failed to write grub - new install

New to Puppy and have questions? Start here

Moderator: Forum moderators

Post Reply
Jamayka24
Posts: 68
Joined: Sat Jul 20, 2024 1:20 am
Location: 7 Countries, now Jamaica
Has thanked: 15 times
Been thanked: 1 time

failed to write grub - new install

Post by Jamayka24 »

a) failed attempt to install Bookworm .9 - what went wrong ?

b) how do I get my personal files from the old OS version onto the new one?
D and drop ?

failed to write Grub.png
failed to write Grub.png (12.67 KiB) Viewed 265 times
partitions.png
partitions.png (53.73 KiB) Viewed 265 times

Edit: tried an install of F96-CE- same error msg.
I think maybe the partitions/formats are set up wrong ?

dpupbw64_10.0.7 , i5, 8Gb ram, Save on sda2 (USB partition), no HDD

User avatar
bigpup
Moderator
Posts: 7195
Joined: Tue Jul 14, 2020 11:19 pm
Location: Earth, South Eastern U.S.
Has thanked: 931 times
Been thanked: 1575 times

Re: failed to write grub - new install

Post by bigpup »

I assume you are booting BookwormPup64 10.0.7 from a different drive, so you can run programs from it, to setup this different drive.

If this drive was setup for something other than Puppy Linux.
What????

If this is a drive that you only want Puppy Linux on it.
No other operating systems but Puppy Linux.

Yes the partition setup is wrong.

Follow the procedure in this topic:
https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?t=11171

This works for any type drive, but was written for USB sticks.

Seems like a lot of steps and info, but wanted to make sure you understand what to do and when.

The things you do not tell us, are usually the clue to fixing the problem.
When I was a kid, I wanted to be older.
This is not what I expected :o

User avatar
bigpup
Moderator
Posts: 7195
Joined: Tue Jul 14, 2020 11:19 pm
Location: Earth, South Eastern U.S.
Has thanked: 931 times
Been thanked: 1575 times

Re: failed to write grub - new install

Post by bigpup »

I assume you have BookwormPup64 10.0.7 on a different drive and can boot using it.

Installing BookwormPup64 10.0.9 on a different drive.

If you are wanting to use the save from an install of BookwormPup64 10.0.7

So the BookwormPup64 10.0.9 will have what you added to BookwormPup64 10.0.7

Do what it says in this topic:
https://forum.puppylinux.com/viewtopic.php?t=13334

This also works if the two frugal installs are on the same drive.
v10.0.7 is a frugal install in it's own directory and v10.0.9 is a frugal install in it's own directory.
Copy the old save from v10.0.7 into the new frugal install directory of v 10.0.9.

The things you do not tell us, are usually the clue to fixing the problem.
When I was a kid, I wanted to be older.
This is not what I expected :o

williwaw
Posts: 1977
Joined: Tue Jul 14, 2020 11:24 pm
Has thanked: 172 times
Been thanked: 374 times

Re: failed to write grub - new install

Post by williwaw »

Jamayka24 wrote: Mon Jan 06, 2025 3:43 am

what went wrong ?
I think maybe the partitions/formats are set up wrong ?

sdc1 looks full according to gparted. did you try to install bookwormpup there?
you might find a linux partition more convienent for the install partition. ext4 would be a good choice if possible.

User avatar
mikeslr
Posts: 2999
Joined: Mon Jul 13, 2020 11:08 pm
Has thanked: 174 times
Been thanked: 933 times

Re: failed to write grub - new install

Post by mikeslr »

Ditto what others have written.
I assume sdc1 is a USB-Key. I'd use gparted to reformat the entire Key: From its Menu, Device>Create New Partition Table>msdos.
Format the first partition as Fat32 with a size of about 300 Mbs. This will hold grub2 and its menuentries. Initially it may not need 300 Mbs. But each time you change the menu it will write a backup. It is better to have more space than you need then less.

Say you now want to try NoblePup64 on your Stick. Easy-Peasy. Create a folder named (perhaps) Noble. Mount the Noble-ISO and copy its system files into that folder. Open the grub.cfg file in a text-editor, duplicate the menuentry of Bookworm, then edit references of Bookworm to Noble in the duplicate. Frugalpup or grub2config will have written two entries for Bookworm, the second being "RAM MODE" and containing the argument pfix=ram, use of which enables you to boot into Bookworm without using the SaveFile/Folder should you encounter a problem; or want to try something without jeopardizing your current setup. You may want to have two listings for NoblePub54. Whether you use an application like FrugalPup or Grub2Config to update the menuentries, or do it manually, a backup of the menu listings is created.

Format the rest of the drive as either Linux Ext3 or Ext4. Both are jounaling systems which check what's being written. Ext4 is slightly less error prone as it checks twice; but also makes use of the USB-Key twice as often. A Linux Ext file system will enable you to use a Save Folder rather than a SaveFile. A SaveFile is a block formatted as Linux: so must be used if the partition isn't. It has a specific size that can not be decreased. To increase it requires running Menu>Resize Personal Storage and a reboot. A SaveFolder is just a specially named folder. It will increase [to the available space on its partition] as you save to it; decrese if you delete/remove files, applications. Deleting files from a SaveFile doesn't work as well: some previously used space remains unavailable.

There isn't any need to leave 'unallocated' space when formatting a drive.

If you intend to also use your USB-Stick for transfering files to a Windows system, then include additional space in the first partition. Without installing a windows program which enables it to read Linux Formatted partitions it can't. And Windows seeing a Linux partitiion stops looking.

Jamayka24
Posts: 68
Joined: Sat Jul 20, 2024 1:20 am
Location: 7 Countries, now Jamaica
Has thanked: 15 times
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: failed to write grub - new install

Post by Jamayka24 »

Lost everything -doing 3 things at once at 2 am !
Starting back from scratch on an old win 10 machine.
Will take a while. No backups at all for anything.
So old and still not smart.
Thanks

dpupbw64_10.0.7 , i5, 8Gb ram, Save on sda2 (USB partition), no HDD

User avatar
bigpup
Moderator
Posts: 7195
Joined: Tue Jul 14, 2020 11:19 pm
Location: Earth, South Eastern U.S.
Has thanked: 931 times
Been thanked: 1575 times

Re: failed to write grub - new install

Post by bigpup »

Is Windows 10 going to stay installed on the computer?????

If yes.

Doing a frugal install is totally done a different way or you will loose the Windows 10 install.

If this is a drive that you only want Puppy Linux on it.
No other operating systems but Puppy Linux.

This is why this statement was in my earlier post about using Frugalpup Installer!!!!!!!!

The things you do not tell us, are usually the clue to fixing the problem.
When I was a kid, I wanted to be older.
This is not what I expected :o

Jamayka24
Posts: 68
Joined: Sat Jul 20, 2024 1:20 am
Location: 7 Countries, now Jamaica
Has thanked: 15 times
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: failed to write grub - new install

Post by Jamayka24 »

Ok Bigpup keep cool ! Re Win 10 - I just meant I was going to get my life back - not doing install/re-install.
There is no Windows on this daily drive that crashed. Nothing but the usb with Puppy.

Prior to the crash I was zero filling an old usb with dd, ...after it finished the BW pup/OS that was running,
would not boot, also not on a different machine.
I think it can be rescued with your help.
I found a duplicate usb with Bookpup .7 and booted the machine with it just now,
inserted the non booter and am seeing files in it . ie in the non booter. (Below)
Also, I recall being offered a grub> prompt at boot, but didn't have a clue what to enter.
What other info do you need ?
Want to try to rescue the files first....and then sort out partitioning etc & do a clean install of the latest Bookworm Pup.
on a different, new usb

crashed usb files.png
crashed usb files.png (315.77 KiB) Viewed 68 times

dpupbw64_10.0.7 , i5, 8Gb ram, Save on sda2 (USB partition), no HDD

Post Reply

Return to “Beginners Help”