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boot failure/grub prompt after updating to 9.6

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novaplace
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Joined: 2018-11-13 01:00

boot failure/grub prompt after updating to 9.6

#1 Post by novaplace »

Hi there.

I updated to 9.6 via apt-get upgrade and when I rebooted, the system delivered me to a grub2 prompt.

I'm new to linux and debian and I have an encrypted installation of Debian Stretch stable with Gnome, as well as some backports.

How do I go about fixing this? Also, If you need more info, please let me know.

Thank you!

novaplace
Posts: 8
Joined: 2018-11-13 01:00

Re: boot failure/grub prompt after updating to 9.6

#2 Post by novaplace »

This is the output of the "LS" command, but I find no "boot" as in indicated various articles I'm reading... Maybe it's because it's encrypted?

I tried to attach a picture, but it wouldn't let me, so I'm typing this out in the hopes that it might shed some light on the subject.

grub> set pager=1
grub> ls
(hd0) (hd0,gpt3) (hd0,gpt2) (hd0,gpt1) (hd1) (hd1,msdos1) (hd2) (hd2,gpt1) (cd,0)
grub> ls (hd0,gpt1)
(hd0,gpt1): Filesystem is fat.
grub> ls (hd0,gpt1)/
efi/
grub> ls (hd0,gpt2)
(hd0,gpt2): Filesystem is ext2.
grub> ls (hd0,gpt2)/
./ ../ lost+found/ efi/ grub/ config-4.9.0-7-amd64 vmlinuz-4.9.0-7-amd64 config-4.9.0-8-amd64 initrd.img-4.9.0-7-amd64
System.map-4.9.0-7-amd64 vmlinuz-4.9.0-8-amd64 System.map-4.9.0-8-amd64 initrd.img-4.9.0-8-amd64

When I enter ls for the rest of the hd0, hd1 and hd2 partitions, it either says unknown filesystem or Filesystem is unknown.

I'm afraid of trying too much on my own and corrupting the encrypted partition.

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Re: boot failure/grub prompt after updating to 9.6

#3 Post by Head_on_a_Stick »

novaplace wrote:How do I go about fixing this?
General guide here: https://www.debian.org/releases/stretch ... 07.html.en

I don't have any experience with encrypted partitions but other forum members do so perhaps they will be able to help more.
deadbang

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Re: boot failure/grub prompt after updating to 9.6

#4 Post by p.H »

novaplace wrote:the system delivered me to a grub2 prompt.
What kind ? Normal prompt (grub>) or rescue prompt (grub rescue>) ?
novaplace wrote:This is the output of the "LS" command, but I find no "boot" as in indicated various articles I'm reading... Maybe it's because it's encrypted?
Indirectly. / is encrypted, so there must be a separate unencrypted partition for /boot. As its is mounted on /boot, the partition does not contains a boot/ directory but the contents of /boot : efi/ (empty, mount point for the EFI partition), grub/ (contains runtime GRUB files), kernel images, initramfs...

(hd0,gpt1) is obviously an EFI partition and it seems that the /boot partition is (hd0,gpt2). I guess that (hd0,gpt3) is the encrypted partition.
Does (hd0,gpt2)/grub contain a grub.cfg file ?
What does the command "set" report about prefix and root ?
What happens if you run the command "normal" ?

novaplace
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Re: boot failure/grub prompt after updating to 9.6

#5 Post by novaplace »

Hi p.H. - to answer your questions...

1) the grub prompt is a normal one (not a rescue one).
2) does (hd0,gpt2)/grub contain a grub.cfg file? - I'm not sure how to find this out. I'm new to all this.
4) "normal" seems as though it is accepted, but nothing changes on reboot - still stuck at the grub prompt.
3) the "set" command reports the following:

grub> set
?=0
cmdpath=*(hd0,gpt1)/EFI/UBUNTU
color_highlight=black/light-gray
color_normal=light-gray/black
feature_200_final=y
feature_all_video_module=y
feature_chainloader_bpb=y
feature_default_font_path=y
feature_menuentry_id=y
feature_menuentry_options=y
feature_nativedisk_cmd=y
feature_ntldr=y
feature_platform_search_hint=y
feature_timeout_style=y
grub_cpu=x86_64
grub_platform=efi
lang=
locale_dir=
net_default_ip=(nuyll)
net_default_mac=(null)
net_default_server=
pager=
prefix=(hd0,gpt1)/grub
pxe_default_server=
root=hd0,gpt1
secondary_locale_dir=
grub>

Does that help?

novaplace
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Re: boot failure/grub prompt after updating to 9.6

#6 Post by novaplace »

and thank you, Head-on-a-stick for the link.

novaplace
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Re: boot failure/grub prompt after updating to 9.6

#7 Post by novaplace »

UPDATE:

Normally, I have exited the grub menu by typing reboot, to see if helped get the system operational again.

This time, I happened to type "exit" to which is dumped me into my normal graphical boot menu which times out and loads my regular debian gnome environment. It prompted me for my encryption passphase which it accepted, and I'm now booted into my normally working system.

What does this tell us, is this repeatable, and what do I need to do inside my working system in order to repair this? Do I need to do another apt-get update and then apt-get upgrade?

I'm not planning to reboot until I hear back.

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Re: boot failure/grub prompt after updating to 9.6

#8 Post by novaplace »

Any suggestions with the new information?

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Re: boot failure/grub prompt after updating to 9.6

#9 Post by bw123 »

From two different posts you made. I don;t use efi and I have no idea how to fix it, but looks like grub is not installed correctly?
prefix=(hd0,gpt1)/grub
...
grub> ls (hd0,gpt1)/
efi/
grub> ls (hd0,gpt2)/
./ ../ lost+found/ efi/ grub/ config-4.9.0-7-amd64 vmlinuz-4.9.0-7-amd64 config-4.9.0-8-amd64 initrd.img-4.9.0-7-amd64
System.map-4.9.0-7-amd64 vmlinuz-4.9.0-8-amd64 System.map-4.9.0-8-amd64 initrd.img-4.9.0-8-amd64
shouldn't there be an entry for debian instead of cmdpath=*(hd0,gpt1)/EFI/UBUNTU
https://wiki.debian.org/UEFI
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Re: boot failure/grub prompt after updating to 9.6

#10 Post by novaplace »

Thanks for the reply bw123.

I'm not sure what it's supposed to look like, to be honest.

I'm considering installing grub again to see if it fixes things. Does that seem like a good idea? I don't want to bork my system.

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Re: boot failure/grub prompt after updating to 9.6

#11 Post by bw123 »

Might be a better idea to show people output from 'apt policy' or your sources.list?

Code: Select all

apt policy
apt policy grub-efi-amd64
If you're repos are mixed up, don;t run a lot of apt commands ok? apt policy should be safe.

Did you back up the data while you're in there?
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novaplace
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Re: boot failure/grub prompt after updating to 9.6

#12 Post by novaplace »

Hi bw123,

Yes, I have backed up data since I've been booted. I've also since rebooted, and each time I reboot, I end up in the grub2 normal (not rescue) prompt. I type "exit" and it gives me my normal grub gui screen (that looks similar to http://media.tutorialforlinux.com/debia ... Splash.jpg, this is not mine). The boot proceeds normally from that grub gui screen. Everything works normally once booted.

So, I think it's a configuration issue only that drops me into the grub prompt first instead of the the grub gui screen. Does that help? What should I try in order to remedy this?

Here are the outputs you requested, thanks again for your help!:

output of apt policy shows this:

Code: Select all

Package files:
 100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     release a=now
 500 http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian stretch/contrib amd64 Packages
     release o=Oracle Corporation,n=stretch,l=Oracle Corporation,c=contrib,b=amd64
     origin download.virtualbox.org
 500 http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian stretch-updates/main amd64 Packages
     release o=Debian,a=stable-updates,n=stretch-updates,l=Debian,c=main,b=amd64
     origin ftp.us.debian.org
 500 http://security.debian.org/debian-security stretch/updates/contrib amd64 Packages
     release v=9,o=Debian,a=stable,n=stretch,l=Debian-Security,c=contrib,b=amd64
     origin security.debian.org
 500 http://security.debian.org/debian-security stretch/updates/main amd64 Packages
     release v=9,o=Debian,a=stable,n=stretch,l=Debian-Security,c=main,b=amd64
     origin security.debian.org
 100 http://ftp.debian.org/debian stretch-backports/main amd64 Packages
     release o=Debian Backports,a=stretch-backports,n=stretch-backports,l=Debian Backports,c=main,b=amd64
     origin ftp.debian.org
 500 http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian stretch/main amd64 Packages
     release v=9.6,o=Debian,a=stable,n=stretch,l=Debian,c=main,b=amd64
     origin ftp.us.debian.org
Pinned packages:
and output of apt policy grub-efi-amd64

Code: Select all

grub-efi-amd64:
  Installed: 2.02~beta3-5+deb9u1
  Candidate: 2.02~beta3-5+deb9u1
  Version table:
 *** 2.02~beta3-5+deb9u1 500
        500 http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian stretch/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status


...

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Re: boot failure/grub prompt after updating to 9.6

#13 Post by p.H »

Sorry for the late answer. Have been busy...
novaplace wrote:cmdpath=*(hd0,gpt1)/EFI/UBUNTU
This is Ubuntu's GRUB, not Debian's. Can you explain it ?
novaplace wrote:This time, I happened to type "exit" to which is dumped me into my normal graphical boot menu which times out and loads my regular debian gnome environment
"exit" returns to the firmware, which selects and launches the next available boot loader, which seems to be Debian's GRUB. Looks like an EFI boot order issue.

What is the output of efibootmgr ?
What it the contents of /boot/efi/EFI ? (case may vary)

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