If this should go to a more general Ubuntu or Linux forum, please let me know... I'm far from the 'KDE' part of my operating system but thought I'd ask here as I usually get helpful feedback from the KDE crew Maybe there's something distro-specific, or you can at least point me in the right direction.

http://www.cameralibre.cc/wp-content/up ... 724798.jpg

I've been happily running (K)ubuntu on this computer for 2.5 years and I've been loving my first 3 weeks with Neon. Then today after a reboot, I couldn't get back to the operating system.
When I log in, I get to the GRUB screen, I can try setting 'nomodeset' or 'root=/dev/sdaX' in the boot options (other ideas welcome), and then, whether I have chosen 'recovery mode' or not, I get a whole lot of 'new full-speed usb device' and 'unable to read config: error -71' warnings. Eventually I arrive at initramfs, with a terminal-like thing called Ubuntu BusyBox, which I have never seen before:

http://www.cameralibre.cc/wp-content/up ... 703733.jpg

Something that is likely relevant is that the disk is encrypted (setup with the neon install wizard) and I'm not given a prompt at any stage to decrypt it.

As far as I understand it, the bootloader can't find my root folder, which is kind of worrying.
I suspect this is an issue with a recent kernel upgrade but I don't know how to test it/fix it - there are no other options visible to boot from, just 4.4.0-36 generic.
I just tried loading an ubuntu 16.04 USB, it didn't show up in the GRUB options though. I'm feeling pretty out-of-my-depth, so if anyone can offer any suggestions, it would be great!

http://www.cameralibre.cc/wp-content/up ... 743993.jpg

Hardware:
Lenovo s440
Intel HD 4400
AMD Radeon HD 8670M

I have now launched a Lubuntu live USB and have decrypted and accessed my installation. Does anyone have an idea how to fix the bootloader from here?

sammuirhead wrote:I have now launched a Lubuntu live USB and have decrypted and accessed my installation. Does anyone have an idea how to fix the bootloader from here?

check here.hope to fix

http://askubuntu.com/questions/15515/di ... ot-failure

woah, there is a lot of different advice in that thread. I'll try as much as possible and leave 're-install' as the last thing to try.

This is the result of fdisk -l, by the way, any idea if that indicates a problem with grub or with something else?

Code: Select all

Disk /dev/sda: 256.1 GB, 256060514304 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 31130 cylinders, total 500118192 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x3de15130

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *        2048      999423      498688   83  Linux
/dev/sda2         1001470   500117503   249558017    5  Extended
/dev/sda5         1001472   500117503   249558016   83  Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 16.0 GB, 16025444352 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1948 cylinders, total 31299696 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1   *           2    31299695    15649847    b  W95 FAT32

Disk /dev/mapper/luks-395313f2-05c3-425b-8bec-23c05cb87cf0: 255.5 GB, 255545311232 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 31068 cylinders, total 499111936 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/mapper/luks-395313f2-05c3-425b-8bec-23c05cb87cf0 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/mapper/neon--vg-root: 247.2 GB, 247212277760 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30055 cylinders, total 482836480 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/mapper/neon--vg-root doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/mapper/neon--vg-swap_1: 8283 MB, 8283750400 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1007 cylinders, total 16179200 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/mapper/neon--vg-swap_1 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Also, if I do end up having to reinstall, how can I reduce the likelihood of something like this happening again?

sammuirhead wrote:woah, there is a lot of different advice in that thread. I'll try as much as possible and leave 're-install' as the last thing to try.

This is the result of fdisk -l, by the way, any idea if that indicates a problem with grub or with something else?

Code: Select all

Disk /dev/sda: 256.1 GB, 256060514304 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 31130 cylinders, total 500118192 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x3de15130

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *        2048      999423      498688   83  Linux
/dev/sda2         1001470   500117503   249558017    5  Extended
/dev/sda5         1001472   500117503   249558016   83  Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 16.0 GB, 16025444352 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1948 cylinders, total 31299696 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1   *           2    31299695    15649847    b  W95 FAT32

Disk /dev/mapper/luks-395313f2-05c3-425b-8bec-23c05cb87cf0: 255.5 GB, 255545311232 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 31068 cylinders, total 499111936 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/mapper/luks-395313f2-05c3-425b-8bec-23c05cb87cf0 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/mapper/neon--vg-root: 247.2 GB, 247212277760 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30055 cylinders, total 482836480 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/mapper/neon--vg-root doesn't contain a valid partition table

Disk /dev/mapper/neon--vg-swap_1: 8283 MB, 8283750400 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1007 cylinders, total 16179200 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/mapper/neon--vg-swap_1 doesn't contain a valid partition table

Also, if I do end up having to reinstall, how can I reduce the likelihood of something like this happening again?

watch this video maybe helps : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kilXfY-k_9A

always create a backup iso of your installed linux os with "systemback" or other backup tools like clonezilla.

sammuirhead, did you find a solution? I'm facing the same issue -- Neon shows the boot screen for a while, and then ends up in initramfs.

I remember I did apt-get autoremove at some point before rebooting, so I'm guessing it perhaps removed something necessary. This is what was also suspected to be the culprit at https://askubuntu.com/questions/790783/ ... s-no-error.

I do like Neon a lot, but I need to keep this machine operational, so I'm now considering Ubuntu after all.

Just a quick heads-up: there's a similar thread at viewtopic.php?f=309&t=133432. People reporting in that thread had full-disk encryption enabled, too. I suspect that's the common theme here; something breaks on updates when you have encryption enabled.

I managed to solve this by trying a bunch of different things I'm not familiar with at all Basically my problem was that autoremove removed lvm2, which is absolutely needed.

To fix: create a bootable live USB media (Neon installation image works fine) and follow the steps in the previous link (viewtopic.php?f=309&t=133432) up to, and including, "chroot /mnt". Then just install lvm2 ("apt install lvm2") with all its dependencies, exit, do the unmounts and reboot. Your installation should hopefully be alive again!

If the lvm2 installation needs internet, and it doesn't work inside chroot, one of the following messages in the linked thread had a resolution for this by copying over /etc/resolv.conf from the live system that has connectivity.

Hopefully this exact scenario shouldn't happen again since lvm2 is now a manually selected package.

I had this same problem, but is defect in Hard Disk...

Ah, this info came too late for me... I wiped everything and installed elementary OS, it seemed a good opportunity to distro hop.

(First impressions: don't like the individual icon and window design as much as plasma/breeze but it's really consistent, which is surprisingly refreshing. I miss Dolphin's integrated terminal, and KDE connect doesn't work well here. The software launcher is super-smooth though. Let's just see how this goes)

sammuirhead wrote:Ah, this info came too late for me... I wiped everything and installed elementary OS, it seemed a good opportunity to distro hop.

(First impressions: don't like the individual icon and window design as much as plasma/breeze but it's really consistent, which is surprisingly refreshing. I miss Dolphin's integrated terminal, and KDE connect doesn't work well here. The software launcher is super-smooth though. Let's just see how this goes)

Understood, I particularly don't like Elementary OS, no have buttons for minimize, the browser used is not good, but good luck and welcome.

Hi, I had this same problem and doing "apt install lvm2" worked for me. I can boot up again.

Many thanks!

jinformatiquek wrote:Hi, I had this same problem and doing "apt install lvm2" worked for me. I can boot up again.

Many thanks!

Just had this happen again to me after the update to 5.8.3. Easiest way to fix it was to boot off of a vanilla Debian 8 installer usb stick, and then choose rescue mode. It walks you through mounting the encrypted volume, and even offers to change root and launch a shell in that root. Only manual thing I had to do was add a nameserver to /etc/resolv.conf to get apt working enough to fire off apt install lvm2.

Now I got hit too. Fortunately I found these threads and got it working by installing lvm2.

This broke 4 machines at work, and 3 of them are now getting re-installed with Kubuntu 16.04 instead of Neon. Is this reported and accepted as a bug somewhere?

Edit: Bug report is here:
https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=364549