Grub inlstallation failed during install

I was installing openSUSE 11.2 KDE Milestone 4 (LiveCD) last night and it got to the point of installing Grub but failed. It threw up a “Error installing Grub Bootloader” with no further message available.

Since it never installed, I don’t know if it CAN boot! I really don’t want to have to go through the installation process again, but I suspect that will be the required course.

I elected to go with the default partition scheme openSUSE suggested which, if I remember right, is ext4 root, swap and ext4 /home partitions. I don’t remember the current state of things with Grub and booting from Ext4 partitions. I tried a couple of things, even to install on the MBR but nothing worked.

One possible resolution is to re-install and make an ext2 /boot partition.

I cannot use the DVD because [1] I don’t have luck downloading DVDs, [2] I don’t have a DVD drive for my laptop and [3] I haven’t gotten openSUSE to work off a USB stick.

Any suggestions? Is this me, or is this a bug I should report?

IIRC you can’t boot from ext4
I installed M4 and had this issue, but saw the problem during setup, so I just switched to ext3.
I guess you could always make a separate /boot as ext3 and have / as ext4 (not 100% sure though)

I knew about this issue when I was installing another distro a while ago and set up the separate /boot as ext2 and root as ext4. I’m just hoping there is an easier way to fix this (it took a loong time last night, comparatively speaking)

What gets me is that I went with openSUSE’s **defaults **and if it is known that Grub cannot boot to ext4 then the defaults (sorry… recommended) partition should not include it! Either set up /boot with ext2 or ext3, or make Grub able to boot to ext4.

The people going to use LiveCDs are likely the less-technical Linux users and this will backfire into a PR hate-fest if it is released like this.

You might want to hang on and see if other comment on this. The word of three witnesses so to speak.:idea:

caf4926 adjusted his/her AFDB on Thursday 30 Jul 2009 17:46 to write:

>
> You might want to hang on and see if other comment on this. The word of
> three witnesses so to speak.:idea:
>
>

Hopefully I will be able to test that tomorrow, the d/load has just finished
and I have a spare drive to install later so will give it a go and let you
know what happens


Mark
Caveat emptor
Nullus in verba
Nil illegitimi carborundum

Extra witness: One /boot for both 11.1 and 11.2 ? - openSUSE Forums

baskitcaise adjusted his/her AFDB on Thursday 30 Jul 2009 18:25 to write:

> caf4926 adjusted his/her AFDB on Thursday 30 Jul 2009 17:46 to write:
>
>>
>> You might want to hang on and see if other comment on this. The word of
>> three witnesses so to speak.:idea:
>>
>>
>
> Hopefully I will be able to test that tomorrow, the d/load has just
> finished and I have a spare drive to install later so will give it a go
> and let you know what happens
>
>

Well would love to comment on the OP`s problem but unfortunately M4 will not
even attempt an install on my other machine, appears like a kernel crash
midway through the startup.

Media checks OK, hardware is all OK ( was running 11.1 for months

The only difference is I have put an nvidia card in instead of the ATI.

cannot even get to a text install.

Will post in beta group.


Mark
Caveat emptor
Nullus in verba
Nil illegitimi carborundum

Hey Mark,

Is this the CD you are using?
If so did you try boot to level 3
Login as root
Switch to vesa
startx
?

caf4926 adjusted his/her AFDB on Saturday 01 Aug 2009 12:56 to write:

>
> Hey Mark,
>
> Is this the CD you are using?
> If so did you try boot to level 3
> Login as root
> Switch to vesa
> startx
> ?
>
>

Well after a lot of faffin` about I am finally on the last stage of install,
just going through config now.

Had to use text install as graphical just bombed with a kernel crash.

Had to drop to init 3 and configure with vesa as you said.

Will leave there as this is OT for this thread, if I have success I will
post in beta.


Mark
Caveat emptor
Nullus in verba
Nil illegitimi carborundum

Kinda confusing.

I got the GRUB error, and tried a number of different (multiple) locations, including the MBR.

I was getting it ready to attach the external drive and try re-installing it and decided to try it before plugging it in. Glad I did because despite the error message, Grub installed and the system booted into the first-boot configuration step!

Right now I making this post on the openSUSE installation that I thought was borked!

I have to agree this whole install thing is getting confusing for us migrating from Windows environment. Somehow everybody has there own opinion how to aproach the whole concept and thats what is so confusing. But I bet once I have the new termology down I’ll get it

LizStir adjusted his/her AFDB on Sunday 02 Aug 2009 22:46 to write:

>
> I have to agree this whole install thing is getting confusing for us
> migrating from Windows environment. Somehow everybody has there own
> opinion how to aproach the whole concept and thats what is so confusing.
> But I bet once I have the new termology down I’ll get it
>
>

I would not worry too much about this thread :slight_smile:

It is about the release candidate for the next version of SuSE ( 11.2 )

So it is just pointing out that even though the install ends with an error
about Grub exiting with an error the actual process goes through.

Or to put it another way:

The error is in error

The thread should have really been posted in the beta group instead of here
in a mainline group to save confusion.

Addendum to my previous:

DOH!

And to anyone following, yes I did get it up and running only to find that I
( for reasons unknown to me ) had installed the 32bit version instead of the
64bit ( d.load said 64, iso states 64 but install ended up 32bit ) so next
thing is to d.load again, check, check and check again and re-install.

Boy am I glad I have no caps on my BB it may be slow but that I don`t mind.

But that is later this week.


Mark
Caveat emptor
Nullus in verba
Nil illegitimi carborundum

Yes, that’s true. I think it would go better in the Beta group.

Not sure if this should warrant a bug report, or if I should try installing it again and see if it is reproducible first?

Otherwise, now I get to move on to getting my Broadcom working… but that’s for another thread. :slight_smile: