Ubuntu 16 LTS stuck on boot - /dev/sda5 clean

Question

I can't properly enter the ubuntu 16.04 LTS anymore. The boot stops with this message:

/dev/sda5: clean, xxxxx/xxxxx files, xxxx/xxxxx blocks.

I've had the pc running normal for 3 years now, and 2 days ago there were a power outtage, which shutdown the pc. When the power was back on and I turned on the pc, fsck started and stopped at this line. The only possible actions that I can take is:

mannualy reboot - which will take me back to this message once the computer boots again.

ctrl + alt + F1 - which allows me to actually work with the computer in a line of command. However, with this option I can't run any kind of application that requires a GUI (gparted or gthumb, for example). But I see that all my files are preserved.

I did see a few answers to this problem, saying that the message xx/xx files xx/xx blocks is normal and it means that everything is fine, but I cannot get past this message unless I run ctrl + alt + F1, so there is clearly something wrong.

A few things that I tried:

login (via ctrl+alt+F1) and run fsck -f: returns a warning message saying that it may damage the computer.

Enter the pc via recovery mode and run the fsck for all filesystems: It stops the verification once it reaches "Reached target Swap." After this, I can only hit enter and go the recovery mode menu.

Enter the pc via recovery mode > root > hit enter (for maintenance) > run sudo fsck -f /dev/sda5

The results are:

Pass 1: Checking inodes, blocks and sizes;
Pass 2: Checking directory structure;
Pass 3: Checking directoru connectivity;
Pass 4: Checking reference counts;
Pass 5: Checking summary information;

/dev/sda5 xxx/xxx files (0.2% non-contiguous), xx/xx blocks 

Which, at this time, to me it means that the problem is still there.

I don't know what to do. Can anyone help me?

Thanks

Edit for the blkid and cat commands, as requested.

sudo blkid:

/dev/sda1: SEC_TYPE="ms-dos" LABEL="Dell Utility" UUID "5450-4444" TYPE="vfat" PARTUID="2ac21a9f-01"

/dev/sda2: LABEL="RECOVERY" UUID="964A9B734A9B4F3D" TYPE="ntfs" PARTUUID="2ac21a9f-02"

/dev/sda3: LABEL="OS" UUID="085C9DD05C9DB8C0" TYPE="ntfs" PARTUUID="2ac21a9f-03"

/dev/sda5: UUID="541386d5-b86c-41ad-bd00-d8af887358a9" TYPE="ext4" PARTUUID="2ac21a9f-05"

/dev/sda6: UUID="806ceccd-9af2-48d1-8995-4ca5e48342ba" TYPE="swap" PARTUUID="2ac21a9f-06"

cat /etc/fstab output (ignoring the first paragraph):

< file system > < mount point > < type > < options > < dump > < pass > (this line is commented)

 / was on /dev/sda5 during installation (this line is commented)

UUID=541386d5-b86c-41ad-bd00-d8af887358a9 / ext4 errors=remount -ro 0 1

 swap was on /dev/sda6 during installation (this line is commented)

UUID=806ceccd-9af2-48d1-8995-4ca5e48342ba none swap sw 0 0

Solution

Because of the "Reached target Swap" error, the problem may be related to your swap partition on your hard disk. (You shouldn't be running fsck on sda6... if you are, then that is why you're getting this error, and you can ignore the rest of this answer.)

I've reviewed your sudo blkid and cat /etc/fstab output, and they look OK... the UUID's from sda5 and sda6 match correctly.

Lets try to temporarily disable swap, and see if the machine boots fully. At the root command prompt, type:

sudo pico /etc/fstab

change this line:

UUID=806ceccd-9af2-48d1-8995-4ca5e48342ba none swap sw 0 0

to this:

#UUID=806ceccd-9af2-48d1-8995-4ca5e48342ba none swap sw 0 0

control-o # to save the edit

control-x # to exit the editor

reboot

And see if the machine will fully boot. Report back.

Note: if the machine does NOT boot fully, you'll need to reverse this edit.

Update #1:

Lets temporarily enable console logging so we can see where it stops booting. You'll reverse this process later.

At the root command prompt:

sudo pico /etc/default/grub

Find the line, near the top, that contains the words quiet splash and remove those two words. Remember where you do this, so that you can replace them later.

control-o # save the edits

control-x # exit the editor

sudo update-grub # update grub

reboot # reboot the computer

Watch where the boot stops, for errors, or for the last few lines of text, to help determine where the problem is.

Comments

[Boris Hamanov]

Get to the root command line prompt, and show me the output of sudo blkid and cat /etc/fstab and I'll take a look.

[André]

@heynnema I've eddited the post to add the output from the commands blkid and cat /etc/fstab. Don't know how to just print the screen (since I'm on a different computer) so I just typed everything.

[André]

The "reach target swap" only occured when I ran fsck from the recovery mode options (to reach this I did: Advanced options for Ubuntu > Recovery Mode > fsck - which Checks all file systems)

[André]

Adding the # did not change the boot. It still stops at /dev/sda5 xxx/xxx clean xx/xx blocks. I'll reverse the changes on the fstab file.

[Boris Hamanov]

See if hitting the ESC key when the boot stops, shows any more information.

[André]

Hitting ESC didn't do anything. The Numlock button lights up when I hit the key, but the Caps Lock and Scroll Lock does not. I left the PC turned on, on the screen /dev/sda5 clean for about 8 hours, to see if it just needed more time to finish processing whatever it is that it may need. But still nothing, I have the same screen with the blinking cursor.

[Boris Hamanov]

@André Do you have any external disk drives attached? See my answer update for the next step.

[André]

There is no external drive attached, I only have 1 HD (as far as I know). What I do have (and only know it came to me as an important information) is a windows partition installed in this machine. So I have dual boot. I'm very sorry if this info was relevant and led you to spend your time solving something that may have an easier solution otherwise. I've gone through the steps that you mentioned and there were no error messages. However, the GUI didn't open up. It left me directly on the root command line (tty1), as if I had hit ctrl+alt+F1 before (which I didn't).

[Boris Hamanov]

@André Does Windows boot properly? If the answers is YES, then just reinstall Ubuntu. Just booting to the Ubuntu Live DVD will tell you if there are other problems... and give you a chance to backup any important files.

[André]

the /dev/sda5 message no longer appears. The boot goes throught its whole route. However, it leaves me directly in the root command prompt, without going to the GUI login screen.

[André]

yes, windows boot properly.