# Solved: Sony laptop with ubuntu install -- "Operating Sysytem Not Found"



## shoogleguy (Mar 18, 2006)

We just completed a full install of ubuntu (from .iso CD burned from d/lded image).. Went through the whole install perfectly. Showed formatting the drive and install. 'Reboot to complete installaton' Upon reboot get the SONY logo on screen, the the message 'Operating System Not Found'... What have we done? Is this Sony's grab, something in BIOS?
Thanks in advance, Ken J.


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## vtel57 (Jul 12, 2004)

It's a good possibility that Sony's custom BIOS chip is programmed to look for a certain file on the operating system installation. If it doesn't see that file, it gives you that error. This was a common practice by some manufacturers years ago to force users to use ONLY their Microsoft licensed version of the OS.

Boot with the Live CD. Open the terminal application and do this command:


```
# fdisk -l
```
This will give you a listing of the partitions on the drive and how they are formatted. Post that output here, if you can. I want to see if Ubuntu did indeed format and install properly.

Question... did you intend to wipe the original Windows OS off the drive? Or were you trying to dual boot?


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## shoogleguy (Mar 18, 2006)

Thanks for the quick reply.
Would that be the CD we burned from the .iso file?
Yes we did select the option to use the whole disk and wipe out the WinXP OS.
I was wondering how to do a -fdisk- was thinking of it.
When we do that will let you know. Thanks.


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## vtel57 (Jul 12, 2004)

Yup. The Ubuntu disk you burned is a "Live" CD. It is bootable. You can run it and sample how Ubuntu looks without actually installing it. When you boot up to the Live CD, you'll get an Ubuntu desktop:

looks something like this...










Click on the menu and choose Terminal (Gnome Terminal). It's a command line interface that looks like this:










Type this command:


```
$ sudo fdisk -l
```
The output will give you a listing of your partitions as mentioned earlier.

How old is that Sony, by the way?


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## shoogleguy (Mar 18, 2006)

Well I didn't find 'terminal' option anywhere on the desktop although one screen came up with the following;

80 GB Hard Drive
ATA Fujitsu MHV2028 AH

MBR Partition Table

79 GB File System
Linux Ext 4 (ver.1.0)

1.5 GB Extended 
1.5 GB swap file

Sony USB Memory stick
CD/DVD Device ......etc.

The laptop is about 6 to 8 years old we think.

Strikes me it is as you say, Sony's hook in the BIOS.
Now to figure out how to defeat that (if that's the case)... Thanks again.. Ken J.


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## vtel57 (Jul 12, 2004)

The only way I know to defeat that is to change the BIOS chip for a generic one. Good luck with that.


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## vtel57 (Jul 12, 2004)

When you boot up the Live CD, in the upper left corner shown in that pic I posted above, you should see the Applications Menu button. Click on it and it looks like this:










Choose "Terminal"


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## saikee (Jun 11, 2004)

Try This

(1) Boot up the Ubuntu CD

(2) Click terminal mode as suggested by *vtel57*

(3) Type the following at terminal to become a super user

```
sudo su
```
(4) Type the following to check the partition layout

```
fdisk -l
```
Acoording to Post #5 your Ubuntu should be in either partition No.1 or No.5. It is the one with type 83. Type 82 is a swap. Thus I assume it is called either sda1 or sda5. Say it is in device sda1 you can put Grub2 into the MBR of the hard disk (therefore bootable) by commands

```
mkdir /mnt/sda1
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/sda1
chroot /mnt/sda1
grub-install /dev/sda
exit
reboot
```
With a bit of luck you Ubuntu should boot.

------------------------

Explanation if you are interested

Root cause : It is possible you might have mis-instructed to installer to place the boot loader. It should be in the MBR or device /dev/sda.

The above is first to create a mounting point in /mnt and call it /mnt/sda1
You then mount the partition /dev/sda1 on the mounting point
You then change root into the Ubuntu partition (after chroot you are actually inside the installed Ubuntu)
The grub-install is a Grub2 command to place Grub inside the MBR.
You need to issue "exit" command to get back to the Ubuntu (CD version)

Note : Your Post #5 indicates your Ubuntu is using Ext4 filing system. Grub1 or Legacy Grub cannot read Ext4 so your bootloader has to be Grub2.


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## shoogleguy (Mar 18, 2006)

Thanks guys,
saikee, I tried the unix command line entries. It was in partition 1. the grub- install seems to take ok.
However on reboot I still have the .Operating system not found' message on the blank screen. So... I guess it must be as vtel57 suggests it's one of those Sony tricks that's embedded in the BIOS. Any easier way to prove that, and correct it?
It's been a while since I did anything like this so do you guys suggest I go to the trouble of replacing the bios chip with a generic (or maybe just re-install windoze) Thanks for all you help (and learning).


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## vtel57 (Jul 12, 2004)

You will REQUIRE the original Windows version that came with the laptop if it does prove to be a SONY proprietary issue. If you want to prove it real quick, just attempt to install a generic Windows that you may have lying around. If a standard Window installs and runs, then there is no BIOS hook on that system. I which case, you may just have an issue with an incorrectly installed Ubuntu, as Saikee suggests.


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## shoogleguy (Mar 18, 2006)

Well, because we had tried to install another Windows and it worked we didn't try that again.
Did, run through the terminal entries again and the 'grub-install' didn't actually work.
Got back this response:

No path or device specified
Try ``grub-probe --help'' for more information
Auto-detection of file system module failed
Please specify the module with the option '--module' explicitly

[email protected] /#

Just another twist; when booted off the Clean CD, then shut down and restarted with the 'Boot off local drive' option is selected, it seems to boot from the hard drive! Also did the 'terminal exercise' again and didn't change anything.
....now I'm not sure where I'm at! Getting a bit of a feel for the system (maybe).. thanks again.


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## saikee (Jun 11, 2004)

The command grub-install needs to be used with a device name and that should be /dev/sda. The full command is therefore

```
grub-install /dev/sda
```
It means install Grub in the device called sda. Since sda is the entire hard disk of the fist bootable hard disk (the 2nd is named sdb, 3rd called sdc if they exist) that is equivalent the MBR or the first sector of 512 bytes.

Also to restore Grub2 of an "installed" Linux you must be inside it. You therefore boot up a Live CD Linux A. Get into a terminal, mount the unbootable Linux B, change root into it. At this point you are inside Linux B but operating with the kernel from Linux A. The grub-install command can then restore Grub2. When complete you exit from Linux B back to Linux A. Reboot , remove the Live CD and the hard disk Linux B should boot.

Both LInux A and Linux B can be the same version of Linux like Ubuntu.

The above is a standard method to rescue an unbootable installed Linux and will work for any distro. It will also work for any boot loader too.

If you have a problem of the above an easier option is to re-install the Ubuntu. This time make sure you instruct the installer to place Grub in the MBR.


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## shoogleguy (Mar 18, 2006)

Thanks for the explanation. I think I did this with the following (as per other advice above) and maybe have made some typo.
Would you check the following to see if I have entered the commands properly; All the first steps seem to be ok but the grub-install /dev/sda gives me the rejection message as above.

I'm not that familiar with linux (unix) type systems anymore. Some experience many years ago.

mkdir /mnt/sda1
mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/sda1
chroot /mnt/sda1
grub-install /dev/sda
exit
reboot

Will reinstall ubuntu again from the Clean CD and take note that the grub goes to MBR. Keep you posted. Thanks KJ


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## saikee (Jun 11, 2004)

Your commands look OK to me.

The last time I used "grub-install" in Grub2 it also failed. I had to repeat the command twice (i.e. type "grub-install /dev/sda" more than once until it is accepted) . There may be a bug in it but it worked OK. I just checked my notes which I wrote down "not reliable needed to do it twice". May be it will work for you too.


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## shoogleguy (Mar 18, 2006)

Hi, and thanks for the suggestion to try grub-install twice. I'm pretty sure I tried that. But to continue..
We went back to re-installing WinXP, the looong process.
Now we come up with the same message as with ubuntu! 'Operating System Not Found'
this has to be the clue! I'm not that good with the boot-up sequence; it must be directing it to the wrong file.

Sony Viao GR370 is the laptop; I'm kinda suspicious that Sony has a hook in there somewhere! (BIOS, maybe?)

We looked for clues online about Sony laptops; some people has similar problems it seems but not the exact one here.
We will keep plugging away at this as time permits but it does get exasperating!

Thanks for all the help, guys.... I think I might as well mark this as 'Solved' and get back to it.


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## shoogleguy (Mar 18, 2006)

Hi everyone. We seemed to have fixed this problem.
After installing ubuntu several times and re-installing WinXP and finding that each time I could reboot with the .iso file and go into either Windows or (actually SUSE as I installed that) came to the conclusion it _had_ to be the MBR.
Went on line and dragged down Pheonix WinPhlash for VAIO, ran the utility and flashed the BIOS.
Now it boots up ok on either system.
Thanks for all your help and suggestions. Boy I hope this helps someone else someday.

sbun


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## vtel57 (Jul 12, 2004)

Great job! You'll make a great Linux Explorer. You know how to find the information needed to solve your problems yourself. That is the very definition of intelligence... it's not how much you know; it's knowing where to fine what you need to know when you need to know it.

Have FUN w/ your future adventures in Linux!


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