Linux Format forums

strummer20 · Posted: Sun Sep 12, 2010 10:25 pm Post subject: Failure to boot

HELP! Can anyone advise me? I am fairly new to linux and when i install linux mint it fails to boot, I just get an error message "initrid is too bid. failed to boot default entries." even though I can run the live disc without problems. Sad

Dutch_Master · LXF regular Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:49 am Posts: 2354

I suspect you've set your partitions too small. Allow at least 10 GB for Linux if you install it to a single partition. If you decide to have a separate /boot partition, make that at least 200 MB, preferably double.

wyliecoyoteuk · Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 8:30 am Post subject:

Might be too little memory.
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strummer20 · Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 8:54 pm Post subject:

Thanks for taking an interest in my problem but
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strummer20 · Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 8:56 pm Post subject:

I have 2 g of memory,and I let the installer set the partitions on a 200 g hardrive.javascript:emoticon(' Confused

')
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wyliecoyoteuk · Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:06 pm Post subject:

Odd, initrd is the initial ram disk.
The OS creates a ram disk and loads the kernel into it to speed up booting.

this post says that it is due to BIOS setting.
the setting is for compatibility with old video cards.
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Rhakios · Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:08 pm Post subject:

A similar error message was commonly seen in Ubuntu 9.10 for some users, there were a variety of solutions, from disabling the memory hole in the BIOS setup (could be called memory mapping in some BIOSes) to disconnecting USB drives. Depending on which version of Mint you are trying it could be based on 9.10.
Normally an initrd is not likely to be too big unless you compile your own kernel and create a custom initrd.
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strummer20 · Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:24 pm Post subject:

Thanks Wyliecoyoteuk and Rhakios, you might well be onto something there as it was MINT 8 I was trying to install and I think that was based on UBUNTU 9.10
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