Comment 37 for bug 477104

I have exactly the same problem. After the grub update, i restarted the next day (today) and am suck in the same place starting at sh:grub>

Did what you said Augostino. Here's what I got:

ls delivered:
(loop0) (hd 0) (hd 0,5) (hd 0,3) (hd 0,2) (hd 0,1)

root delivered:
Filesystem is ext2

then typed:
cat (loop0)/boot/grub/grub.cfg and got a whole bunch of <0>'s. Like a bunch of eyes looking at me in deep pleasure of my irritation.
configfile (loop0)/boot/grub/grub.cfg

and it returned me to sh:grub>

So after typing config (loop0)/boot/grub/grub.cfg I had no 1st option to select.

Additionally, I tried:

linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-14-generic root=/dev/sda loop=/ubuntu/disks/root.disk.ro
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic
boot

I get a bunch of stuff including "Kernel Panic - not syncing: VFS:unable to mount root fs on unknown block (8,1)
I believe this is because it's trying to do it's thing from the wrong partition. It gives me a list of partitions:

0801 80293 sda1
0802 10485760 sda2
0803 231009280 sda3
0804 1 sda4
0805 2620416 sda5

I have no idea what I should be using for the /dev/sda bit. I tried sda1, sda2 and i think i also tried sda3. Nothing. Thoughts?