Re: [tlug] grub trouble

["Arwyn Hainsworth" <arwynh@example.com>]

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