'Error 15,file not found' after update Open Suse 11.3 on a dual-boot PC with Ubuntu 9.10

English Install/Boot/Login
1

Hello. Recently I’ve installed Open Suse 11.3 along with Ubuntu 9.10 on my PC ( made it a dual-boot OS ). This morning while logged in, in Open Suse 11.3, found out that there were important update for kernel in Yast. So, did the update and then required to restart the PC. In the Grub/boot menu, I chose to log-in to Open Suse 11.3, but after a while it returned with " Error 15, file not found ". Luckily I was able to log-in in Ubuntu 9.10. Assumed that Error 15 is always related to misplaced or wrong configuration of Grub in the partition, I did several searching via Google, and found this possible solution HowTo Boot into openSUSE when it won’t Boot from the Grub Code on the Hard Drive . So I tried the " Broken Grub menu: boot to the menu, drop to a console and boot openSUSE direct " method. But rightly after the " find /boot/grub/menu.lst " command as instructed in the solution, it returned with ( hd0,0 ) and ( hd0,4 ). Why there are 2 bootloader in the Grub ? Which bootloader should I choose ? And for convenience, here is my " menu.lst " folder that I get via Terminal in Ubuntu 9.10 :

$ cat /boot/grub/menu.lst

menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)

grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),

grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub

and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

default num

Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and

the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.

You can specify ‘saved’ instead of a number. In this case, the default entry

is the entry saved with the command ‘savedefault’.

WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not use ‘savedefault’ or your

array will desync and will not let you boot your system.

default 0

timeout sec

Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry

(normally the first entry defined).

timeout 10

hiddenmenu

Hides the menu by default (press ESC to see the menu)

#hiddenmenu

Pretty colours

#color cyan/blue white/blue

password ‘–md5’] passwd

If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing

control (menu entry editor and command-line) and entries protected by the

command ‘lock’

e.g. password topsecret

password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/

password topsecret

examples

title Windows 95/98/NT/2000

root (hd0,0)

makeactive

chainloader +1

title Linux

root (hd0,1)

kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro

Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified

by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## Start Default Options

default kernel options

default kernel options for automagic boot options

If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z

where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.

e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro

kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro

kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro

kopt=root=UUID=fa7f54f8-4cb7-4d31-9836-72d8ccbdc6b4 ro

default grub root device

e.g. groot=(hd0,0)

groot=fa7f54f8-4cb7-4d31-9836-72d8ccbdc6b4

should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options

e.g. alternative=true

alternative=false

alternative=true

should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options

e.g. lockalternative=true

lockalternative=false

lockalternative=false

additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the

alternatives

e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5

defoptions=quiet splash

should update-grub lock old automagic boot options

e.g. lockold=false

lockold=true

lockold=false

Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option

xenhopt=

Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option

xenkopt=console=tty0

altoption boot targets option

multiple altoptions lines are allowed

e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options

altoptions=(recovery) single

altoptions=(recovery mode) single

controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst

only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the

alternative kernel options

e.g. howmany=all

howmany=7

howmany=all

specify if running in Xen domU or have grub detect automatically

update-grub will ignore non-xen kernels when running in domU and vice versa

e.g. indomU=detect

indomU=true

indomU=false

indomU=detect

should update-grub create memtest86 boot option

e.g. memtest86=true

memtest86=false

memtest86=true

should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system

can be true or false

updatedefaultentry=false

should update-grub add savedefault to the default options

can be true or false

savedefault=false

## End Default Options

title Ubuntu 9.10, kernel 2.6.31-22-generic
uuid fa7f54f8-4cb7-4d31-9836-72d8ccbdc6b4
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-22-generic root=UUID=fa7f54f8-4cb7-4d31-9836-72d8ccbdc6b4 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-22-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 9.10, kernel 2.6.31-22-generic (recovery mode)
uuid fa7f54f8-4cb7-4d31-9836-72d8ccbdc6b4
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-22-generic root=UUID=fa7f54f8-4cb7-4d31-9836-72d8ccbdc6b4 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-22-generic

title Ubuntu 9.10, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic
uuid fa7f54f8-4cb7-4d31-9836-72d8ccbdc6b4
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=fa7f54f8-4cb7-4d31-9836-72d8ccbdc6b4 ro quiet splash
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic
quiet

title Ubuntu 9.10, kernel 2.6.28-11-generic (recovery mode)
uuid fa7f54f8-4cb7-4d31-9836-72d8ccbdc6b4
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-11-generic root=UUID=fa7f54f8-4cb7-4d31-9836-72d8ccbdc6b4 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-11-generic

title Ubuntu 9.10, memtest86+
uuid fa7f54f8-4cb7-4d31-9836-72d8ccbdc6b4
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet

END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian

ones.

title Other operating systems:
root

This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing

linux installation on /dev/sda4.

title openSUSE 11.3 - 2.6.34.7-0.3 (on /dev/sda4)
root (hd0,3)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.34.7-0.3-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-SAMSUNG_HD502HJ_S20BJ90Z842118-part4 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-SAMSUNG_HD502HJ_S20BJ90Z842118-part3 splash=silent quiet showopts vga=0x317
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.34.7-0.3-default
savedefault
boot

This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing

linux installation on /dev/sda4.

title Failsafe – openSUSE 11.3 - 2.6.34.7-0.3 (on /dev/sda4)
root (hd0,3)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.34.7-0.3-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-SAMSUNG_HD502HJ_S20BJ90Z842118-part4 showopts apm=off noresume nosmp maxcpus=0 edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processor.max_cstate=1 nomodeset x11failsafe vga=0x317
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.34.7-0.3-default
savedefault
boot

Hope, someone willing to help me out. Thanks in advance for any response.

2

Hello sam1430 and welcome to the openSUSE forums. If you can edit your menu.lst file as root in Ubuntu, I would remove the last two lines for the two openSUSE entries that say:

savedefault
boot

You don’t need them and the error message may be due to not finding the default text file to save the fact that you loaded one of the openSUSE OS startups. The error 15 is saying it did not find the text file /boot/grub/default. It is 10 bytes long and when you look inside it may only say 0 for instance. You can create the file with the terminal grub command ‘grub-set-default 0’ or just create a text file that says 0 on the first line and press enter six times until the file is 10 bytes long and save it.

Next, you get two entries to start openSUSE, the first is the normal startup and the second is the failsafe mode entry. If the first does not work, then try the second.

Thank You,

3

Next, you get two entries to start openSUSE, the first is the normal startup and the second is the failsafe mode entry. If the first does not work, then try the second.

Thank You,

4

If you are actually using ubuntu’s grub, every time a kernel update takes place in SUSE you need to run this in Ubuntu

sudo update-grub
5

Thanks. I’ve ran sudo update-grub, but with no promising result. Still stuck in ’ Error 15 '. For a clearer picture to whom stumble upon this thread, here I paste the ’ fdisk -l ’ output :

sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0006de2d

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 2490 19998720 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 2490 31335 231693312+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda3 31335 31957 5000192 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda4 * 31957 60802 231692288 83 Linux
/dev/sda5 2490 16913 115846144 83 Linux
/dev/sda6 16913 31335 115846144 83 Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x35daaafc

Hope someone could help me out on this. Thank you.

6

Sorry I just notice you have an old version of Ubuntu - forget update-grub it’s for use with newer Ub* versions

Is that fdisk -l complete because is shows sdb to have no partitions
What is on each disk

7

Sorry caf4926, I should asked you earlier. I’ve read your thread on solving Grub problems using Parted Magic. Should I consider it as an option to solve this problem ?

8

It’s worth a try
Get the Parted Magic for the dropbox link in that post

But you didn’t answer about the fdisk info ??

9

Sorry caf4926. I forget to mention earlier, sdb is my external HDD. It’s only for my TV series, anime and etc downloaded via torrents storage purposes.

10

Another issue is the boot-loader that appeared in two different partition ( hd0,0 ) and ( hd0,3 ). I realized it, whilst I ran ’ find /boot/grub/menu.lst ’ command in Grub shell, according to the method that I found in swerdna.org. But, if I proceed with the command ’ root ( hd0,0) ’ or ’ root ( hd0,3 ) as stated in the method, there will be no output return, instead of ’ file system type is ext2fs, partition type 0x83 ’ that should be the output of the command ( according to swerdna.org ) . So, which partition should I re-install the boot-loader ? Thank you.

11

According to the menu you posted, suse is on hd0,3
Please make sure the boot flag is on sda2 NOT sda4 as in your earlier post

so for you it should go:

You type: grub
Terminal: grub>

You type: find /boot/grub/menu.lst
Terminal: (hd0,0) (hd0,3)

You type: root (hd0,3)
Terminal: Filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 0x83

You type: setup (hd0)
Terminal: Checking if /boot/grub/stage1 exists … yes Computer finally returns this-- Succeeded…Done

You type: quit

12

So sorry caf4926, for this late reply. Actually I couldn’t accessed the Internet yesterday. The phone line have been struck by the lightning, but luckily the phone company acted quickly to re-establish the connection. Only just right now that I got my connection. However, thanks to keep answering my post. Will do as your instruction now and I’ll get back to you as soon I get the result. Really appreciate your effort. Thank you.

13

Hello. I’ve tried the solution by caf4926, and nothing changed. Still at this ’ Error 15 ’ situation. Worst, in Ubuntu 9.10, I get this randomly freezing. Sorry if I couldn’t submit any latest progress related to the problem, because right now I’m struggling with this random freeze on my Ubuntu 9.10. Maybe, the solution didn’t suited my problem and right now I’m thinking to start over from scratch ( re-installed both OS ). However, I really like to thanks all the supports and the replies that I received ( especially caf4926). I really appreciate to all of the efforts and times that you guys gave. Thank you.

14

You obviously have a menu.lst file (2 in fact)
Understanding the contents is important, because they could be wrong

The openSUSE entry you posted earlier

This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing

linux installation on /dev/sda4.

title openSUSE 11.3 - 2.6.34.7-0.3 (on /dev/sda4)
root (hd0,3)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.34.7-0.3-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-SAMSUNG_HD502HJ_S20BJ90Z842118-part4 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-SAMSUNG_HD502HJ_S20BJ90Z842118-part3 splash=silent quiet showopts vga=0x317
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.34.7-0.3-default
savedefault
boot

Seems correct to me
So what else could be the matter? Well, even if grub is in place and the menu is correct, you must have the kernel in place, in your case the menu points to: initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.34.7-0.3-default
Additionally, the menu could be right, grub OK and the kernel OK, but you have the HD’s in the wrong order in BIOS. According to the menu here SUSE is expecting to be on hd0

Hope this helps a little

15

Hello caf4926. Thought that were no more reply that I’ve received, but thankfully you’re still around looking to my problem. So,what should I do to make all in order back ? Is it possible the problem is also affecting Ubuntu 9.10 that also ran on this PC ? I get this ’ randomly freezing ’ in Ubuntu 9.10. Should I start over from scratch ? I mean re-install both OS, and re-organize the partition. If this are the solution, how should I arrange the boot-loader for both OS ? Thanks for still being here.

16

Correct me if I’m wrong, but you are using Ubuntu’s bootloader.
Earlier you posted this entry for booting openSUSE

This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing

linux installation on /dev/sda4.

title openSUSE 11.3 - 2.6.34.7-0.3 (on /dev/sda4)
root (hd0,3)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.34.7-0.3-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-SAMSUNG_HD502HJ_S20BJ90Z842118-part4 resume=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-SAMSUNG_HD502HJ_S20BJ90Z842118-part3 splash=silent quiet showopts vga=0x317
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.34.7-0.3-default
savedefault
boot
Please try edit it to this

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sda4.
title        openSUSE 11.3  (on /dev/sda4)
root        (hd0,3)
kernel        /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda4
initrd        /boot/initrd
savedefault
boot

I think to edit the file in Ubuntu, you do

sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst
17

Thank god and especially thank to you caf4926. Eventually, the problem solve by following your guide as in your last thread. I can’t describe how relief am I right now. I don’t have to go through all the difficulties to re-install both OS as I’ve mentioned earlier. A big thanks for you. And about the Failsafe configuration ? Should I follow the same step ? And also, if there will be any update on both OS, should I do any precaution step or act ? And again thanks caf4926 for all your tireless effort and support.

18

For failsafe and I’m guessing a little here: Your original

This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing

linux installation on /dev/sda4.

title Failsafe – openSUSE 11.3 - 2.6.34.7-0.3 (on /dev/sda4)
root (hd0,3)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.34.7-0.3-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/ata-SAMSUNG_HD502HJ_S20BJ90Z842118-part4 showopts apm=off noresume nosmp maxcpus=0 edd=off powersaved=off nohz=off highres=off processor.max_cstate=1 nomodeset x11failsafe vga=0x317
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.34.7-0.3-default
savedefault
boot
to this

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/sda4.
title        openSUSE 11.3 Failsafe  (on /dev/sda4)
root        (hd0,3)
kernel        /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sda4 showopts  apm=off noresume nosmp maxcpus=0 edd=off powersaved=off  nohz=off  highres=off processor.max_cstate=1 nomodeset x11failsafe
initrd        /boot/initrd
savedefault
boot

Happy it’s working better. We do try our best.

19

Thanks again caf4926. It’s unbelievable that because of wrong word/script and misplace could make such a big difference and malfunction. Anyway, as I’ve been asked earlier, should all these changes effecting any update of the system in future ? Any precaution that I should beware of ? Thanks again for all the guide and support.

20

That should remain OK now
Always worth keeping a copy
Of course you have this thread to refer to also