I decided to install Ubuntu on my tiny Toshiba Libretto U100 but ran into a problem when rebooting after the install.
I accepted pretty much all the defaults during the install and it was a complete wipe of the hard drive (Linux only, no Windows partitions). However after rebooting I got the less then friendly message:
GRUB Hard Disk Error
This seems to be down to GRUB and the U100 BIOS being unable to agree on the geometry of the disk. Luckily LILO does work. To fix follow these steps:
1. After the installation boot into the Live CD (select”Try Ubuntu…” from the Live CD menu.
2. Make sure you have internet connectivity (enable wireless or connect with a LAN cable).
3. Mount the root partition
sudo mkdir /mnt/root
sudo mount -t ext3 /dev/sda1 /mnt/root
sudo mount -t proc none /mnt/root/proc
sudo mount -o bind /dev /mnt/root/dev
sudo chroot /mnt/root /bin/bash
NOTE: /dev/sda1 was my partition with only Ubuntu installed. If you are attempting a dual boot your sda number may differ.
4. Uninstall GRUB
sudo apt-get remove grub
5. Uncomment the backports repositories in /etc/apt/sources.list
sudo vi /etc/apt/sources.list
Remove the leading # from the two lines under the ‘backports’ repository. Then save with ‘wq!’.
6. Install lilo.
sudo apt-get install lilo
7. Configure lilo
sudo liloconfig
NOTE: If liloconfig fails with a ‘your /etc/fstab configuration file gives UUID=xxxxxxxx….’ type error then:
sudo vi /etc/fstab
Find the line below the #/dev/sda1 (or whatever your primary partion is) that starts with UID=xxxxxxxx-xxx…
Remove the UID=xxxxxxxx… and replace with /dev/sda1 (or whatever your primary partition) - Important - leave the rest of the line as is.
Save with wq! and try running liloconfig again.
Once you have liloconfig running answer «Yes» to ‘Install a partition boot record to boot Linux from /dev/sda1′, choose a bootloader pic and answer «Yes» to ‘Install a master boot record on /dev/sda’. Also answer «Yes» to ‘Make /dev/sda1 the active partition’.
That should be it - restart (remembering to remove the Live CD) and hopefully you should have a working Lilo install that will boot Ubuntu! If this helped then please leave a comment, particularly if you have anything to add/corrections etc - cheers!
After following these very good instructions, I found that GRUB was still on the MBR, so that I had to go back and force Lilo to re-write the MBR using the command (you could do it after step 7):
/sbin/lilo -M /dev/sda mbr
Additionally, liloconfig failed in my case when it asked for the nice graphic boot-screen (I chose “coffee”). I had to copy the coffee.bmp file from somewhere in /usr/share to /boot
There is also an alternative if you insist on using Grub and want to play with Fedora anyway: after you install Fedora, the Grub that it uses can be used to boot Ubuntu as well! What the differences between the Ubuntu and Fedora Grub is I don’t know, but it works.
Truly a shame that Grub in Ubuntu and the marvellous U100 don’t get along, otherwise I’m very pleased with this machine.