Revision 2 as of 2012-07-12 18:52:47

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Introduction

A Boot-Info is a diagnosis report that helps detecting anomalies in your system or boot parameters. It is a kind of "instant picture of your system", it is not a backup.

On the Ubuntu forums, you will often be asked to indicate your Boot-Info, in order to help people understand your problem.

Here is how to do it very easily:

Procedure

Step 1 - Boot on a liveCD or liveUSB

Boot your computer either on:

- a Ubuntu live-CD or live-USB, then choose "Try Ubuntu", then go to Step 2 below.

- or a Ubuntu-Secure-Remix liveCD or liveUSB (which will lead you automatically to Step 3 below)

- or a Boot-Repair-Disk (this is the most convenient as it will lead you automatically to Step 4 below)

Step 2 - Install Boot-Repair in the live-session

Once in the Ubuntu live session, install Boot-Repair this way:

  • Connect internet
  • Open a terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and type :

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:yannubuntu/boot-repair && sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install -y boot-repair && boot-repair

Step 3 - Run Boot-Repair

Launch Boot-Repair from either :

- the Dash (Ubuntu 11.04 and next): click the Ubuntu logo in the top-left corner of the screen, then type boot and click on the Boot-Repair icon that will appear.

- or System->Administration->Boot-Repair menu (Ubuntu 10.04)

- or by typing boot-repair in a terminal

Step 4 - Click the right button

Click on the Create a Boot Info summary button:

http://pix.toile-libre.org/upload/original/1335260967.png

Step 5 - Note the Boot-Info URL on a paper

When the information gathering is finished, note on a paper the URL (paste.ubuntu.com/XXXXXX/) that appears, then indicate this URL to people who help you by email or forum.

http://pix.toile-libre.org/upload/original/1335261480.png

Remarks

- the Boot-Info is an instant "picture" of your main system parameters. It does not change your system files. You can redo this procedure any times you want.

- if internet was not connected during the procedure, Boot-Repair will not indicate an URL, but will display the Boot-Info in a text viewer (this is less convenient than the URL, as you will have to copy-paste the content of this file on the forums). If you can, connect internet then redo the procedure in order to get an URL.

- if you forgot to note the URL, redo the procedure.

- once you indicated the URL to someone, people will only have to open this URL in their web browser to see the content of the report.

- the Boot-Info report created by Boot-Repair is more detailed than the one you can obtain via Boot-Info-Script.

- at the bottom of the Boot-Info is indicated the type of repair which would be performed if you click on the Recommended Repair button, eg:

recommendedrepair
This setting would reinstall the grub2 of sda2 into the MBR of sda.

- if you click on the Recommended Repair button, Boot-Repair will perform these repair operations, then display a full Boot-Info containing also the log of the repair (which allow to detect some problems that would not be seen via a standard Boot-Info, eg a Flexnet error).

- do NOT change the Advanced Options of Boot-Repair if you have not be invited to.

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