Mailing List Archive


[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: [tlug] grub trouble



On 29/03/07, Michal Hajek <hajek1@example.com> wrote:
Hello,

I have an IBM X40 notebook with debian testing installed.
After upgrading debian packaged kernel from 2.6.18-3 to 2.6.18-4,
grub does not work well... after initial screen with menu, it
automaticaly proceeds to 2.6.18-4 and gives this error:

 Booting 'Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.18-6-686'
root (hd0,0)
 Filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 0x83
kernel  /boot/vmlinux-2.6.18-4-686 root=/dev/hda1 ro
  [Linux-bzImage, setup=0x1e00, size=0x131e4b]

Error 18: Selected cylinder exceeds maximum supported by BIOS

Press any key to continue...

If I manualy select 2.6.18-3 kernel, everything works fine. Which I do not
understand. The notebook has 20gb disk. If it matters where my kernel image "sits" on it, than how I can "move" the image to the right possition?
Some more info:

 --------------------------------------------
#fdisk /dev/hda

The number of cylinders for this disk is set to 2432.
There is nothing wrong with that, but this is larger than 1024,
and could in certain setups cause problems with:
1) software that runs at boot time (e.g., old versions of LILO)
2) booting and partitioning software from other OSs
   (e.g., DOS FDISK, OS/2 FDISK)

Command (m for help): p

Disk /dev/hda: 20.0 GB, 20003880960 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 2432 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1   *           1        2188    17575078+  83  Linux
/dev/hda2            2189        2310      979965   82  Linux swap / Solaris

Command (m for help): q
-----------------------------------------------
#hdparm -I /dev/hda

/dev/hda:

ATA device, with non-removable media
        Model Number:       HITACHI_DK14FA-20B
        Serial Number:      1R4638
        Firmware Revision:  00MBA0B3
Standards:
        Used: ATA/ATAPI-5 T13 1321D revision 3
        Supported: 5 4 3 & some of 6
Configuration:
        Logical         max     current
        cylinders       16383   16383
        heads           15      15
        sectors/track   63      63
        --
        CHS current addressable sectors:   15481935
        LBA    user addressable sectors:   39070080
        device size with M = 1024*1024:       19077 MBytes
        device size with M = 1000*1000:       20003 MBytes (20 GB)
Capabilities:
        LBA, IORDY(cannot be disabled)
        bytes avail on r/w long: 4
        Standby timer values: spec'd by Vendor, no device specific minimum
        R/W multiple sector transfer: Max = 16  Current = ?
        Advanced power management level: 128 (0x80)
        DMA: mdma0 mdma1 mdma2 udma0 udma1 udma2 udma3 udma4 *udma5
             Cycle time: min=120ns recommended=120ns
        PIO: pio0 pio1 pio2 pio3 pio4
             Cycle time: no flow control=240ns  IORDY flow control=120ns
Commands/features:
        Enabled Supported:
           *    SMART feature set
                Security Mode feature set
           *    Power Management feature set
           *    Write cache
           *    Look-ahead
           *    Host Protected Area feature set
           *    WRITE_BUFFER command
           *    READ_BUFFER command
           *    NOP cmd
           *    Advanced Power Management feature set
                Address Offset Reserved Area Boot
                SET_MAX security extension
           *    Device Configuration Overlay feature set
           *    Mandatory FLUSH_CACHE
           *    SMART error logging
           *    SMART self-test
Security:
                supported
        not     enabled
        not     locked
                frozen
        not     expired: security count
                supported: enhanced erase
        26min for SECURITY ERASE UNIT. 26min for ENHANCED SECURITY ERASE UNIT.
HW reset results:
        CBLID- above Vih
        Device num = 0 determined by the jumper
Checksum: correct
------------------------------------------------

Also my /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 change this entry to 'saved' 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         5

# 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=/dev/hda1 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,0)

## 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=

## 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=(single-user) single
# altoptions=(single-user 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

## 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

## ## End Default Options ##

title           Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.18-4-686
root            (hd0,0)
kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.18-4-686 root=/dev/hda1 ro
initrd          /boot/initrd.img-2.6.18-4-686
savedefault

title           Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.18-4-686 (single-user mode)
root            (hd0,0)
kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.18-4-686 root=/dev/hda1 ro single
initrd          /boot/initrd.img-2.6.18-4-686
savedefault

title           Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.18-3-686
root            (hd0,0)
kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.18-3-686 root=/dev/hda1 ro
initrd          /boot/initrd.img-2.6.18-3-686
savedefault

title           Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.18-3-686 (single-user mode)
root            (hd0,0)
kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.18-3-686 root=/dev/hda1 ro single
initrd          /boot/initrd.img-2.6.18-3-686
savedefault

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST


If this all this information make sense to somebody, it would really make me happy if he/she would share the wisdom... :)


As the error message indicated, some BIOSs don't like booting from large drives. The standard work-around is to create a separate boot partition (/boot) at the start of the disk. It doesn't have to be very big, but in the case of debian based systems make sure it is large enough to hold 3-4 kernel upgrades because the old kernels don't get deleted automatically when you upgrade and running out of space on your /boot will cause the rest of the upgrades to fail.

Arwyn


Home | Main Index | Thread Index

Home Page Mailing List Linux and Japan TLUG Members Links