3

I have new install of Xenial LTS 16.04 minimal(mini.iso)...which I installed bare min. system(no desktop, etc).

I would like boot messages.... a normal grub boot up with the console showing boot message. Instead, I just get a blank screen until it is done booting and I have to manually pull up a tty.

I modified my /etc/default/grub with:

root@laptop:/home/one# cat /etc/default/grub 
# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.
# For full documentation of the options in this file, see:
#   info -f grub -n 'Simple configuration'

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
#GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
#GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=5
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="text"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

# Uncomment to enable BadRAM filtering, modify to suit your needs
# This works with Linux (no patch required) and with any kernel that obtains
# the memory map information from GRUB (GNU Mach, kernel of FreeBSD ...)
#GRUB_BADRAM="0x01234567,0xfefefefe,0x89abcdef,0xefefefef"

# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
GRUB_TERMINAL=console

# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480

# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true

# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
#GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY="true"

# Uncomment to get a beep at grub start
#GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"

Ran update-grub, and verified what looks correct on /boot/grub/grub.cfg:

root@laptop:/home/one# cat /etc/default/grub 
# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.
# For full documentation of the options in this file, see:
#   info -f grub -n 'Simple configuration'

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
#GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
#GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=5
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="text"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

# Uncomment to enable BadRAM filtering, modify to suit your needs
# This works with Linux (no patch required) and with any kernel that obtains
# the memory map information from GRUB (GNU Mach, kernel of FreeBSD ...)
#GRUB_BADRAM="0x01234567,0xfefefefe,0x89abcdef,0xefefefef"

# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
GRUB_TERMINAL=console

# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480

# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true

# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
#GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY="true"

# Uncomment to get a beep at grub start
#GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"

Below is the commands and output I got from mount

root@laptop:/home/one# mount /dev/sda1 /boot/
mount: /dev/sda1 is already mounted or /boot busy
       /dev/sda1 is already mounted on /boot

Below is the content of /boot/grub/grub.cfg

#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
  set have_grubenv=true
  load_env
fi
if [ "${next_entry}" ] ; then
   set default="${next_entry}"
   set next_entry=
   save_env next_entry
   set boot_once=true
else
   set default="0"
fi

if [ x"${feature_menuentry_id}" = xy ]; then
  menuentry_id_option="--id"
else
  menuentry_id_option=""
fi

export menuentry_id_option

if [ "${prev_saved_entry}" ]; then
  set saved_entry="${prev_saved_entry}"
  save_env saved_entry
  set prev_saved_entry=
  save_env prev_saved_entry
  set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
  if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then
    saved_entry="${chosen}"
    save_env saved_entry
  fi
}
function recordfail {
  set recordfail=1
  if [ -n "${have_grubenv}" ]; then if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi
}
function load_video {
  if [ x$feature_all_video_module = xy ]; then
    insmod all_video
  else
    insmod efi_gop
    insmod efi_uga
    insmod ieee1275_fb
    insmod vbe
    insmod vga
    insmod video_bochs
    insmod video_cirrus
  fi
}

terminal_input console
terminal_output console
if [ "${recordfail}" = 1 ] ; then
  set timeout=30
else
  if [ x$feature_timeout_style = xy ] ; then
    set timeout_style=menu
    set timeout=5
  # Fallback normal timeout code in case the timeout_style feature is
  # unavailable.
  else
    set timeout=5
  fi
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
function gfxmode {
    set gfxpayload="${1}"
    if [ "${1}" = "keep" ]; then
        set vt_handoff=vt.handoff=7
    else
        set vt_handoff=
    fi
}
if [ "${recordfail}" != 1 ]; then
  if [ -e ${prefix}/gfxblacklist.txt ]; then
    if hwmatch ${prefix}/gfxblacklist.txt 3; then
      if [ ${match} = 0 ]; then
        set linux_gfx_mode=keep
      else
        set linux_gfx_mode=text
      fi
    else
      set linux_gfx_mode=text
    fi
  else
    set linux_gfx_mode=keep
  fi
else
  set linux_gfx_mode=text
fi
export linux_gfx_mode

### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###
### END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_uefi-firmware ###
### END /etc/grub.d/30_uefi-firmware ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries.  Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment.  Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
if [ -f  ${config_directory}/custom.cfg ]; then
  source ${config_directory}/custom.cfg
elif [ -z "${config_directory}" -a -f  $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then
  source $prefix/custom.cfg;
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###

but still not having success...no console and no console with messages during boot up.

Any ideas?

9
  • 2
    How come you have no menuentries? In my /boot/grub/grub.cfg there are menuentries in the section controlled by /etc/grub.d/10_linux (after the line export linux_gfx_mode).
    – sudodus
    Mar 28, 2018 at 5:20
  • 1
    no, there is not. It looks like it defaults with case ${GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR} in Ubuntu|Kubuntu) OS="${GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR}"
    – dman
    Mar 29, 2018 at 0:19
  • 1
    @sudodus ah... I see. Ubuntu does not use a seperate partition. I was mounting a boot partition which was the issue.
    – dman
    Mar 29, 2018 at 0:22
  • 1
    @dman Are you saying the problem is fixed now that you know /boot is located within the / partition? Mar 29, 2018 at 0:49
  • 1
    Yes.... Correct
    – dman
    Mar 29, 2018 at 0:57

3 Answers 3

2
+50

After my question (as a comment) why there were no menunentries in /boot/grub/grub.cfg @dman, the OP, understood what was wrong, that this file is in the root partition (and not in a separate partition) in his operating system.

So the problem was solved pretty much by @dman himself (with a little inspiration from my question) :-)

2

The root cause of this issue is identified in your question but was buried in between your /etc/default/grub and your /boot/grub/grub.cfg I've edited your post to make it more clear. You are attempting to mount /dev/sda1 on /boot and considering the evidence at hand, it's already mounted at / You should likely comment out GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480 as it's not necessary for text console output and might actually interfere. You already have GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="text" and GRUB_TERMINAL=console so it looks like you've covered the bases mentioned here.

TL;DR The easiest method to boot into console mode is to boot into run level 3. you can test this rather easily by editing the line:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="intel_pstate=disable quiet splash zswap.enabled=1"`

to GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="intel_pstate=disable 3"

retaining any kernel parameters you actually need/want. The 3 is the key here and sets the run level to 3 which is the default for most servers.

For more detail on run levels see https://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/linux-changing-run-levels.html

1

From this answer: How to start Ubuntu in Console mode

After sudo update-grub you also have to run:

sudo systemctl set-default multi-user.target
1
  • did not solve the issue
    – dman
    Mar 29, 2018 at 0:16

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