[ale] Ubuntu help

[Joshua Kite]

2009/1/26 Michael B. Trausch <mike at trausch.us>

> On Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:15:31 +0000
> Joshua Kite <jwkite at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > 2009/1/26 Michael B. Trausch <mike at trausch.us>
> >
> > > On Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:42:55 -0500
> > > Joshua Kite <jwkite at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > I have a machine that had Ubuntu Feisty on it.  I needed to add
> > > > some packages when I realized the shortcomings of not keeping a
> > > > distro current; the Feisty packages have been archived because it
> > > > is no longer supported. Long story short, I ultimately ended up
> > > > changing the sources.list file to point to Hardy and managed to
> > > > mostly get the box upgraded.  However, I continually had issues
> > > > apt installing linux-generic and other kernel-related packages.
> > > > I had run in to dependency hell.
> > >
> > > The problem here is that you skipped from Feisty to Hardy.  Probably
> > > the best bet would have been to upgrade from Feisty (7.04) to Gutsy
> > > (7.10), and then to Hardy (8.04).
> > >
> > > Officially speaking, Ubuntu's upgrading infrastructure only supports
> > > upgrading from one release to the next immediate release; the only
> > > exception for that is from LTS to LTS.  For example, users of Dapper
> > > did not have to upgrade from Dapper to Edgy to Feisty to Gutsy to
> > > Hardy.  They were able to skip Edgy, Feisty, and Gutsy altogether
> > > and just upgrade directly to Hardy.  When the next LTS comes out,
> > > Hardy will be able to upgrade directly to it, as well.
> > >
> > > I don't suppose that there is probably a way to revert the packages
> > > to the state that they were in before you started with this.  Given
> > > that, I would wipe the drive and install Intrepid.  :-P
> > >
> > > You mentioned 2.2 kernels.  I don't know what you're referring to,
> > > there; Ubuntu uses the 2.6 series and has all the way back to Ubuntu
> > > 4.10, the very first release (which used Linux 2.6.8 for its
> > > kernel).
> > >
> > > Could you provide some extra data?  If you could pastebin the
> > > following files:
> > >
> > >  /boot/grub/menu.lst
> > >  /var/log/apt/term.log [Only starting from the upgrade]
> > >
> > > Also, the output of the following commands will be useful:
> > >
> > >  ls -ld /boot/*
> > >  dpkg -l
> > >
> > > I mentioned pastebin because some of these are going to be quite
> > > lengthy and shouldn't be on-list.  I'd recommend pasting them there
> > > and then providing links here.
> > >
> > >        --- Mike
> > >
> > > --
> > > My sigfile ran away and is on hiatus.
> > > http://www.trausch.us/
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > > Ale at ale.org
> > > http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> > >
> > > Mike,
> >
> > Thanks for the help.  After a good night's sleep, I have booted via
> > livecd and chrooted into my system.  Just to cover all the bases, my
> > system has / /boot /home /usr and /var on different partitions, and I
> > mounted all of those before chrooting.
> >
> > I have used apt-get to remove all linux images and similar packages.
> > My goal at this point is to install the linux-server package,
> > although I would be content with any working kernel at this point.
> >
> > Per your request, here are the files you asked for (and thanks, btw,
> > for introducing me to pastebin):
> >
> > /boot/grub/menu.lst  http://pastebin.com/m27055ad2
> >
> > /var/log/apt/term.log (starting after the upgrade got the machine
> > stable but before I ended up removing the kernel)
> > http://pastebin.com/m76ada55f
> >
>
> Looks like you need to install GRUB.  :-)
>
> Try "sudo apt-get install grub" and see what happens.
>
>        --- Mike
>
> --
> My sigfile ran away and is on hiatus.
> http://www.trausch.us/
>
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>
>
Mike,

I think our emails pass each other in cyberspace.  A few cups of coffee and
some clear thinking led me to the same conclusion, although I didn't figure
it out from the menu.list.  My problem with linux is that I'm technical
enough to get myself into trouble but not so much that I can easily get
myself out of it.

Thanks again for the help and the pointers!

Josh
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