[SOLVED] grub error 15

tomislavski · 2010-02-09 03:18:14

Hello,

I've been using Ubuntu for 2 years and OpenSUSE for a year before that. I want to learn more about linux and have a flexible installation. That's why I chose Archlinux.

It's kicking my ass. Big time.

I've gone through the installation without any problems. I wouldn't call myself a power user, but I'm far from being noob. Somewhere in between I guess.

It seams that although the installer signals are fine and dandy (success, successful...), I can't boot from the hard drive.

I have tried the installation many times, separating /boot from / and leaving / as a single partition holding /boot

I get a message from the installer that grub has successfully installed in both versions of the installation.

I have set

root(hd0,0)

kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sda1 ro vga=773

for when the root holds the boot

and

root(hd0,0)

kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sda2 ro vga=773

when they are separated. I haven't tried the UUID as in the tutorial for the first two attempts (read the warnings about /dev/sd** sometimes being changed).

Grub loading, please wait....
Error 15

How can he not find vmlinuz26, it's right there. I've mounted the /dev/sda1 without a problem using the same installing net cd, and it's right there. /dev/sda1 is the /
with /boot inside and all the files are there.

I'm fascinated by the distro, want to switch to it, but it's beating me up to a pulp. I understand these things and I have followed the instructions. I did learn much more about grub, but I'm really tired now and nothing is working.

What am I missing? please help me....

Last edited by tomislavski (2010-02-10 10:28:13)

sHyLoCk · 2010-02-09 03:34:11

Is your initrd line ok?

http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=122656

Last edited by sHyLoCk (2010-02-09 03:34:40)

siriusb · 2010-02-09 08:59:17

I don't know whether it is relevant or not, but on the first partition I have a (not used ) windows, and I had to correct the automatically generated value, from hd0,0 to hd0,1 to be able to start windows.

noreaga · 2010-02-09 09:19:23

Try this

 
title  Arch Linux
root   (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sda1 ro vga=773
initrd /boot/kernel26.img

Last edited by noreaga (2010-02-09 09:32:48)

grey · 2010-02-09 09:55:14

You can use the grub shell to get to the bottom of the problem - it's quite good, and has file name completion. So at the grub menu hit 'c' (for the shell) and then type

grub > root (hd0,0)
grub > kernel (hd0,0)/boot/vmlin<TAB> root=...
grub > initrd (hd0,0)/boot/kern<TAB>
grub > boot

It might still fail, but not with error 15.

tomislavski · 2010-02-09 09:57:06

thank you all, very very very much. I have checked my initrd line (sorry for not posting that) and I didn't install Windows on the hdd.
@sHyLoCk
Your link was very useful.

My code in the menu.lst was correct for all of my installations, so it seems. The problem was in the installation of the grub. I have used (hd0,0) as the installation target, and now when I tried the options described in the link you gave me, I've installed successfully again on the (hd0,0)

setup (hd0,0)

and

root (hd0,0)

gave no problems (that means that I've targeted /dev/sda1 as I wanted, where the / is together with the /boot).

What I don't understand now is how can it be working after I've installed it on the MBR (hd0) and told it this in menu.lst

root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 ro root=/dev/sda1 vga=773
initrd /boot/kernel26.img

Isn't this saying that the target place for grub is actually /dev/sda1 with kernel located at /dev/sda1/boot/ along with it's image? I don't understand this and I would like to learn....

I'll try to re run the installation with separated /boot and / and install the GRUB again on (hd0), but I'll remove the /boot then from the kernel and initrd line to see what happens...

grey · 2010-02-09 10:30:05

What I don't understand now is how can it be working after I've installed it on the MBR (hd0) and told it this in menu.lst
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 ro root=/dev/sda1 vga=773
initrd /boot/kernel26.img
Isn't this saying that the target place for grub is actually /dev/sda1 with kernel located at /dev/sda1/boot/ along with it's image?

Exactly right. What is it that you don't understand about it?

I'll try to re run the installation with separated /boot and / and install the GRUB again on (hd0), but I'll remove the /boot then from the kernel and initrd line to see what happens...

It should just work - don't forget to use root=/dev/sda2 on the kernel line.

tomislavski · 2010-02-09 11:08:24

grey wrote:

What I don't understand now is how can it be working after I've installed it on the MBR (hd0) and told it this in menu.lst
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 ro root=/dev/sda1 vga=773
initrd /boot/kernel26.img
Isn't this saying that the target place for grub is actually /dev/sda1 with kernel located at /dev/sda1/boot/ along with it's image?
Exactly right. What is it that you don't understand about it?
I'll try to re run the installation with separated /boot and / and install the GRUB again on (hd0), but I'll remove the /boot then from the kernel and initrd line to see what happens...
It should just work - don't forget to use root=/dev/sda2 on the kernel line.

It doesn't work.

1) I have formated the disk so that I have separate /boot and /

2) I didn't get any error messages during the installation.

3) I have successfully installed grub on (hd0) , sda was the option in the interactive installation menu. This is what I don't understand. Why am I installing grub on the MBR/(hd0)/sda and telling it that it's root is (hd0,0)/sda1? Why has this worked in the previous installation when I had / and /boot together on /sda1?

3) in my menu.lst, I have this:

root(hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sda2 vga=773
initrd /kernel26.img

root(hd0,0) = please search for the grub installation on the first partition of the first drive
kernel .. = please load vmlinuz26 kernel file which you will find on the first partition of the first drive and set the root on the second, separate partition /sda2
initrd = please use kernel26.img for the ram disk before mounting everything else from the HDD

I get this message now:

1) it tries to boot over PXE for at least 3-4 minutes: DHCP ................./
2) it FAILS and then I get:

Non-System disk or disk error
replace and strike any key when ready

I have executed this just to be safe from the Archlinux install cd shell:

grub
root (hd0,0)
setup(hd0,0)

And it was a success, of course. Am I missing something? So, I have a successful installation, with grub installed on the separate /boot (sda1 or [hd0,0]) partition, both from the installation interactive menus and from the installation cd root (grub) shell. My files are all in place when i mount /dev/sda1 (boot) in some directory like ~/whyDoesntItWork, and my menu.lst is like defined above, telling grub that it's installed on (hd0,0) and that it should search directly in this directory for the kernel files (which are there, confirmed) and to set the root for the second partition (kernel option root=/dev/sda2). Does Archlinux hate my guts? Maybe that's the answer....

A desperate question: does using x86_64 make any difference here? (I know it doesn't I'm just beaten up... )

Help?

tomislavski · 2010-02-09 11:16:19

Additional info from the grub command line:

root (hd0)
Filesystem type unknown, using whole disk
root (hd0,0)
Filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 083
find /grub/stage1
(hd0,0)

Why is it seeing fs as ext2fs? I have formatted all the partitions (/, /boot, /home) with ext3, and /var with reiserfs V3.

Help?

stryder · 2010-02-09 12:14:28

If you use the automatic partition of a hard disk, sda2 is the swap and sda3 is your root. Maybe you need to fdisk -l to find out what your partitions are? Anyway, where is your swap?

It is hard to figure out what your problem is. It seems that you have installed everything in 1 partition and it booted properly. And you seem to have a problem when you separate certain folders into partitions. Is this right?

When you setup (hd0,0) in grub, you are actually installing grub to the partition. Mbr is (hd0). Question is why are you doing this? If you want to learn grub, read the wiki http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Grub

No, archlinux doesn't know you personally so you shouldn't take failure personally. Personally I think you think too much. No, no difference using x86_64.

grey · 2010-02-09 12:44:37

I think I understand the problem. You need to install grub to the MBR, because that is where the BIOS wants to boot from. It might also work if the MBR only contains the partition table, in which case the machine will boot from the bootable (= active) partition. This is e.g. what the windows boot loader does.

But you don't want to rely on that - so grub needs to go into the MBR. What needs to be written there is the location of the stage_* files in /boot/grub. So at the grub prompt the argument to the root command needs to be your boot partition. Assuming you have the grub files on sda1 (whether that is a separate boot partition or a combined root / boot partition doesn't matter), do:

grub
grub > root (hd0,0)
grub > setup (hd0)
grub > exit

Last edited by grey (2010-02-09 12:46:26)

tomislavski · 2010-02-09 13:24:08

stryder wrote:

If you use the automatic partition of a hard disk, sda2 is the swap and sda3 is your root. Maybe you need to fdisk -l to find out what your partitions are? Anyway, where is your swap?
It is hard to figure out what your problem is. It seems that you have installed everything in 1 partition and it booted properly. And you seem to have a problem when you separate certain folders into partitions. Is this right?
When you setup (hd0,0) in grub, you are actually installing grub to the partition. Mbr is (hd0). Question is why are you doing this? If you want to learn grub, read the wiki http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Grub
No, archlinux doesn't know you personally so you shouldn't take failure personally. Personally I think you think too much. No, no difference using x86_64.

O.K. then.

No, I didn't install everything on one partition. When the installation worked, I've installed / and /boot on the same partition (hd0,0) or /dev/sda1. I know exactly how my partitioning is defined, because I wrote it all down on a piece of paper when I was in cfdisk.

/dev/sda1 linux 500MB /boot ext3
/dev/sda2 linux 15000 MB / ext3
/dev/sda3 linux 1500 MB /var reiserfs
/dev/sda5 linux-swap 5000 MB swap space
/dev/sda6 linux what ever is left MB /home ext3 (around 300 GB)

I'm not doing this to learn about grub. I'm doing this in order to install archlinux. I need separate /home partition. The only difference between the working installation and the non working one is that in the working installation / and /boot were /dev/sda1 and I have installed grub on the MBR.

Should the menu.lst I get when I use the system installation CD be OK if it's left unchanged? Does the UUID in this menu.lst represent the the actual partition of the linux / directory or is the installation given menu.lst just an example? I'm asking because none of the options worked for me.

Should I just go with /boot and / being on the /sda1 as in the beginners guide? Is it better to have /boot in a separate partition? Am I saying anything wrong in my post regarding the setup? Thank you very much stryder, and everyone else, for your help.

I just wanted to have a great distro that's modular and learn along the way... but it seems that I'm not skilled enough for this...

I know I shouldn't take it personally.... and that Archlinux doesn't have a personality that actually hates me, I guess.

tomislavski · 2010-02-09 13:27:11

grey wrote:

I think I understand the problem. You need to install grub to the MBR, because that is where the BIOS wants to boot from. It might also work if the MBR only contains the partition table, in which case the machine will boot from the bootable (= active) partition. This is e.g. what the windows boot loader does.
But you don't want to rely on that - so grub needs to go into the MBR. What needs to be written there is the location of the stage_* files in /boot/grub. So at the grub prompt the argument to the root command needs to be your boot partition. Assuming you have the grub files on sda1 (whether that is a separate boot partition or a combined root / boot partition doesn't matter), do:
grub
grub > root (hd0,0)
grub > setup (hd0)
grub > exit

Thank you very much grey. I thought of that and tried setup (hd0) because it worked for the / and /boot installed in the sda1. I got an error, something about a wrong device.... Although, I'm not sure if I've used the root (hd0,0) to set it do look for grub in /dev/sda1. I'm running HDD test from BIOS now and I'll try your suggestion as soon as it's finished. Thank you very very much!

stryder · 2010-02-09 14:21:10

So, I assume that you have 1 hard disk, and have installed arch. But for some reason, you cannot boot.

1. Does the grub boot screen come up? If it does, press c to go to the grub shell as grey earlier suggested (4:55).

grub > find /grub/stage1

Grub should tell you where your root is. Note it.

grub > root (hd0,0)
grub > kernel (hd0,0)/vmlin<TAB> root=/dev/sda2 ro
grub > initrd (hd0,0)/kern<TAB>
grub > boot

assuming that grub told you that stage1 is in (hd0,0) and you have installed arch to /dev/sda2. You use <TAB> (this means press tab key) to get grub to fill in the blanks for you and (therefore) confirm that grub can find the kernel where you say it is.
If boot still fails, note down what the error is. If it succeeds, then you know how to fill in your menu.lst. If you get a kernel panic, try using the fallback img.

2. If the grub boot screen does not come up, then use the arch cd and at the grub boot screen do likewise. If you get into your arch install, install grub to mbr as explained in the wiki.

(and BTW, even if it is ext3, grub will report it as ext2fs)

tomislavski · 2010-02-10 00:37:05

Thank you all very much, everything works now.

I've installed GRUB successfully to the MBR and I've left the configuration as it was because I've tested it in the Archlinux installation cd grub command line: GRUB was able to find everything. It seems that on my laptop GRUB needs to be installed to the MBR.

Why is that? I'm using HP Compaq 615 http://www.notebooksbilliger.de/hp+615+ … anti+glare

Could it be because FreeDOS was pre-installed on the Laptop and it had some bootloader installed on the MBR and that's the place where BIOS looks first?

Thank you all very very much for your help. Now I can get some sleep.

Google · 2010-05-31 15:57:46

grey wrote:

I think I understand the problem. You need to install grub to the MBR, because that is where the BIOS wants to boot from. It might also work if the MBR only contains the partition table, in which case the machine will boot from the bootable (= active) partition. This is e.g. what the windows boot loader does.
But you don't want to rely on that - so grub needs to go into the MBR. What needs to be written there is the location of the stage_* files in /boot/grub. So at the grub prompt the argument to the root command needs to be your boot partition. Assuming you have the grub files on sda1 (whether that is a separate boot partition or a combined root / boot partition doesn't matter), do:
grub
grub > root (hd0,0)
grub > setup (hd0)
grub > exit

I love you. I installed grub in the wrong location and those 3 simple lines fixed it.

Arch Linux

#1 2010-02-09 03:18:14

[SOLVED] grub error 15

#2 2010-02-09 03:34:11

Re: [SOLVED] grub error 15

#3 2010-02-09 08:59:17

Re: [SOLVED] grub error 15

#4 2010-02-09 09:19:23

Re: [SOLVED] grub error 15

#5 2010-02-09 09:55:14

Re: [SOLVED] grub error 15

#6 2010-02-09 09:57:06

Re: [SOLVED] grub error 15

#7 2010-02-09 10:30:05

Re: [SOLVED] grub error 15

#8 2010-02-09 11:08:24

Re: [SOLVED] grub error 15

#9 2010-02-09 11:16:19

Re: [SOLVED] grub error 15

#10 2010-02-09 12:14:28

Re: [SOLVED] grub error 15

#11 2010-02-09 12:44:37

Re: [SOLVED] grub error 15

#12 2010-02-09 13:24:08

Re: [SOLVED] grub error 15

#13 2010-02-09 13:27:11

Re: [SOLVED] grub error 15

#14 2010-02-09 14:21:10

Re: [SOLVED] grub error 15

#15 2010-02-10 00:37:05

Re: [SOLVED] grub error 15

#16 2010-05-31 15:57:46

Re: [SOLVED] grub error 15

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