If you’re an Ubuntu user who has set up a dual boot on your system, you may have encountered the GRUB rescue boot error. This error typically occurs when the GRUB bootloader encounters an error, preventing your system from booting properly.
In this article, we’ll guide you step-by-step on how to fix the GRUB rescue boot error in Ubuntu dual boot.
To fix the GRUB rescue boot error in Ubuntu dual boot, you need to identify the partition where your Ubuntu system is installed, find the partition that contains the /boot/grub directory, set it as the root and prefix, load the necessary modules, and boot the system. Additionally, you can make the fix permanent by updating the GRUB configuration file.
What is GRUB?
GRUB, or the GRand Unified Bootloader, is the default bootloader for Ubuntu and many other Linux distributions. It’s responsible for loading the Linux kernel and initial ramdisk before handing over control to the operating system.
Understanding the GRUB Rescue Boot Error
The GRUB rescue boot error typically occurs when GRUB can’t find the necessary files to boot your system. This can happen due to various reasons such as incorrect configuration, disk errors, or even after a system update.
The error usually presents itself as follows:
error: no such partition.
Entering rescue mode...
grub rescue>How to Fix the GRUB Rescue Boot Error
Step 1: Identify the Partition
The first step in fixing the GRUB rescue boot error is to identify the partition where your Ubuntu system is installed.
To do this, at the grub rescue> prompt, type the following command:
lsThis command lists all the partitions available on your system. The output may look something like this:
(hd0) (hd0,msdos2) (hd0,msdos1)Step 2: Find the GRUB Directory
Next, we need to find the partition that contains the /boot/grub directory. To do this, type the following command for each partition listed in the previous step:
ls (hd0,msdos1)/
ls (hd0,msdos2)/Replace (hd0,msdos1) and (hd0,msdos2) with the partitions listed on your system. The partition that contains the /boot/grub directory is the one we’re interested in.
Step 3: Set the Root and Prefix
Once you’ve identified the partition, you need to set it as the root and prefix. To do this, type the following commands:
set root=(hd0,msdos1)
set prefix=(hd0,msdos1)/boot/grubAgain, replace (hd0,msdos1) with the partition you identified in the previous step.
Step 4: Load the Modules and Boot the System
Finally, load the necessary modules and boot the system. To do this, type the following commands:
insmod normal
normalIf everything went correctly, your system should now boot into Ubuntu.
Making the Fix Permanent
The steps above only fix the issue temporarily. To make the fix permanent, you need to update the GRUB configuration file.
To do this, once you’re in Ubuntu, open a terminal and type the following command:
sudo nano /etc/default/grubThis command opens the GRUB configuration file in the nano text editor. Look for the line that starts with GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT and add quiet splash at the end of the line. It should look like this:
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"Press Ctrl+O to save the file and Ctrl+X to exit the editor.
Finally, update GRUB by typing the following command:
sudo update-grubReboot your system to ensure the changes take effect.
Conclusion
The GRUB rescue boot error can be a daunting error to encounter, especially for new Linux users. However, with the right knowledge and a bit of patience, it’s an error that can be fixed relatively easily.
Remember, the key is to identify the correct partition and to update the GRUB configuration file to prevent the error from occurring in the future. If you’re still encountering issues, consider seeking help from the Ubuntu community.
GRUB, or the GRand Unified Bootloader, is responsible for loading the Linux kernel and initial ramdisk before handing over control to the operating system.
The GRUB rescue boot error occurs when GRUB cannot find the necessary files to boot the system. This can happen due to various reasons such as incorrect configuration, disk errors, or after a system update.
At the grub rescue> prompt, type the command ls to list all the partitions available on your system. The output will show the available partitions, and you can identify the one where Ubuntu is installed.
After identifying the partition where Ubuntu is installed, use the commands set root=(hd0,msdos1) and set prefix=(hd0,msdos1)/boot/grub to set the root and prefix. Replace (hd0,msdos1) with the correct partition.
To make the fix permanent, open a terminal in Ubuntu and use the command sudo nano /etc/default/grub to open the GRUB configuration file. Look for the line starting with GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT and add quiet splash at the end. Save the file, exit the editor, and update GRUB with sudo update-grub. Reboot the system to apply the changes.
