Hi Florin, Florin, thanks so much for the advice. I'm sure you'd have this fixed in a flash if you were at my keyboard but I suppose it's a learning experience for me to muddle thru it. I did "find" my root (hda1), home (hda4) and boot (hda5) partitions from the live cd version of Ubuntu 7.04. fsck found no errors on nay of these partitions. The message below got rather long so I'll ask what I think is the ekey next question here up front: My /boot is a separate partition so how do I modify your example "kernel" and "initrd" command strings as a result? Here goes the long response... In your most recent message you wrote: > It would be useful to boot with a recent rescue disk, then look in the > /boot directory/partition to see what kernels and ramdisks are present > (and print the list of files). Then, copy (and preferably print) > the /boot/grub/menu.lst file. See copies appended below. > Reboot the computer and type 'c' at the GRUB prompt. > This will drop you in a command shell. (It's <esc> c now) > From there, you need to tell grub where to > find the kernel (and all the information is in menu.lst). > For instance, to manually boot my server, I would type the following: > root (hd0,0) > kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-1-686 root=/dev/sda1 ro console=tty0 > initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-1-686 > boot > > This assumes that my root disk is the first partition of the first > disk and /boot is a directory on the root partition. > > If any of the 'kernel' or 'initrd' commands fails, this means > grub cannot find a requisite file. Then try again, using an older > kernel/initrd (if you upgraded, you should have some older versions > lying around). I got to the command shell from grub and root (hd0,4) got the response: Filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 0x83 My /boot is a separate partition so I am unsure how to modify your example "kernel" and "initrd" command strings. I wanted to "look around" at various partitions to see if they looked as expected but the Grub shell does not have an "ls" command ! (I tried find /boot/* and find /* but just got an error message tho it tries to access the floppy drive! I note that in menu.1st all the entries in the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST have root (hd0,0) which would seem like it would explain the problem reboot. In the next line what does root=/dev/hda3 refer to? According to: http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/grub.html#kernel "The rest of the line is passed verbatim as the kernel command-line" but I have not found an explanation of of the "kernel command-line" Also it occurs to me that a bit more background might give a clue to how this situation developed. When I installed Ubuntu 6.06 on this computer at an installfest. we only allowed about 2.5 GB for the root partition. For a year I got along with this but it was tight. At the installfest in August (2007) I got help getting a larger root partition. We had to moove all files to an external harddisk, make a new larger partition (with a different partition number) and move the files back. After a bit of tweaking it ran fine till I did the upgrades. I suspect there was something that did not get updated to account for the new partition layout... Fred -- Fred H. Olson Minneapolis,MN 55411 USA (near north Mpls) Communications for Justice -- Free, superior listserv's w/o ads: http://justcomm.org My Link Pg: http://fholson.cohousing.org 612-588-9532 (7am-10pm CST/CDT) Email: fholson at cohousing.org ***1 /boot partition files total 54844 drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 2048 2007-09-14 18:58 . drwxr-xr-x 7 root root 180 2007-09-18 04:10 .. -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 266619 2006-05-23 16:56 abi-2.6.15-23-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 266619 2006-06-14 12:15 abi-2.6.15-25-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 266735 2006-09-08 21:51 abi-2.6.15-26-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 266735 2006-12-08 19:34 abi-2.6.15-27-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 266735 2007-07-18 23:36 abi-2.6.15-28-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 266735 2007-08-29 15:17 abi-2.6.15-29-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 69878 2006-05-23 13:47 config-2.6.15-23-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 69876 2006-06-14 11:24 config-2.6.15-25-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 69978 2006-09-08 19:52 config-2.6.15-26-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 69967 2006-12-08 17:50 config-2.6.15-27-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 69967 2007-07-18 22:49 config-2.6.15-28-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 69967 2007-08-29 13:17 config-2.6.15-29-386 drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 1024 2007-09-14 18:59 grub -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 7001174 2006-06-03 16:32 initrd.img-2.6.15-23-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 6772220 2006-06-21 20:08 initrd.img-2.6.15-25-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 6776477 2006-11-09 15:30 initrd.img-2.6.15-26-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 6775986 2006-12-19 17:49 initrd.img-2.6.15-27-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 6795425 2007-09-14 18:59 initrd.img-2.6.15-28-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 6795333 2007-09-14 18:58 initrd.img-2.6.15-29-386 drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 12288 2006-06-03 16:25 lost+found -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 94760 2005-10-25 10:32 memtest86+.bin -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 725460 2006-05-23 16:56 System.map-2.6.15-23-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 725531 2006-06-14 12:15 System.map-2.6.15-25-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 726461 2006-09-08 21:51 System.map-2.6.15-26-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 725967 2006-12-08 19:34 System.map-2.6.15-27-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 727165 2007-07-18 23:36 System.map-2.6.15-28-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 727244 2007-08-29 15:17 System.map-2.6.15-29-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1414477 2006-05-23 16:56 vmlinuz-2.6.15-23-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1414674 2006-06-14 12:15 vmlinuz-2.6.15-25-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1414735 2006-09-08 21:51 vmlinuz-2.6.15-26-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1414752 2006-12-08 19:34 vmlinuz-2.6.15-27-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1415298 2007-07-18 23:36 vmlinuz-2.6.15-28-386 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1414837 2007-08-29 15:17 vmlinuz-2.6.15-29-386 ***2 # 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 3 ## 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=/dev/hda3 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=quiet splash ## altoption boot targets option ## multiple altoptions lines are allowed ## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options ## altoptions=(recovery mode) 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 ## 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 Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-29-386 root (hd0,0) kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.15-29-386 root=/dev/hda3 ro quiet splash initrd /initrd.img-2.6.15-29-386 savedefault boot title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-29-386 (recovery mode) root (hd0,0) kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.15-29-386 root=/dev/hda3 ro single initrd /initrd.img-2.6.15-29-386 boot title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-28-386 root (hd0,0) kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.15-28-386 root=/dev/hda3 ro quiet splash initrd /initrd.img-2.6.15-28-386 savedefault boot title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-28-386 (recovery mode) root (hd0,0) kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.15-28-386 root=/dev/hda3 ro single initrd /initrd.img-2.6.15-28-386 boot title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-27-386 root (hd0,0) kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.15-27-386 root=/dev/hda3 ro quiet splash initrd /initrd.img-2.6.15-27-386 savedefault boot title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-27-386 (recovery mode) root (hd0,0) kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.15-27-386 root=/dev/hda3 ro single initrd /initrd.img-2.6.15-27-386 boot title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-26-386 root (hd0,0) kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.15-26-386 root=/dev/hda3 ro quiet splash initrd /initrd.img-2.6.15-26-386 savedefault boot title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-26-386 (recovery mode) root (hd0,0) kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.15-26-386 root=/dev/hda3 ro single initrd /initrd.img-2.6.15-26-386 boot title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-25-386 root (hd0,0) kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.15-25-386 root=/dev/hda3 ro quiet splash initrd /initrd.img-2.6.15-25-386 savedefault boot title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-25-386 (recovery mode) root (hd0,0) kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.15-25-386 root=/dev/hda3 ro single initrd /initrd.img-2.6.15-25-386 boot title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-23-386 root (hd0,0) kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.15-23-386 root=/dev/hda3 ro quiet splash initrd /initrd.img-2.6.15-23-386 savedefault boot title Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-23-386 (recovery mode) root (hd0,0) kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.15-23-386 root=/dev/hda3 ro single initrd /initrd.img-2.6.15-23-386 boot title Ubuntu, memtest86+ root (hd0,0) kernel /memtest86+.bin boot ### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST