GRUB refuses!

[bulava]

Hello,

I've upgraded a Network Card with same make & model but S/W version differs (3.x to 4.0). Also, card's H/W version minutely differs (called as design update). Nevertheless, same make and model. D-Link 520TX (2005 & 2011 manufactured).



When I boot the PC, GRUB refuses to show the BOOT parameters (Windows as default, and FC 14)

I don't get what's the problem. When I remove the new card and replace it with old card GRUB show the BOOT options properly.

What should be done in this regard?

a) Remove BOOT loader and re-install it into MBR *after* adding the new card? Else, how to fix the BOOT loader? Actually, is there any connection between BOOT loader in MBR with a Network card config?
b) Re-install the entire FC 14 distro, which I don't think so. I might be wrong.


Please suggest,

Thank you.

[stevea]

Lots of sound and fury .... but you've failed to supply any details.

What does "When I boot the PC, GRUB refuses to show the BOOT parameters (Windows as default, and FC 14)" actually mean ?

Does it boot anyway ?
Does it just have a blank screen and not boot anything ?
Other ?

Its possible that the new card causes the various PCI devices to enumerate diffrently (shouldn't but a lot of BIOSes are broken). In that case it *possible* that the BIOS is trying to boot a differnet/wrong drive. So DO examine the BIOS settings with the card installed.

Spend a little more time giving some details of the problem behavior.
Can you boot a liveCd with the card installed ?

[bulava]

Hi again,

You've misread my post, no fury at all.

What does "When I boot the PC, GRUB refuses to show the BOOT parameters (Windows as default, and FC 14)" actually mean ?

I meant, I don't see ANY multi-OS boot menu



Once I revert to the old (2005) card, I see the boot menu (FC 14 + Windows)

Its possible that the new card causes the various PCI devices to enumerate diffrently (shouldn't but a lot of BIOSes are broken). In that case it *possible* that the BIOS is trying to boot a differnet/wrong drive. So DO examine the BIOS settings with the card installed.

New card is the same make & model. I fail to understand how this case fits

Can you boot a liveCd with the card installed ?
Have no such CD with me right now. I'll try later in my night and post here.

Any other suggestion?

Thanks again

[stoat]

Originally Posted by bulava

its possible that the new card causes the various PCI devices to enumerate diffrently (shouldn't but a lot of BIOSes are broken). In that case it *possible* that the BIOS is trying to boot a differnet/wrong drive. So DO examine the BIOS settings with the card installed.

New card is the same make & model. I fail to understand how this case fits

Nevertheless, to me, this looks less like GRUB refusing to do something and more like a different hard drive is being booted. The screenshot shows a Fedora 10 kernel and Other. You have been talking about Fedora 14 and Windows as the MIA menu. Is there another Fedora system on another hard drive that you have not mentioned? It appears so. And I don't really know how or why, but it appears to be first in the boot order with the new network card installed.

Besides, this is legacy GRUB we're talking about. It's far to simple to decide and do something like this. All stage2 cares about is finding the config file, creating the menu from it, and launching the system chosen from the menu.

[bulava]

Originally Posted by stoat

Nevertheless, to me, this looks less like GRUB refusing to do something and more like a different hard drive is being booted.

I suspect it's more to do with GRUB in MBR? Because:

1) I tested the 2011 card with LiveCD. PASS

2) Backed up 7+ GB data from FC 14. Removed Linux distro partitions from Windows Disk Mgmt tool. Then booted into the Recovery Console, done a map, finally closed with fixmbr Rebooted the OS. 2011 card PASS.

So in (1) and (2), card has no problem. Hence it's apparent that something in the FC 14 was hindering the BOOT process due to the change in the *minute* Hardware design upgrade, i.e., Network card

Originally Posted by stoat

The screenshot shows a Fedora 10 kernel and Other. You have been talking about Fedora 14 and Windows as the MIA menu. Is there another Fedora system on another hard drive that you have not mentioned? It appears so.

That was only a reference, stevea wanted to understand; exact BOOT menu item names differ (i.e., FC 14 + Windows XP). I use this machine often so no problem with the Disk geometry, or no other problem.

Originally Posted by stoat

And I don't really know how or why, but it appears to be first in the boot order with the new network card installed.

I'll be welcoming FC 16 into the PC as usual (import 7+ GB data). Then I shall try to reproduce the problem by changing the cards. If the problem persists, this problem is connected with GRUB BOOT problem. Isn't it? Perhaps a bug

Originally Posted by stoat

Besides, this is legacy GRUB we're talking about. It's far to simple to decide and do something like this. All stage2 cares about is finding the config file, creating the menu from it, and launching the system chosen from the menu.

Yeah, this is what stumped me! I don't get it...anyway, I'll try to reproduce it. Practically, changing any *device* with same make/model never posed a problem earlier. I learned something new, not bad

---------- Post added 17th August 2012 at 07:29 AM ---------- Previous post was 16th August 2012 at 07:48 PM ----------

UPDATE:

I've downloaded Fedora-17-i686-Live-KDE version. Burnt it on a DVD, it boots BUT halts. What could be the problem behind this?

[sea]

Where does it HALT?

If you see plymouth (the animation on booting), press any F#key or ESC to see the "onscreen log".
Do you see any "Failure" or "Error" messages?
Whats the last entry you see, if any.

[stoat]

Originally Posted by bulava

That was only a reference, stevea wanted to understand; exact BOOT menu item names differ (i.e., FC 14 + Windows XP). I use this machine often so no problem with the Disk geometry, or no other problem.

Well okay. I hope you get it fixed.

But you know, you never answered the question about what you are seeing precisely. You always have said and answered with what you are not seeing. That's helpful, but I for one would still like to know what are are seeing. A hung grub> prompt? A working grub> prompt? Hung at a totally black screen? Hung at a black screen with only a single blinking cursor upper left? Any GRUB message text on the screen?

If you have other hard drives (another detail omitted so far), it still could be altered enumeration of the storage devices caused by the new hardware as already suggested. That whole process of device enumeration is sort of tenuous and subject to change nowadays anyway (the very reason for UUIDs, for example). Devices are usually enumerated in the order that they are discovered. It doesn't take much to upset that order. Gone are the days of device names reserved for master/slave and primary/secondary IDE devices (I sort of miss that).

Anyway, if the new card is a permanent change, I would install it, leave it, re-install the GRUB boot loader (fix it), and move on. It would be nice to fully understand what happened, but it's not strictly necessary.

Originally Posted by bulava

I'll be welcoming FC 16 into the PC as usual (import 7+ GB data). Then I shall try to reproduce the problem by changing the cards. If the problem persists, this problem is connected with GRUB BOOT problem. Isn't it? Perhaps a bug

Maybe but I doubt it. First, the current problem involves legacy GRUB which is a thoroughly old, mature, and patched boot loader. I think this being a bug in that is unlikely. And secondly, Fedora 16 installs GRUB 2, so anything similar happening with it points even more to something else besides the boot loader, IMO.

[bulava]

Originally Posted by sea

Where does it HALT?

If you see plymouth (the animation on booting), press any F#key or ESC to see the "onscreen log".
Do you see any "Failure" or "Error" messages?
Whats the last entry you see, if any.

It halts while loading the processes, precisely *after* starting NFS File Locking service; goes Green [OK]. I don't know why, did wait for 10 min but nothing happened. No Error message or Failure warning.

Should I try with this one: http://torrent.fedoraproject.org/tor...esktop.torrent

---------- Post added at 02:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:34 PM ----------

Originally Posted by stoat

But you know, you never answered the question about what you are seeing precisely. You always have said and answered with what you are not seeing. That's helpful, but I for one would still like to know what are are seeing. A hung grub> prompt? A working grub> prompt? Hung at a totally black screen? Hung at a black screen with only a single blinking cursor upper left? Any GRUB message text on the screen?

I see only Turquoise color GRUB screen, hung, with NO BOOT menu items on it

Originally Posted by stoat

If you have other hard drives (another detail omitted so far), it still could be altered enumeration of the storage devices caused by the new hardware as already suggested. That whole process of device enumeration is sort of tenuous and subject to change nowadays anyway (the very reason for UUIDs, for example). Devices are usually enumerated in the order that they are discovered. It doesn't take much to upset that order. Gone are the days of device names reserved for master/slave and primary/secondary IDE devices (I sort of miss that).

Single drive only. Seagate IDE 80GB. I'm using this PC as a dedicated OpenSource download/sharing machine on my company's LAN.

Originally Posted by stoat

Maybe but I doubt it. First, the current problem involves legacy GRUB which is a thoroughly old, mature, and patched boot loader. I think this being a bug in that is unlikely. And secondly, Fedora 16 installs GRUB 2, so anything similar happening with it points even more to something else besides the boot loader, IMO.

I shall check with FC 16 & FC 17 to understand the problem. I don't get it either because such a case never occurred earlier.