PCLinuxOS doesn't boot after last update (dualbooting with w7 using EasyBCD)

[nixus]

I am dual booting PCLinuxOS and w7 using EasyBCD. Everything worked fine until last update. I am not able to boot PCLOS but w7. After the EasyBCD boot-splash appears, I can select PCLOS but only a black screen appears and the text GRUB shortly flashes. After that my Laptop completely reboots.
I installed grub in the root partition.
Since I can't boot PCLOS, I cant't check Synaptic's History, but when I recall correctly I also updated the video drivers. My Laptop however only has an on board Intel graphic chip.

Any suggestions, how to tackle the problem or just start a problem solving process, would be appreciated.

regards,
nixus

[Just18]

Sounds like it might be video driver related ....  so add the-   vesa    -boot option to the boot stanza and try booting again.

If all else fails maybe ...
Use a live CD/USB to examine things ....  maybe chroot into the PCLOS install and try to fix whatever is broken ...

[djohnston]

I am dual booting PCLinuxOS and w7 using EasyBCD.

EasyBCD is a bootloader. http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1

"EasyBCD is NeoSmart Technologies' multiple award-winning answer to taking control of your bootloader. EasyBCD extends and revamps the Windows Vista/Windows 7 BCD bootloader, and with EasyBCD, almost anything is possible."

We only support the bootloaders provided with PCLinuxOS. Try the EasyBCD forum. http://neosmart.net/forums/?getforum=5

[nixus]

Sounds like it might be video driver related ....  so add the-   vesa    -boot option to the boot stanza and try booting again.

I managed to boot into PCLOS by adding a new entry in the EasyBCD menu and selecting the option "Use a copy of EasyBCD's Grub". I have no idea what that actually did, but it is certainly not the vesa mode I am using now. Now PCLOS starts as it did before the update.

Maybe that is of relevance:
Whenever I boot, before and after the regular bootsplash of PCLOS appears, I see a text that says something like "fb...conflicting ...." and then "...removing generic driver..." Unfortunately it disappears too fast.
so I guess that might be an indication of graphic related issues.
Is there anyway I can check it and get the whole text?

Thanks,
nixus

[Just18]

"Use a copy of EasyBCD's Grub"

That might imply that the EasyBCD in use was corrupted .....  I know nothing of this boot manager.


"...removing generic driver..."

Check and see if the correct driver is being used and the correct boot options are being applied.
Again I have no idea how to check the boot options when using easybcd ..... check the video card set up in PCC and test before applying any changes.

[nixus]

In PCC Hardware detection:
‎Card:Intel 810 and later

Video card configured:
Intel 810 and later
Flat Panel 1600x900

which is all correct

Just to clarify:
When the the Laptop boots EasyBCD gives me the option to boot into w7 or PCLOS. After I choose PCLOS the whole boot PCLOS process is initiated starting with GRUB, since the linux bootloader is installed in the root partition of PCLOS. So EasyBCD just points to the bootloader grub and imho doesn't have any effect on PCLOS boot process. Correct me when I wrong. I still get to Grub's selection, were I can select, which kernel to load, whether to use save mode or normal mode, etc
I still think, that there is some problem with video driver and grub during the start up phase. The first text before the PCLOS bootsplash, is display with an incorrect resolution. Then I get this text, which disappears too quickly I can' read it. The PCLOS bootsplash looks ok (resolution) once I am at the login screen everything works as it should. No problems after KDE loaded what so ever.

For now it works ok. I just want to avoid getting in those problems again, though.

thanks,
nixus

[Just18]

OK, that explains how EasyBCD is worling in the system ...  thanks.

I managed to boot into PCLOS by adding a new entry in the EasyBCD menu and selecting the option "Use a copy of EasyBCD's Grub". I have no idea what that actually did, but it is certainly not the vesa mode I am using now. Now PCLOS starts as it did before the update.

Because this fixed the booting problem it does imply there was something wrong with how EasyBCD was calling Grub ... and not anything connected with the OS itself.

If you wish to see what is going on after you select the boot option in PCLOS Grub do the following ....

At the Grub screen press 'Esc' key and then OK
Highlight your boot selection on the next page and press 'E' ....  then hightlight the first of the two lines and press 'E' again.
Scroll to the end of the line and delete the  splash-silent  entry, press Enter, and then press 'B' to boot.

That should show you what is happening during the boot phase ......  it will scroll quickly in places ....

The "VGA="  entry on the boot line determines the resolution of the boot screen and the text you see.

regards

[nixus]

Because this fixed the booting problem it does imply there was something wrong with how EasyBCD was calling Grub ... and not anything connected with the OS itself.

Probably you are right. I just did what you said and got the following:
A text containing "fb..." which still quickly disappears. Followed by "cannot open file delete" and after that "fb: conflicting fb hw usage inteldrmfb vs VESA-VGA - removing generic driver"
after that boot process continues without any problems.

any thoughts about this?

regards,
nixus

[Just18]

The reference to the 'delete' file has been reported previously on the forum ....  I think it is harmless ...  but you could search for a thread or two about it.

"fb: conflicting fb hw usage inteldrmfb vs VESA-VGA - removing generic driver"

Hopefully someone who knows something about this will post .....  sorry I have no thoughts on that at the moment.
Can you post the boot stanza from menu.lst that you used and which resulted in the above?

There is some conflict but I don't know if it is caused by a boot option or a hardware setting or something else.


regards

[nixus]

Here is my menu.lst

Code:

[root@leerreichHP grub]# more menu.lst
timeout 2
color black/cyan yellow/cyan
gfxmenu (hd0,4)/boot/gfxmenu
default 5

title linux
kernel (hd0,4)/boot/vmlinuz BOOT_IMAGE=linux root=UUID=33602751-5e33-4ffb-be09-f7abb80984b0 quiet vmalloc=256M acpi=on resume=UUID=7e291771-f5b4-447a-b1bc-04b07206818e splash=s
ilent vga=788
initrd (hd0,4)/boot/initrd.img

title linux-nonfb
kernel (hd0,4)/boot/vmlinuz BOOT_IMAGE=linux-nonfb root=UUID=33602751-5e33-4ffb-be09-f7abb80984b0 quiet vmalloc=256M acpi=on resume=UUID=7e291771-f5b4-447a-b1bc-04b07206818e
initrd (hd0,4)/boot/initrd.img

title failsafe
kernel (hd0,4)/boot/vmlinuz BOOT_IMAGE=failsafe root=UUID=33602751-5e33-4ffb-be09-f7abb80984b0 quiet failsafe vmalloc=256M acpi=on
initrd (hd0,4)/boot/initrd.img

title windows
root (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

title 2.6.38.8-pclos1.bfs
kernel (hd0,4)/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38.8-pclos1.bfs BOOT_IMAGE=2.6.38.8-pclos1.bfs root=UUID=33602751-5e33-4ffb-be09-f7abb80984b0 quiet vmalloc=256M acpi=on resume=UUID=7e291771-f5
b4-447a-b1bc-04b07206818e splash=silent vga=788
initrd (hd0,4)/boot/initrd-2.6.38.8-pclos1.bfs.img

title 2.6.38.8-pclos3.pae.bfs
kernel (hd0,4)/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38.8-pclos3.pae.bfs BOOT_IMAGE=2.6.38.8-pclos3.pae.bfs root=UUID=33602751-5e33-4ffb-be09-f7abb80984b0 quiet vmalloc=256M acpi=on resume=UUID=7e2
91771-f5b4-447a-b1bc-04b07206818e splash=silent vga=788
initrd (hd0,4)/boot/initrd-2.6.38.8-pclos3.pae.bfs.img

regards,
nixus

[Just18]

Ye know ....  if the laptop is booting and working properly there is likely no difference now to before EasyBCD threw a wobbly.

The only thing I noticed about the menu.lst is that you have the last entry selected as default and not the first, as expected.

The only further suggestion I have for you is consider changing to the default grub bootloader .....  it is after all what EasyBCD is calling anyway ...

regards.

[djohnston]

A text containing "fb..." which still quickly disappears. Followed by "cannot open file delete" and after that "fb: conflicting fb hw usage inteldrmfb vs VESA-VGA - removing generic driver"
after that boot process continues without any problems.

All your GRUB entries use framebuffer for video during bootup, except the second section, marked "title linux-nonfb". It's just some video conflict between VESA and inteldrmfb (Intel direct rendering module framebuffer). It's harmless and nothing to worry about. I would be more worried about why your third party bootloader suddenly had a glitch.

[nixus]

The only thing I noticed about the menu.lst is that you have the last entry selected as default and not the first, as expected.

The only further suggestion I have for you is consider changing to the default grub bootloader .....  it is after all what EasyBCD is calling anyway ...

regards.

I installed the pae kernel and set it as default. I thought I have to do this, otherwise I would boot the original kernel which ships with the PCLOS 2011.6.
How can I change this?

thanks, nixus

[nixus]

All your GRUB entries use framebuffer for video during bootup, except the second section, marked "title linux-nonfb". It's just some video conflict between VESA and inteldrmfb (Intel direct rendering module framebuffer). It's harmless and nothing to worry about. I would be more worried about why your third party bootloader suddenly had a glitch.

Thanks for the comment on the conflict. At least that's good news.

You are right, I am somewhat worried about this. So you would suggest to use grub instead of EasyBCD and install it over the win boot loader? How could I do that without reinstalling PCLOS? Just using the LiveCD?

thanks,
nixus

[Old-Polack]

All your GRUB entries use framebuffer for video during bootup, except the second section, marked "title linux-nonfb". It's just some video conflict between VESA and inteldrmfb (Intel direct rendering module framebuffer). It's harmless and nothing to worry about. I would be more worried about why your third party bootloader suddenly had a glitch.

Thanks for the comment on the conflict. At least that's good news.

You are right, I am somewhat worried about this. So you would suggest to use grub instead of EasyBCD and install it over the win boot loader? How could I do that without reinstalling PCLOS? Just using the LiveCD?

thanks,
nixus

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,62786.msg508062.html#msg508062