Re: kernel 2.6.20-16-generic won't boot

[walt]

Van French wrote:
> I just installed Ubuntu 7.04 as a dual boot with WinXP.
> After I did the software updates, I see two kernel options:
> 2.6.20-16-generic and 2.6.20-15-generic. 16 is the default, and it won't
> boot. It goes to a black screen, says "Setup" and blinking cursor, but
> nothing happens. If I choose 15, it boots up and everything seems to be
> fine.
>
> Is there a way to fix the .16 version?
> Or, if the .15 will work just as well, can I make it default? How?

Grub has a config file, named /boot/grub/menu.lst by default.  (Note:
some versions of grub call that file grub.conf instead of menu.lst).

Here is my menu.lst as an example:
==============================================
default 2
timeout 30

title=gentoo-2.6.x-gentoo
root (hd0,6)
kernel /boot/gentoo  pci=usepirqmask

title=gentoo-2.6.x-old
root (hd0,6)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz.old nodevfs devfs=nomount pci=usepirqmask

title=gentoo-2.6.x-linus
root (hd0,6)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz nodevfs devfs=nomount pci=usepirqmask

title=WinXP
root (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

title=Memtest86
root (hd0,6)
kernel /boot/memtest86/memtest.bin
==============================================

Each paragraph starting with 'title' is one choice on the
grub menu I see when booting the machine.

Note the 'default 2'.  It says that when grub starts, the default
menu selection is item (or title) 2, starting from zero(!).  Thus
my default is gentoo-2.6.x-linus.  The item called 'kernel' is the
kernel that grub will run when I hit 'enter'.

You should learn to use the interactive grub shell, which is great
fun.  When you see the grub menu, hit 'e' (edit) 'c' (command shell)
or the tab key for a list of all grub commands.  I'll bet you can
figure it out from there :o)