Bug#588293: grub-pc: fails to allocate memory so nothing can be booted (on an old compaq laptop)

Hans Ekbrand hans at sociologi.cjb.net
Wed Jul 7 00:12:18 UTC 2010


Package: grub-pc
Version: 1.98+20100706-1
Severity: normal
Tags: d-i

When trying to boot linux, I get this error message:

"error: cannot allocate real mode pages"

And, when trying to boot memtest86+, I is informed that

"error: too small lower memory (0x9910 > 0x0)"

The same problem is reported in ubuntu, see
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub2/+bug/513528

The problem is not specific for grub-pc 20100706, I have had it for a
couple of versions of grub-pc but did not report until today. I have
followed unstable only for a few weeks, so earlier versions are not
tested. However, grub-legacy works perfectly.

The machine is a compaq Armada 1540D. Until this bug is fixed, perhaps
the d-i team keep a list of devices that only work with grub-legacy.
And the compaq Armade 1540D is such a device.

Kind regards,

Hans Ekbrand

-- Package-specific info:

*********************** BEGIN /proc/mounts
/dev/mapper/amin-root / ext3 rw,noatime,nodiratime,errors=remount-ro,commit=3600,data=ordered 0 0
/dev/hda1 /boot ext3 rw,relatime,errors=continue,commit=3600,data=ordered 0 0
*********************** END /proc/mounts

*********************** BEGIN /boot/grub/device.map
(hd0)	/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST92130AG_FW185822
*********************** END /boot/grub/device.map

*********************** BEGIN /boot/grub/grub.cfg
#
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
#
# It is automatically generated by grub-mkconfig using templates
# from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
#

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header ###
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
  load_env
fi
set default="0"
if [ "${prev_saved_entry}" ]; then
  set saved_entry="${prev_saved_entry}"
  save_env saved_entry
  set prev_saved_entry=
  save_env prev_saved_entry
  set boot_once=true
fi

function savedefault {
  if [ -z "${boot_once}" ]; then
    saved_entry="${chosen}"
    save_env saved_entry
  fi
}

function load_video {
  insmod vbe
  insmod vga
  insmod video_bochs
  insmod video_cirrus
}

if terminal_input console ; then true ; else
  # For backward compatibility with versions of terminal.mod that don't
  # understand terminal_input
  terminal console
fi
if terminal_output console ; then true ; else
  # For backward compatibility with versions of terminal.mod that don't
  # understand terminal_output
  terminal console
fi
set timeout=5
### END /etc/grub.d/00_header ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###
set menu_color_normal=cyan/blue
set menu_color_highlight=white/blue
### END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 2.6.32-5-486' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ext2
	set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 94c58265-b185-496f-bb9d-f70c9fc88dd7
	echo	'Loading Linux 2.6.32-5-486 ...'
	linux	/vmlinuz-2.6.32-5-486 root=/dev/mapper/amin-root ro  quiet
	echo	'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
	initrd	/initrd.img-2.6.32-5-486
}
menuentry 'Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 2.6.32-5-486 (recovery mode)' --class debian --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ext2
	set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 94c58265-b185-496f-bb9d-f70c9fc88dd7
	echo	'Loading Linux 2.6.32-5-486 ...'
	linux	/vmlinuz-2.6.32-5-486 root=/dev/mapper/amin-root ro single 
	echo	'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
	initrd	/initrd.img-2.6.32-5-486
}
### END /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###
### END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+)" {
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ext2
	set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 94c58265-b185-496f-bb9d-f70c9fc88dd7
	linux16	/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)" {
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ext2
	set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 94c58265-b185-496f-bb9d-f70c9fc88dd7
	linux16	/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, experimental multiboot)" {
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ext2
	set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 94c58265-b185-496f-bb9d-f70c9fc88dd7
	multiboot	/memtest86+_multiboot.bin
}
menuentry "Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200, experimental multiboot)" {
	insmod part_msdos
	insmod ext2
	set root='(hd0,msdos1)'
	search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 94c58265-b185-496f-bb9d-f70c9fc88dd7
	multiboot	/memtest86+_multiboot.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
### END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+ ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###
### END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###
# This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries.  Simply type the
# menu entries you want to add after this comment.  Be careful not to change
# the 'exec tail' line above.
### END /etc/grub.d/40_custom ###

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
if [ -f  $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then
  source $prefix/custom.cfg;
fi
### END /etc/grub.d/41_custom ###
*********************** END /boot/grub/grub.cfg

-- System Information:
Debian Release: squeeze/sid
  APT prefers unstable
  APT policy: (500, 'unstable')
Architecture: i386 (i586)

Kernel: Linux 2.6.32-5-486
Locale: LANG=C, LC_CTYPE=C (charmap=UTF-8) (ignored: LC_ALL set to sv_SE.utf8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash

Versions of packages grub-pc depends on:
ii  debconf [debconf-2.0]    1.5.32          Debian configuration management sy
ii  grub-common              1.98+20100706-1 GRand Unified Bootloader, version 
ii  libc6                    2.11.2-2        Embedded GNU C Library: Shared lib
ii  libdevmapper1.02.1       2:1.02.48-2     The Linux Kernel Device Mapper use
ii  ucf                      3.0025          Update Configuration File: preserv

grub-pc recommends no packages.

Versions of packages grub-pc suggests:
pn  desktop-base                  <none>     (no description available)

-- debconf information:
  grub2/kfreebsd_cmdline:
  grub2/device_map_regenerated:
* grub2/linux_cmdline:
  grub-pc/install_devices_empty: false
  grub-pc/install_devices_failed: false
* grub-pc/chainload_from_menu.lst: true
  grub-pc/kopt_extracted: true
* grub-pc/install_devices: /dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST92130AG_FW185822
  grub-pc/postrm_purge_boot_grub: false
  grub-pc/install_devices_failed_upgrade: true
  grub-pc/disk_description:
  grub2/kfreebsd_cmdline_default: quiet
  grub-pc/partition_description:
  grub-pc/install_devices_disks_changed:
* grub2/linux_cmdline_default: quiet
  grub-pc/mixed_legacy_and_grub2: true





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