Grub doesn't display new kernel

**homerzzz** · 08-14-2007

Hello,

I'm running a dual boot system with XP and Debian Lenny 2.6.18-4-686. Recently I installed the 2.6.21-2-686 kernel image via apt. However, after running update-grub and rebooting. The 2.6.21 kernel image doesn't appear in my grub menu. I've done some research regarding grub and most posts mention editing the menu.1st file. I don't have one and it appears that this has been replaced with grub.cfg. My grub.cfg appears correct, i.e. it lists the 2 kernels.

Please help me boot into my new kernel.

Thanks!

***Dapper Dan*** · 08-14-2007

I haven't run Debian in a while, but I remember running into the same thing... Or was it in Fedora? Anyway, grub.conf is I believe a symlink to menu.lst. I'm not sure where Debian keeps that, but you should have one. It should be in /boot/grub. Once you find it, edit menu.lst for the new kernel. The one you are using now? Use its menu.lst entry as a "template" for the new menu.lst entry for the new kernel, then, while looking inside /boot/grub... compare your present kernel entries there with the new ones which will also be there, and edit grub accordingly. This is a great exercise that will teach you a lot about grub. If you take your time, it will quickly make perfect sense and you'll get it right so it show up as a boot choice. Good luck.

EDIT: Just checked on my Ubuntu machine and there is menu.lst in /boot/grub, and no grub.conf anywhere. Still, I don't know about Debian proper... Maybe they are now using grub.conf instead of menu.lst. If your new kernel is showing up there, check over it and make sure nothing is commented out. Can you copy it and post it here?

**homerzzz** · 08-14-2007

There is no symlink from grub.cfg to menu.1st. Also, I want to point out that my file is name grub.cfg and not grub.conf. I don't know if that makes a difference. I also couldn't find a grub.conf on my system.

The contents of /boot/grub/grub.cfg:

Code:

#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automaticaly generated by /usr/sbin/update-grub using templates from /etc/grub.d
# and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
set default=0
set timeout=5
set root=(base-base)

font (base-base)/usr/share/grub/unifont.pff
set gfxmode=640x480
insmod gfxterm
insmod vbe
terminal gfxterm
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_hurd ###
### END /etc/grub.d/10_hurd ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry "Debian GNU/Linux, linux 2.6.21-2-686" {
        linux   (base-base)/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.21-2-686 root=/dev/mapper/base-base ro
        initrd  (base-base)/boot/initrd.img-2.6.21-2-686
}
menuentry "Debian GNU/Linux, linux 2.6.21-2-686 (single-user mode)" {
        linux   (base-base)/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.21-2-686 root=/dev/mapper/base-base ro single
        initrd  (base-base)/boot/initrd.img-2.6.21-2-686
}
menuentry "Debian GNU/Linux, linux 2.6.18-4-686" {
        linux   (base-base)/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.18-4-686 root=/dev/mapper/base-base ro
        initrd  (base-base)/boot/initrd.img-2.6.18-4-686
}
menuentry "Debian GNU/Linux, linux 2.6.18-4-686 (single-user mode)" {
        linux   (base-base)/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.18-4-686 root=/dev/mapper/base-base ro single
        initrd  (base-base)/boot/initrd.img-2.6.18-4-686
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

As the file states, I haven't edited it by hand. Running update-grub produces the following output:

Code:

Updating /boot/grub/grub.cfg ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.21-2-686
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.21-2-686
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.18-4-686
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.18-4-686
done

It find my 2 kernels, but they don't appear in the grub boot menu. I believe another files is involved since grub.cfg doesn't contain my XP info, but I'm having a hard time tracking this down.

Thanks for the help!

**devils casper** · 08-14-2007

Could you post the output of this

Code:

ls /boot/grub

?
File name is menu.lst ( its a small L ) not menu.1st.

**homerzzz** · 08-14-2007

This command displays:

Code:

sh-3.1$ ls /boot/grub
device.map  grub.cfg
sh-3.1$

I searched for menu.lst (with a lower case L), but didn't find any matching files.

Thanks for the help!

**devils casper** · 08-14-2007

I have Debian Etch only and I think something has been changed in Debian Lenny. I have to look into this.

Find menu.lst file with find command.

Code:

su
cd /
find -iname menu.lst

Post the output of fdisk -l command.

**homerzzz** · 08-14-2007

find -iname menu.lst results in no output. I don't believe a menu.lst file exists on my system.

fdisk -l results in:

Code:

Disk /dev/hdf: 122.9 GB, 122942324736 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14946 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hdf1   *           1        6374    51199123+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hdf2            6375       14702    66894660   8e  Linux LVM
/dev/hdf3           14703       14946     1959930    5  Extended
/dev/hdf5           14703       14884     1461883+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/hdf6   *       14885       14946      497983+  83  Linux

Disk /dev/hdi: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hdi1               1       19457   156288321   8e  Linux LVM

Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500106780160 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               1       60801   488384001   83  Linux

Disk /dev/dm-0: 68.4 GB, 68497178624 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 8327 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Disk /dev/dm-0 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/dm-1: 642.1 GB, 642198274048 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 78076 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Disk /dev/dm-1 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Thanks for the help!

**pavlo_7** · 08-15-2007

I have Lenny, and the menu.lst exists on my system (though, it hasn't been updated for a while). If I had this problem, I would get Knoppix CD standing by (just in case I have to do the surgery), and create symbolic link:

Code:

menu.lst -> grub.cfg

and see what happens.

**devils casper** · 08-15-2007

Originally Posted by pavlo_7

I have Lenny, and the menu.lst exists on my system (though, it hasn't been updated for a while).

Is menu.lst symlinked to grub.cfg in your system?
Could you please do a little test for me? Change title value in menu.lst file and check if changed title appear in GRUB Menu.

**pavlo_7** · 08-15-2007

Originally Posted by devils_casper

Is menu.lst symlinked to grub.cfg in your system?
Could you please do a little test for me? Change title value in menu.lst file and check if changed title appear in GRUB Menu.

No, I don't have grub.cfg. I only have menu.lst, which is a normal file (not a link).
I did the test and, as I expected, it worked, the "TEST" word I added to the first title
showed up in GRUB menu when I rebooted.

Another thing I've noticed is that my kernel sections in menu.lst are in this format:

Code:

title           TEST Xen 3.0.3-1-i386-pae / Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.18-4-xen-686
root            (hd0,1)
kernel          /boot/xen-3.0.3-1-i386-pae.gz
module          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.18-4-xen-686 root=/dev/hda2 ro console=tty0
module          /boot/initrd.img-2.6.18-4-xen-686
savedefault

which is different from homerzzz's.

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