Slacko failed to boot; wee error message

Booting, installing, newbie
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mikeslr
Posts: 3890
Joined: Mon 16 Jun 2008, 21:20
Location: 500 seconds from Sol

#16 Post by mikeslr »

Hi,

On the other thread, jafadmin suggested:

"Try slapping another copy of the mbr onto it:
Code:
cat /usr/lib/syslinux/mbr.bin > /dev/sdX (the problem disk)


Works for me; YMMV." http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 905#964905

I'd like to know under what Puppy he ran that command. While on XenialPup64, I looked for the file /usr/lib/syslinux/mbr.bin and --figuring a typing error-- looked for /usr/bin/syslinux/mbr.bin. Couldn't find it.

My technical knowledge is minimal, abysmal --take your choice. I visualize systems and, look for bottlenecks and then ways to avoid them.

As far as I know, the problem or problems arise when the drive has been formatted as Linux Ext4 using an OS with a recent kernel and then Grub4dos is used as bootloader. Also, I have the impression, there hasn't been active development of Grub4dos for some time. See Post Script. If this is correct, it would appear that the Grub4dos just can't handle whatever has recently been done to change Linux Ext4 formatting.

I'd hate to loose Grub4dos. But Puppies worked without it before, and can work under the annoying Grub2. Perhaps, if formatting as Linux Ext4 is to be retained, new Puppies will have to be built to employ Grub2, and a Grub2 pet will have to be created for installation into older Puppies.

I'd rather loose Linux Ext4. I'm not really sure what advantage it offers over Linux Ext3.

So I suggest that someone who has the problem try reformatting the drive as Linux Ext3.

But jafadmin suggestion should also work if your Puppy contains the syslinux module AND that module was created to work with the "new" Linux Ext4.

As I'm posting from XenialPup64, I just did a pfind for mbr.bin. [Should have thought of that the first time. :oops:] On this system it found at:

/usr/share/syslinux/

Adapting jafadmin's code, on this system it would be:

cat /usr/share/syslinux/mbr.bin > /dev/sdX

So, that's something else to try; that is pfind where mbr.bin is located and modify the code accordingly.

Suggestion to Puppy Creators and someone working on grub4dos (shinobar?). Modify grub4dos to utilize the current mbr.bin wherever it may be located; and create a pet to "patch" old versions.

mikesLr

P.S. Just looked at Grub4dos thread on Additional Software Forum. Last version appears to be in 2014. Also "googled' grub4dos. The last update was in 2013. https://sourceforge.net/projects/grub4dos/. The links from here, http://grub4dos.sourceforge.net/ are either dead or time out.
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bigpup
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Joined: Sun 11 Oct 2009, 18:15
Location: S.C. USA

#17 Post by bigpup »

Look here for answer to problem.
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=111376
Basic problem is caused by trying to use Grub4DOS with newer systems with 64-bit Ext4 partitions.
The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected :shock:
YaPI(any iso installer)
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coffy
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed 13 Jul 2016, 13:53

#18 Post by coffy »

Have finally worked out how to access the bios by pressing "del" during boot up.

Have made sure that the dc/dvd drive is the 1st boot device.
Then i pressed F10

And still the dreaded message

wee 0> find --set-root /grldr
wee 15> /grldr
wee 17>
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coffy
Posts: 21
Joined: Wed 13 Jul 2016, 13:53

#19 Post by coffy »

Very big thanks to everyone who replied with advice and links but the desktop has finally hit the bin with all other rubbish.
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foxpup
Posts: 1132
Joined: Fri 29 Jul 2016, 21:08

#20 Post by foxpup »

Too bad you threw it away. There is probably nothing wrong with it.

If you still care to try:
If you installed a more recent linux (probably one of the big distros, ubuntu?) on your HDD just before you installed puppy, that could be the culprit ... and possibly your savier. If you still have it on a stick, you should be able to boot from it and then just reformat your hdd (64bit ext4: not good) to ext3. Don't install it after that, but install a puppy instead.

Or just follow the lead from jd7654 (link from bigpup).

Well, I like all computers, and certainly the old ones. That's probably something that grew on me becoming a pupper. ,-)
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jd7654
Posts: 296
Joined: Mon 06 Apr 2015, 16:10

#21 Post by jd7654 »

FYI, not sure if coffy's old PC problem is related to my mentioned info in other cases.

This machine's problems seem more severe, with difficulty booting from CD and modifying HD with GParted.
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greengeek
Posts: 5789
Joined: Tue 20 Jul 2010, 09:34
Location: Republic of Novo Zelande

#22 Post by greengeek »

coffy wrote:Would it make any difference if i removed the hard drive?
Yes - you should definitely remove the hard drive any time you have trouble booting.

I had something similar recently and the machine did not boot until drive was removed. In fact the hard drive was perfect, but the HDD interface in the laptop must have been broken somehow.

It affected the bios and no other device would boot while the HDD interface thought there was an HDD installed.

Your troublesome machine would probably boot ok from CD if there was no hard drive installed.
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