[SOLVED] GRUB Error - no menu, just grub prompt

[puntloos]

Edit: Solution: make sure you copy the (hidden) directory ".disk" to your USB as well.

Original post:
When I try to boot the system, for some reason grub just ends up at the commandline and not a boot menu.

If I then try:

set root=(hd0,msdos1)
configfile /boot/grub/grub.cfg

I get the menu with 'Automated Install' etc, so it's not a filing system error (it can find the files), but choosing one of the option immediately fails with:

"error: unknown command 'linux'"
"error: unknown command 'initrd"

Disclaimer: I know very little about how EFI works, I just have a MSDOS USB stick and hey, it seems to boot grub so EFI seems to be OK. What am I missing? Frankly it's quite bizarre that grub doesn't understand the command 'linux' since that is so basic..

[puntloos]

OK progress.
Try this (where hdX,Y) in my case was (hd0,msdos1) for my USB stick

set prefix=(hdX,Y)/boot/grub/x86_64-efi # Example: (hd0,1) , (hd1,5)
set root=(hdX,Y)
insmod linux
configfile /boot/grub/grub.cfg

At this point it works, shows a pretty menu etc, boots into the installer, but then fails at 'Load installer components from CD' - it says it can't find the right CD.

[New Creation]

Are you using the full or custom installer? Where does it get stuck asking for a CD? Is it in the Debian GUI installer, where it detects the CD before loading components from it?

[Roger the Shrubber]

I'm getting the exact same issue. Used your suggestions to get through the grub prompt. The menu allows me to choose "Automated Install" and it boots the installer. Then it tries to "Detectand mount CD-ROM" and throws the error

"
Incorrect CD-ROM detected
The CD-ROM drive contains a CD which cannot be used for installation.

Please insert a suitable CD to continue with the installation
"

Very strange.

[Roger the Shrubber]

Автор сообщения: skiesbleed

Are you using the full or custom installer? Where does it get stuck asking for a CD? Is it in the Debian GUI installer, where it detects the CD before loading components from it?

And to answer your question, this is using the "Custom Installer." And yes, it's sticking with the first step of the Debian GUI installer.

I'm just about to finish downloading SYSRESTORE.zip, so I would just use the standard image install method, but I don't have a USB stick large enough handy! I have like five 8GB sticks...AND I LEFT THEM AT WORK!!! Oh the humanity!

[New Creation]

If you hit Ctrl + Alt + F4 at that point, it should drop you to the console where the installation was occurring. Are there any interesting debug messages there?

[puntloos]

Автор сообщения: skiesbleed

Are you using the full or custom installer? Where does it get stuck asking for a CD? Is it in the Debian GUI installer, where it detects the CD before loading components from it?

Basing it on this: http://store.steampowered.com/steamos/buildyourown

Basically the 'custom' option.

Автор сообщения: skiesbleed

If you hit Ctrl + Alt + F4 at that point, it should drop you to the console where the installation was occurring. Are there any interesting debug messages there?

Nothing of value. If I add a debian CD to my machine it finds the CD and 'does stuff' but the core problem does seem to be that the SteamOS zipfile is not recognized as a debian source CD.

Автор сообщения: Maddux

Автор сообщения: skiesbleed

Are you using the full or custom installer? Where does it get stuck asking for a CD? Is it in the Debian GUI installer, where it detects the CD before loading components from it?

And to answer your question, this is using the "Custom Installer." And yes, it's sticking with the first step of the Debian GUI installer.

I'm just about to finish downloading SYSRESTORE.zip, so I would just use the standard image install method, but I don't have a USB stick large enough handy! I have like five 8GB sticks...AND I LEFT THEM AT WORK!!! Oh the humanity!

Where did you find the SYSRESTORE.zip ? it's not in my SteamOSInstaller.zip

[puntloos]

Anyway currently I think I have 2 potential problems (fixing one might fix the other)

1/ I think the 'preseed' file isn't loaded properly
2/ It doesn't recognize the (contents of) the zipfile as a debian disk.

[New Creation]

Автор сообщения: puntloos

Автор сообщения: skiesbleed

If you hit Ctrl + Alt + F4 at that point, it should drop you to the console where the installation was occurring. Are there any interesting debug messages there?

Nothing of value. If I add a debian CD to my machine it finds the CD and 'does stuff' but the core problem does seem to be that the SteamOS zipfile is not recognized as a debian source CD.

That's interesting. I made my zip file into an ISO and did my installation in VirtualBox, and it detected it and went through just fine, but this is with the installer thinking the media actually is a DVD. I wonder if turning the zip file into an ISO and burning a DVD would relieve your problems? Debian is able to do installation from a USB drive, though, so I'm not sure why the SteamOS installer would be any different.

[puntloos]

A-Ha!

Solved.

The problem was that I somehow did not copy the .disk directory into my USB.

[New Creation]

Glad you solved your problem!

[puntloos]

Автор сообщения: skiesbleed

Glad you solved your problem!

:) .. and now the next problem. It's not detecting network hardware. <sigh>

[Roger the Shrubber]

Автор сообщения: puntloos

Where did you find the SYSRESTORE.zip ? it's not in my SteamOSInstaller.zip

That's the file you download to use the "Default" SteamOS install, which is basically just boots to Clonezilla and restores an image to your internal drive. I actually realized I had some smallish HDDs laying around and a SATA to USB adapter, so that solved my issue with not having a USB stick large enough. I'm trying that install now. Surprisingly, I ran into the exact same grub problem with the "Custom" install, and the same solution fixed it. Right now Clonezilla is trying to restore the image, but it's thrown a bunch of errors and I'm not sure how it's going to turn out. Will report back.

Автор сообщения: skiesbleed

That's interesting. I made my zip file into an ISO and did my installation in VirtualBox, and it detected it and went through just fine, but this is with the installer thinking the media actually is a DVD. I wonder if turning the zip file into an ISO and burning a DVD would relieve your problems? Debian is able to do installation from a USB drive, though, so I'm not sure why the SteamOS installer would be any different.

I will try that if this install fails. I'll have to get my hands on an optical drive somewhere, as my machine doesn't even have one. Never had a need before now.

[Roger the Shrubber]

Автор сообщения: puntloos

A-Ha!

Solved.

The problem was that I somehow did not copy the .disk directory into my USB.

Oh crap! I definitely did that, too! If this install fails I'll fix that and give it another shot.

[New Creation]

Автор сообщения: Maddux

Автор сообщения: skiesbleed

That's interesting. I made my zip file into an ISO and did my installation in VirtualBox, and it detected it and went through just fine, but this is with the installer thinking the media actually is a DVD. I wonder if turning the zip file into an ISO and burning a DVD would relieve your problems? Debian is able to do installation from a USB drive, though, so I'm not sure why the SteamOS installer would be any different.

I will try that if this install fails. I'll have to get my hands on an optical drive somewhere, as my machine doesn't even have one. Never had a need before now.

Well, it's possible you're missing .disk as well. If you're using Linux and not copying from the command-line, you could miss it since it's hidden.

[Dostende]

Did you see this problem before or after the image restore/reboot? My USB disk boots fine and completes the image restore, but when I take the disk out and reboot I end up with a grub command prompt after some errors flash too fast for me to see. My .disk directory was definitely copied to the USB disk.