Net Install Rescue of 13.1 Installation

English Install/Boot/Login
1

My v. 13.1 Gnome 64 bit installation became inaccessible after updating another Linux operating system on the same hard drive of a Lenovo ThinkPad W520 with 16 Gb and two hard drives. The new grub’s menu shows it but after I choose Advanced Options the system stops loading after “graphical desktop reached”.

So I downloaded the v.13.1 Rescue file, which loads an openSUSE XFCE system but I was unable to rebuild the Grub with it, perhaps because it is not intended for installation.

I then downloaded the 13.1 net Install iso and chose the Rescue option, which asks me for a login and password.

In order to determine whether this is capable of restoring my grub so I can access my openSUSE system, I need to ask:

What is the login name / password combination for the openSUSE Net Install iso’s Rescue option?

Or is there another way to restore my grub without having to install the entire OS again?

Thanks in advance

2

This is no grub issue then.

What is the login name / password combination for the openSUSE Net Install iso’s Rescue option?

username root, password is empty.

Or is there another way to restore my grub without having to install the entire OS again?

Of course. Log into the rescue system, mount your / partition and re-install the boot loader.
See here for a guide f.e.:
http://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/478290-article-re-install-grub2-dvd-rescue-3

But as I said above, your issue is not grub.

It’s X that fails to start apparently.
Have a look at /var/log/Xorg.0.log to find out why.

Maybe try to boot a different kernel, if one exists.

You might also try to select a “Recovery Mode” option instead. Does it work then?
In that case please post /var/log/Xorg.0.log.old.

3

Alright, I now understand that the Grub is doing what it should: It shows the presence of openSUSE and allows me to select it.

At the moment, I entered root as the user name after choosing the Rescue option of the Net Install disk on the computer in question (a relatively new installation). I am then given a command line that says: Rescue (in red).

What should I type to continue? My purpose is to make openSUSE useful again. Can using the Rescue option of the Net install disk accomplish that?

You said the problem is cause by X not loading. So how can I get it to load? Furthermore, I need it load in relation to the installation on the hard drive, rather than with the Net Install disk.

Also, I have been using Openbox as my window manager with the XFCE4-panel on another OS and am impressed with it’s speed and stability. If I have to reinstall open SUSE, perhaps I should use that option instead of Gnome (if Gnome and it’s X Window Manager - Metacity) are responsible for this problem.

Does that sound logical?

Thanks for your comments, Wolfi and thanks in advance for the next one.

4

Try to select another openSUSE kernel in Advanced Options as I suggested already. Does that work maybe?

At the moment, I entered root as the user name after choosing the Rescue option of the Net Install disk on the computer in question (a relatively new installation). I am then given a command line that says: Rescue (in red).

What should I type to continue? My purpose is to make openSUSE useful again. Can using the Rescue option of the Net install disk accomplish that?

I guess so. But as you can boot your openSUSE 13.1 installation to text mode at least, you could do it easier there.

You said the problem is cause by X not loading. So how can I get it to load? Furthermore, I need it load in relation to the installation on the hard drive, rather than with the Net Install disk.

No idea yet.
You would have to find out why it doesn’t start, the Xorg log as mentioned earlier should provide a clue.

Try to login as “root” (you may have to press Ctrl+Alt+F1 to get to a text mode login prompt) and try to run “init 5”.
Does X start?
What does “systemctl status xdm.service” say?

Also, I have been using Openbox as my window manager with the XFCE4-panel on another OS and am impressed with it’s speed and stability. If I have to reinstall open SUSE, perhaps I should use that option instead of Gnome (if Gnome and it’s X Window Manager - Metacity) are responsible for this problem.

GNOME doesn’t use metacity anymore, it uses mutter now.
But yes, this could help, depending on where the problem lies.

I wouldn’t re-install just yet though.
Try to set “xdm” as display manager in YaST->System->/etc/sysconfig Editor. (Desktop->Display manager)
You can run YaST in text mode by just typing “yast”.

You can also reinstall openSUSE’s boot loader with YaST. Just enter System->Boot Loader and just select OK immediately. The boot loader should then be reinstalled.

5

There is only one option that says Recovery

After typing it I am returned to the command line. So I don’t know whether x was loaded or not.

It says the X Display Manager was loaded and is active.

That being the case, I am gong to hold off on making changes to the rest of the system (except reinstalling the SUSE boot manager - which I prefer anyway) until we are able to identify the problem.

The boot loader is now reinstalled.

I will now reboot and see what happens. So far so good. Thanks, Wolfi.

I’ll be right back with the results.

6

One the one hand, the openSUSE boot loader did not take over the Grub. On the other hand however, I was able to boot into openSUSE Gnome by choosing the first (not the advanced) option, so the problem was resolved, one way or another. (I had tried both options earlier, with no luck either way).

So “Ctrl+Alt+F1” gets me to the command line when I need it and both the Forum has proved to be valid source of help when needed, and openSUSE is working fine both of these computers.

Thanks again, Wolfi.

7

Hm, so maybe the other Linux installed the boot loader to the MBR? Or it set it’s partition as active, so its boot loader is loaded by the generic boot code.

You can try to install openSUSE’s one to the MBR as well, overwriting the other one (or the generic boot code) there.
Just enable “Boot from Master Boot Record” in YaST->System->Boot Loader, or run this in a terminal window:

sudo grub2-install /dev/sda
8

No, Grub2 is installed on the MBR of /dev/sda and Yast indicated that it was reinstalled there again.

However: There are 2 hard drives and I have the BIOS configured so that the second drive (sdb) boots first, UNLESS I press F12 when the system boots, which summons the Intel Bootloader. I have Lojack anti-theft software installed so I want the computer to boot automatically into Windows 7 Pro 64 bit (which also shows up in Grub, although it’s on the other disk drive).

That is what I did from Yast earlier, but I’ll try it from the command line, now.

It says: command not found (I tried it several times in the Gnome Terminal).

9

That is what I did from Yast earlier, but I’ll try it from the command line, now.

It says: command not found (I tried it several times in the Gnome Terminal).

You might have to specify the full path. This should work then:

sudo /usr/sbin/grub2-install /dev/sda

Or are you using grub1 (legacy)?

10

The Grub installed is Grub2 and the problem was solved by used Yast’s Software Manager to reinstall each of the installed Grub applications. I just rebooted and everything is fine, now.

Thanks a lot, Wolfi. I’m going to mark this solved, now.