[TriLUG] grub problems booting ubuntu from USB stick

[Tom Roche]

summary: I'm getting

 > Error 15: File not found
 > Press any key to continue...

from grub with /boot/grub/menu.lst stanzas like

title   Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic
root    (hd1,0)
kernel  /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic 
root=UID=45037d5d-b0f4-4d19-b00c-4f4aebc84a02 ro quiet splash
initrd  /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic
quiet

details:

I'm experimenting with ubuntu on my eee. I installed eeeXubuntu
(ubuntu 7.10 with Xfce and some twiddles for eee peculiarities) onto a
4GB USB stick, so that I have the option of booting either from the
factory OS (an eee-customized version of Xandros) from the internal
flash drive or from the stick. I can make the eee boot that stick,
which brings up a grub menu like

 > Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic
 > Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic (recovery mode)
 > Ubuntu 7.10, memtest86+
 > Other operating systems:
 > Normal Boot (on /dev/sda1)
 > Perform Disk Scan (on /dev/sda1)
 > Restore Factory Settings (on /dev/sda1)

but when I choose any of the Ubuntu*, I get

 > Error 15: File not found
 > Press any key to continue...

If I boot from the internal SSD (running eeeXandros) or from
an eeeXubuntu live USB stick (which I used to install eeeXubuntu onto
the removable flash drive), and then insert the stick, I can see

$ sudo fdisk -l
 > Disk /dev/sda: 4001 MB, 4001292288 bytes
 > 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 486 cylinders
 > Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

this is the internal SSD
 >    Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
 > /dev/sda1   *           1         300     2409718+  83  Linux
 > /dev/sda2             301         484     1477980   83  Linux
 > /dev/sda3             485         485        8032+   c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)
 > /dev/sda4             486         486        8032+  ef  EFI 
(FAT-12/16/32)

this is the USB stick
 > Disk /dev/sdc: 4060 MB, 4060086272 bytes
 > 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 493 cylinders
 > Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

 >    Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
 > /dev/sdc1   *           1         426     3421813+  83  Linux
 > /dev/sdc2             427         493      538177+   5  Extended
 > /dev/sdc5             427         493      538146   82  Linux swap / 
Solaris

and File Manager displays the automounted folder. I can then see grub
stanzas like

.../boot/grub/menu.lst
 > title           Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic
 > root            (hd1,0)
 > kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic 
root=UUID=45037d5d-b0f4-4d19-b00c-4f4aebc84a02 ro quiet splash
 > initrd          /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic

 > title           Ubuntu 7.10, kernel 2.6.22-14-generic (recovery mode)
 > root            (hd1,0)
 > kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic 
root=UUID=45037d5d-b0f4-4d19-b00c-4f4aebc84a02 ro single
 > initrd          /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic

 > title           Ubuntu 7.10, memtest86+
 > root            (hd1,0)
 > kernel          /boot/memtest86+.bin
 > quiet

I can also see (in this case from eeeXandros)

/home/user> ls -al /media/Flash\ Voyager/partition1/boot/
total 17492
drwxr-xr-x  3 root root    4096 2008-04-21 09:29 ./
drwxr-xr-x 21 root root    4096 2008-04-21 09:29 ../
-rw-r--r--  1 root root  424317 2007-10-14 21:39 abi-2.6.22-14-generic
-rw-r--r--  1 root root   75311 2007-10-14 21:39 config-2.6.22-14-generic
drwxr-xr-x  2 root root    4096 2008-04-21 09:30 grub/
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 7526189 2008-04-21 09:29 
initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 7122208 2007-10-15 20:58 
initrd.img-2.6.22-14-generic.bak
-rw-r--r--  1 root root  103204 2007-09-28 06:06 memtest86+.bin
-rw-r--r--  1 root root  823535 2007-10-14 21:39 
System.map-2.6.22-14-generic
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 1764280 2007-10-14 21:39 vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic

so it looks like /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-14-generic is there to be found
(am I missing something? permissions problem?) so I'm thinking the
problem is with root=(hd1,0). In any case, how to fix?

TIA, Tom Roche <Tom_Roche at pobox.com>