[Solved] FATAL: Could not read from boot medium! After succe

[cjmac27]

Hi, new here and new to VirtualBox. I will try to give as much info as possible...please ask for whatever else I forget to add.

HOST: WIndows 7 pro edition
Guest: Oracle Linux 7.
VirtualBox: 4.3.12

I downloaded several versions of Virtual Box until I was finally able to get this far. I was running into many problems (that I won't get into here) with more recent versions of VirtualBox.

So, I'm basically following the following white paper: "RAC Attack - Oracle Cluster Database 12c at Home" ( It's a .pdf file and I'm on step 20)

...I was able to successfully setup and run the OEL7.iso (oracle linux install) and follow all the Install GUI steps right up to the, "You have successfully installed Oracle Linux 7. Please reboot to start using your new server."

So, I click reboot and...nothing...well, not nothing...I get "FATAL: Could not read from the boot medium! System halted."

Since I'm new to VirtualBox I was hoping I was just missing something easy. But after searching I was unable to find any resolution. I'm a little frustrated, as I've been trying to set this up for a few days now and doing all the research on errors, but I'm tapped out here.

Why did the OEL7 install complete successfully and now cannot simply reboot?

I went into the Storage setting of my OEL7 machine and the Controller IDE is now Empty...it was pointing to the .iso install file before. Is that the problem? But if I point that storage back to the .iso file it just restarts the whole install over again?

How do I point the new machine to the correct /boot folder? to start OEL7?

Thanks...please let me know if you need me to upload any trace files, file and/or attachments to help troubleshoot!

[cjmac27]

Ok...I'm replying to myself here...I was able to get to the command line by hitting F12 to enter boot mode. So, I can get access to the machine.

However, I can't get to the Oracle Linux Server 7.1 start page.

Why can I get to command line, but not have the actual GUI server startup? or how do I get the server to startup?

thanks!

[cjmac27]

Ok...sorry to keep adding here...but I think I should add the additinoal info:

After I hit F12 to get into VirtualBox tempory boot device selection page I select the following:

AHCI controller
1) Hard disk

The other options are:

f) Floppy
c) CD_ROM
l) LAN

b) Continue booting

By selecting 1 I get to the following selections to boot Linux:

Oracle Linux Server 7.1, with Linux 3.10.0-229.e17 x86_64
Oracle Linux Server 7.1, with Unbreakable Enterprise Kernel 3.8.13-55.1. < Rest of line cut off
Oracle Linux Server 7.1, with Linux 0-rescus-(very long alpha-numeric number) < rest of line cut off.

I have selected all three only to be directed to command line, where I can connect as root to the OEL7 VM...but, OEL7 will not boot up in GUI/Desktop mode.

Just to add, select either 'f', 'c' 'l' or 'b' from above list all fail with the FATAL: Could not read from the boot medium error.

How do I get to the OEL7 Desktop?!?!?!

Thanks!

[Perryg]

How do you know it was successful? You say it did not fully reboot and that is the last step to creating the guest.

Post the guest log file ( as an attachment ) and lets see where that takes us.

[Perryg]

Ok...I'm replying to myself here...I was able to get to the command line by hitting F12 to enter boot mode. So, I can get access to the machine.
However, I can't get to the Oracle Linux Server 7.1 start page.
Why can I get to command line, but not have the actual GUI server startup? or how do I get the server to startup?
thanks!

The install will give you an option to install the desktop, but by default it is only a server. If you miss a step in the install you have two options. Install again over the one you have or add the desktop after, but all of this is outside the scope of this forum as it is dealing with the specific guest OS.

[cjmac27]

thanks for the quick reply! I'm going to try re-installing the OEL7 VM. This may take some time, but I'll let you know either way how it goes. Must have missed the config option for desktop.

[cjmac27]

ok...the re-install of the OEL7 VM worked.

Now, after the install completed and asked me for a reboot, it rebooted OEL7 successfully and after some configuration steps, then the GNOME desktop came up.

What a relief.

Thanks for the suggestion. Man this took a long time.