bugGNU GRUB - Bugs: bug #29873, GRUB2 - can't read the 'grub' dir...

 
 

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bug #29873: GRUB2 - can't read the 'grub' dir from /boot-partition at a "cold" start

Submitted by:  Eugene <udedok>
Submitted on:  Thu 13 May 2010 11:35:09 AM UTC  
 
Category: NoneSeverity: Major
Priority: 5 - NormalItem Group: Software Error
Status: InvalidPrivacy: Public
Assigned to: NoneOriginator Name: 
Open/Closed: ClosedRelease: 
Release: 1.98Reproducibility: Every Time
Planned Release: None

(Jump to the original submission Jump to the original submission)

Thu 27 May 2010 01:36:19 PM UTC, comment #9:

And the manifestations of the 'buggy hardware' are always the same. And appear only in one place.

Strange, isn't it?

Eugene <udedok>
Thu 27 May 2010 11:36:22 AM UTC, comment #8:

Then you have a buggy hardware. (E.g. overclocked, bad contacts, bad RAM and so on)

Vladimir Serbinenko <phcoder>
Project Administrator
Thu 27 May 2010 06:37:29 AM UTC, comment #7:

Reply to https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/index.php?29873#comment3

The method of proof by contradiction.

Assume that the FS (in the first partition of sda, sizeof(sda1) = 64 Mb) places directory /grub after the Limit, and BIOS can't read after this Limit.

With this assumption, the following statements are true:
- Limit is less than 64 Mb
- At the beginning of boot of linux from /dev/sdb directory /grub on /dev/sda1 moves below the Limit and becomes readable
- At the powering off directory /grub on /dev/sda1 is moved above the Limit and becomes unreadable

Eugene <udedok>
Wed 26 May 2010 02:23:44 PM UTC, comment #6:

I mean 'size of /dev/sda1 is 64 MB' at prev post

Eugene <udedok>
Wed 26 May 2010 02:21:14 PM UTC, comment #5:

grub2 located on /dev/sda1
size of /dev/sda is 64 MB...

Eugene <udedok>
Wed 26 May 2010 02:00:58 PM UTC, comment #4:

Please, see the scheme to orginal submission in attachments...

(file #20626)

Eugene <udedok>
Wed 26 May 2010 01:24:29 PM UTC, comment #3:

Some part of your partition is accessible to grub while the rest isn't. FS may place files as well before as after the limit

Vladimir Serbinenko <phcoder>
Project Administrator
Wed 26 May 2010 01:18:19 PM UTC, comment #2:

Vladimir, if I understand correctly, you say that in my case the problem lies in the limitations of the BIOS. But such restrictions should operate continuously.

In my case (with the same BIOS):
- at first time grub2 can't boot
- at second time grub2 can boot

Eugene <udedok>
Fri 21 May 2010 08:45:34 PM UTC, comment #1:

This bug is too incomprehensible and amount of work needed to read it is well beyond what you can expect from a busy developper. Only thanks to the kind help of Jordan Uggla I was able to understand this bug. All further reports of this kind will be dismissed.
Some BIOSes aren't able to read past a certain limit (2TiB, 1TiB, 128 GiB, 32 GiB or 8.3GB). By default grub uses BIOS and so is subject to same limitations. If you have ATA disks or SATA disks in legacy mode you can use grub-install --disk-module=ata to workaround this. If you have any other type of disk you'll have to wait for you subsystem to be implemented. If you're a coder you can implement the driver yourself and send us a patch but first be sure to discuss it on -unavailable- to avoid duplication.

Vladimir Serbinenko <phcoder>
Project Administrator
Thu 13 May 2010 11:35:09 AM UTC, original submission:

/dev/sda1 * 1 8 64228+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 9 7789 62500882+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 7790 121601 914194890 8e Linux LVM

/dev/sdb1 * 1 1306 10490413+ 83 Linux
/dev/sdb2 1307 2938 13109040 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb3 3402 19457 128969820 f W95 расшир. (LBA)
/dev/sdb4 2939 3401 3719047+ 83 Linux
/dev/sdb5 3907 5212 10490413+ b W95 FAT32
/dev/sdb6 5213 5735 4200966 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb7 5736 8346 20972826 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb8 8347 19457 89249076 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb9 3402 3906 4056349+ 82 Linux своп / Solaris

/dev/sda1 = ext2 as /boot in Ubuntu 10.04 with grub1.98-ubuntu6
/dev/sdb1 = ext3 as / in Ubuntu 9.10 with grub legacy in /boot

(1) power on
(2) (re)boot
(2-1) bios-menu boot /dev/sda1. got (A). reboot. (2)
(2-2) bios-menu boot /dev/sdb1. reboot from grub menu. (2)
(2-3) bios-menu boot /dev/sdb1. booting!
(a) Ubuntu GUI. reboot. (3)
(b) console (rescue mode). reboot. (3)
(c) select (a) or (b) & (ctrl+alt+del) after sec of a boot process. (3)
(3) bios-menu boot /dev/sda1. got (B). reboot. (3)

(A)
'error: out of disk' & rescue mode
'ls /' lists content of the /boot; it contains the 'grub' dir
'ls /grub' gives 'error: out of disk'
(B)
normal mode boot with menu (can read /boot/grub)...

Checking for 'item has already been submitted':
http://savannah.gnu.org/search/?words=error%3A+out+of+disk+GRUB2&type_of_search=bugs&Search=Search&exact=1#options

First-time submit:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=9265918#post9265918

Eugene <udedok>

 

Attached Files
file #20626:  bug-29873-en_1.png added by udedok (13KiB - image/png - scheme of 'original submission' text)
file #20529:  sda.tar.bz2 added by udedok (4KiB - application/x-bzip)
file #20530:  sdb.tar.bz2 added by udedok (4KiB - application/x-bzip)

 

Depends on the following items: None found

Items that depend on this one: None found

 

Carbon-Copy List
  • -unavailable- added by phcoder (Posted a comment)
  • -unavailable- added by udedok (Submitted the item)
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    Follow 5 latest changes.

    Date Changed By Updated Field Previous Value => Replaced By
    Wed 26 May 2010 02:00:58 PM UTCudedokAttached File-=>Added bug-29873-en_1.png, #20626
    Fri 21 May 2010 08:45:34 PM UTCphcoderStatusNone=>Invalid
      Open/ClosedOpen=>Closed
    Thu 13 May 2010 11:35:09 AM UTCudedokAttached File-=>Added sda.tar.bz2, #20529
      Attached File-=>Added sdb.tar.bz2, #20530

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