Unable to get GRUB to work | Linux Mint Community🍵 | Page 1

foggy schooner · 2024-09-01T13:28:34.161Z

- I have been dual booting windows and linux mint for years now, I wanted to get rid of windows and install another OS. - I have 2 drives, 1 500gb drive and 1 1tb drive - The 500gb drive contains windows, the 1 tb drive contains linux mint, however for some reason when I installed linux years ago I installed GRUB which allows me to boot in either linux or windows on the EFI partition of the 500gb drive. the 1tb drive which contains linux mint **had no EFI partition** - This means I needed to make an EFI partition on the 1tb drive and install GRUB on it if I wanted to format the 500gb drive to install another OS - I did that, but now when I boot into the new GRUB on the 1tb drive, **it only takes me to a CLI, not a menu where I can boot to an OS** - The original GRUB on the 500gb drive still works fine - I have tried reinstalling GRUB and doing grub-update, it doesn't change anything Please refer to the attached images/txt files for further information

foggy schooner Sep 1, 2024, 1:28 PM

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I have been dual booting windows and linux mint for years now, I wanted to get rid of windows and install another OS.
I have 2 drives, 1 500gb drive and 1 1tb drive
The 500gb drive contains windows, the 1 tb drive contains linux mint, however for some reason when I installed linux years ago I installed GRUB which allows me to boot in either linux or windows on the EFI partition of the 500gb drive. the 1tb drive which contains linux mint had no EFI partition
This means I needed to make an EFI partition on the 1tb drive and install GRUB on it if I wanted to format the 500gb drive to install another OS
I did that, but now when I boot into the new GRUB on the 1tb drive, it only takes me to a CLI, not a menu where I can boot to an OS
The original GRUB on the 500gb drive still works fine
I have tried reinstalling GRUB and doing grub-update, it doesn't change anything
Please refer to the attached images/txt files for further information

📎 Boot_info.txt

📎 grub-config.txt

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From the GRUB CLI, I tried doing
linux /boot/vmlinuz-5.15.0-119-generic root=/dev/sdb2
initrd /boot/initrd.img-5.15.0-119-generic
boot
and it seemed to try and boot linux but it didn't work fully

steady egret Sep 1, 2024, 1:31 PM

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try to unplug the windows drive, then run boot repair from Linux mint live

foggy schooner Sep 1, 2024, 1:32 PM

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I tried using boot-repair via live usb but it wouldn't boot correctly. I haven't unplugged the windows drive because it's a laptop and it would be a PITA to open it up just to unplug the 500gb drive

steady egret Sep 1, 2024, 1:39 PM

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it complains something about not being able to find init - perhaps try to rebuilt initramfs?

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I think the easiest way would be using a live session - boot into it, mount root, efi and /dev /proc /sys /run (or just use arch-chroot and skip these), chroot into /mnt and update-initramfs -u

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still, I think your system may be confused because there are 2 ESP

foggy schooner Sep 1, 2024, 1:45 PM

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There's only 1 ESP on each drive though

foggy schooner Sep 1, 2024, 2:09 PM

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steady egret I think the easiest way would be using a live session - boot into it, mount root...

I booted into a live usb of mint, here’s exactly the commands I used: Pastebin.com/P6bKZA6n
then I rebooted. Should I boot into the new GRUB now or do I need to boot into linux mint first and do something else after rebuilding initramfs?

steady egret Sep 1, 2024, 2:09 PM

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foggy schooner I booted into a live usb of mint, here’s exactly the commands I used: Pastebin.c...

boot new grub

foggy schooner Sep 1, 2024, 2:10 PM

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Same CLI 🫠

steady egret Sep 1, 2024, 2:12 PM

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only fix

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you can also suck it up and just keep the existing efi

foggy schooner Sep 1, 2024, 2:13 PM

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I cant if I’m formatting the 500gb drive

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I’d have no way to boot into anything

steady egret Sep 1, 2024, 2:14 PM

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foggy schooner I cant if I’m formatting the 500gb drive

format it but the partition

foggy schooner Sep 1, 2024, 2:19 PM

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The linux mint on my 1tb drive would still be my primary OS and primary drive, it’s possible that in the future I would want to format the 500gb drive to put yet another OS on it or replace the 500gb drive with another larger capacity drive. I’d just be pushing the issue towards a later date

steady egret Sep 1, 2024, 2:20 PM

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I don't have any other ideas except for disconnecting the 500 gig one.

#Unable to get GRUB to work