[WBEL-users] problem with grub and recent kernel

[Ed]

Jeff Forbes wrote:
> Hi All,
> 
> I am having a very odd problem.
> I just rebooted an AMD machine which just had the
> kernel automatically upgraded to 2.4.21-15.0.3-EL
> The reboot failed with the consol displaying the Grub prompt.
> Using the cat command to display the config files yield a screen
> full of question marks.

This is the builtin grub cat, right?

Try catting other files.  See if they are full of question marks, too.

> 
> I was able to get it to boot an earlier version of the kernel by editing 
> the
> the config file after booting with a rescue disk. When I rebooted to the 

menu.lst?  Maybe your disk has problems, you could try running badblocks 
to see.

> kernel menu
> and selected, an error indicating an incorrect executable file format 
> was printed.

This is for the new kernel file?  Try running file on it to see what it 
thinks it is.  If the kernel is corrupted, it's probably your hardware, 
since rpm packages have a checksum.  Try running memtest for a day, or 
make your heatsink bigger, or un-overclock your system if it's 
overclocked.  Maybe your memory is running on too high a bus speed, it 
could be anything.

> If remember correctly, error 13 was printed. I was still able to reboot 
> to the older version.
> 
> I then tried the lasted kernel 2.4.21-15.0.4-EL with the same results.
> 
> I also determined that whenever the grub config file was edited under 
> the kernels on the harddrive,
> grub was unable to read it. 

I can't parse this.  When are you editing the file?  When can't you read 
it?  How, exactly, do you reproduce this?

> I would then have to read the file under the 
> rescue disk and then grub could
> read it.

This is the same exact copy of grub, or a different one?  Is grub 
running standalone, or under a linux shell?

> 
> I am stumped. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Make backups of any important data on your computer, and then make sure 
you can read the backups on a different computer.  Test your machine 
thoroughly for hardware problems.  Run fsck on your filesystems *after 
you make backups*, even if they're marked clean.  If it's corrupt, try a 
differnt hard drive, but keep in mind that it could be a memory problem.
Consider giving your computer to a Windows user who will think that 
massive data corruption is no big deal, and get a new, working, machine 
from laclinux.com (or any competent linux company -- check their 
customer reviews).

Good Luck!!


> 
> 
> 
> 
> Jeff Forbes
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