root e1698dc0-becc-4ed7-a446-2bd79b337946
	fi
	echo	'Loading Linux core repo kernel ...'
	linux	/vmlinuz-linux root=UUID=3ec2db7b-ff67-4aa1-8202-daf71513beea ro  quiet
	echo	'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
	initrd	/initramfs-linux.img
}
menuentry 'Arch GNU/Linux, with Linux core repo kernel (Fallback initramfs)' --class arch --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-core repo kernel-fallback-3ec2db7b-ff67-4aa1-8202-daf71513beea' {
	load_video
	set gfxpayload=keep
	insmod gzio
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ext2
	set root='hd0,msdos3'
	if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos3 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos3 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos3  e1698dc0-becc-4ed7-a446-2bd79b337946
	else
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root e1698dc0-becc-4ed7-a446-2bd79b337946
	fi
	echo	'Loading Linux core repo kernel ...'
	linux	/vmlinuz-linux root=UUID=3ec2db7b-ff67-4aa1-8202-daf71513beea ro  quiet
	echo	'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
	initrd	/initramfs-linux-fallback.img
}

### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###
### END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
menuentry 'Windows 8 (loader) (on /dev/sda1)' --class windows --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-chain-88A85381A8536D26' {
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ntfs
	set root='hd0,msdos1'
	if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos1 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos1 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos1  88A85381A8536D26
	else
	  search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 88A85381A8536D26
	fi
	drivemap -s (hd0) ${root}
	chainloader +1
}
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
if [ -f  ${config_directory}/custom.cfg ]; then
  source ${config_directory}/custom.cfg
elif [ -z "${config_directory}" -a -f  $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then
  source $prefix/custom.cfg;
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###

Sorry for not including grub-related information. I just thought that it wouldn't be needed considering grub works fine (sees Arch and Windows 8) when the bios boot order is correct, and within VirtualBox (Win 8 host, Arch guest) it also works fine.

cfr · 2012-12-20 22:06:34

You are probably right and it is probably irrelevant in this case. Just it is the kind of thing which people will want to see if you are having issues booting - even issues which seem unrelated.

I frankly have no idea but I'm sure somebody else will.

Not sure you would want to do this but what happens if you disable the cd rom in the boot order altogether?

Are any updates available for your BIOS?

indiv0 · 2013-12-02 06:43:32

Sorry to necrobump, but if anyone is curious, I did not manage to resolve this issue.

It began working after I reinstalled grub and arch.

Since then I have stopped dual-booting and stuck with just Arch.

jasonwryan · 2013-12-02 06:46:32

Please don't do that. The thread is dead; leave it so. Your post adds nothing to it.

Closing.

Arch Linux

#1 2012-12-19 20:21:43

[Resolved] Stuck on "Grub Loading" Screen.

#2 2012-12-19 23:36:52

Re: [Resolved] Stuck on "Grub Loading" Screen.

#3 2012-12-20 07:14:33

Re: [Resolved] Stuck on "Grub Loading" Screen.

#4 2012-12-20 22:06:34

Re: [Resolved] Stuck on "Grub Loading" Screen.

#5 2013-12-02 06:43:32

Re: [Resolved] Stuck on "Grub Loading" Screen.

#6 2013-12-02 06:46:32

Re: [Resolved] Stuck on "Grub Loading" Screen.

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