F10 "Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(0,0)

[rcocchiararo]

Hello

I'm new to this community, and new to fedora (not that new to linux tho)

I downloaded the installation cds (i wanted to make a "small" linux server at home, and i was going to use Debian, since that was what i knew, but since i will need to install Fedora to replace an old redhat at work in the furute, so i decided to try fedora at home to get some practice. And since its an "old" pc i got together with old parts, i have no dvd) and installed with no problem once, but i got the error in the title after rebooting. That time i used the default partitioning.

Next time i partitioned by hand:

sda0 200mb /boot
sda1 30000mb /
sda2 2048mb SWAP

The computer is:
athlon XP 1700+
1gb ddr400
ati 7200 pci VGA
40gb matrox IDE hdd
cdrom

I did A LOT of googling and i searched here too, to "no avail" (i did "learn" a lot)
using the rescue mode in the installation cd i went to inspect my grub.conf

it said something like:

root (0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.27.5-117.f10.i686 ro root=/dev/sda2 rhgb quiet

there was more stuff BEFORE that, wich i dont remember, but there was nothing after it.

for some reason i think that it should say "root (0,1)", but changinf it to that ended up with another "error" telling me that "file not found"
i then removed the "quiet" option and got a longuer message:

VFS: Cannot open root device "sda2"or unknown-block(0,0)
Please append a correct "root=" boot option; here are the available partitions:
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(0,0)

I continued researching and found that there was no initrd****.img on my /boot partition.
and of course, no initrd line in grub.conf

i tried makeing it with:

mkinitrd /boot/initrd-($uname -r).img (uname -r)

i tried that in rescue mode, and i got an error telling me that:
/sbin/mkinitrd: line 51: /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions: No such file or directory

then i tried the same command after using su, and the same happened.

i then tried:
mkinitrd /boot/initrd-2.6.27.5-117.f10.i686.img 2.6.27.5-117.f10.i686
after using su, and it spitted many errors:

/sbin/mkinitrd: line 51: /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions: No such file or directory
/sbin/mkinitrd: line 312: get_numeric_dev: command not found
/sbin/mkinitrd: line 312: get_numeric_dev: command not found
cp: cannot stat `/lib/udev/console_init': No such file or directory

but the initrd-2.6.27.5-117.f10.i686.img file was created, i added the line to grub.conf, but i once again got the error complaining that the file didnt exist (with root (0,0) and root (0,1) )

now im out of ideas :P

PD: some info might not be acurate here, but i used examples from this forum for executing the commands, so even if they are wrong here, cause i used my memory for writing this, they were probably right when i used them.
PD2: i checked my system memory and CPU with varioous memtest programs, and MPRIME, and the hdd was checked too, and it was working fine on a windows install until i took it for this

EDIT: now i see that the command uname -r says my kernel is 2.6.27.5-117.f10.i586
but in grub the .i686 is mentioned. Is that correct ? in /lib/modules one corresponding to .i686 is present too.

[rcocchiararo]

buu
i was hoping someone would have given me some light by the time i came back

[rcocchiararo]

i updated the info after running the commands again and after checking some stuff.

now it should be acurate.

no i will try downloading the headers for the .i586 kernel

[rcocchiararo]

well... some "progress"

the file not found when i added the initrd-*.img (made with errors) was because i was puting this into grub.conf:

initrd /boot/initrd-*.img

but i had to put:

initrd /initrd-*.img

because i have a boot partition.

now i was able to see fedora "loading bar". but it hangs on a full white bar

pressing some key displays the last actions performed, the last being:

Switching to new root and running init.

[rcocchiararo]

i used a live cd and created an initrd.img with no error and still hangs on the same plase

will install again but with the live cd (since i have only 2 rewritable cds, installing with the full cd set is a pain :P ), since i give up in trying to fix this.

[bmwpingvinen]

Hi rcocchiararo,
I have exactly the same problem as you have.. No comfort maybe, but at least you are not alone. I have now done 5 full installs with different file system configs, to no avail. I also install from the 6 fedora 10 CD's I just downloaded and burnt. This in on a PC that run an earlier fedora version. The install is fine, but it always stops at the reboot.I have installed RH and fedora many times before, but never saw this. Can it be a flaw with the CD version, so it works different than the DVD? I don't have a DVD on that system, maybe I could find one somewhere...

I got a glimpse of hope when I saw this thread, and I still hope someone can shed a light on this problem!

regards, and thanks in advance to any bright minds out there :-)

[rcocchiararo]

i was able to install (and boot) from the live cd, but i WANT to use the installation cds :P

is there any way to install from a hard disk ? i have a 6 gb and another unknown gb hdd laying arround, and at least the 6gb one works.

i want to install this for server (home server :P) purposes, so i want to customize whats installed.

The sad part is that the installation that will come for my job, will be on CD too, since the server there has no dvd...

[rcocchiararo]

Reinstalled with default partitioning options, still the same problem...

initrd is not made, and i would asume that ide/hdd/whatever drivers are not in the kernel, and GG to my attempt to use fedora...

[bmwpingvinen]

I suspect the CD set to be guilty of this, will try to get a DVD-rom for the box and install from the DVD.

[arvinddeshpande]

Hi rcocchiararo,
I have exactly the same problem as you have.. No comfort maybe, but at least you are not alone. I have now done 5 full installs with different file system configs, to no avail. I also install from the 6 fedora 10 CD's I just downloaded and burnt. This in on a PC that run an earlier fedora version. The install is fine, but it always stops at the reboot.I have installed RH and fedora many times before, but never saw this. Can it be a flaw with the CD version, so it works different than the DVD? I don't have a DVD on that system, maybe I could find one somewhere...

I got a glimpse of hope when I saw this thread, and I still hope someone can shed a light on this problem!

regards, and thanks in advance to any bright minds out there :-)

You could download DVD version and then host it on NFS server or HTTP server on your network. Then loopmount DVD ISO ( man mount search for loop ) copy the vmlinuz kernel and corresponding initrd.img file ( they are in isolinux folder on DVD or better copy the isolinux folder to /boot )
Make an entry in the /etc/grub.conf which is almost milar to your previous grub entry except locations of vmlinuz file and corresponding initrd.img file. Boot with this option. After few clicks in installation process you will be asked NFS server and ISO PATH. Once that is done you could install from DVD.

Google for "Linux NFS install"

[arvinddeshpande]

i used a live cd and created an initrd.img with no error and still hangs on the same plase

will install again but with the live cd (since i have only 2 rewritable cds, installing with the full cd set is a pain :P ), since i give up in trying to fix this.

Why you want to creat initrd? Is it not there already in your /boot directory? Can you use the same one instead of creating a whole new one?

[arvinddeshpande]

i was able to install (and boot) from the live cd, but i WANT to use the installation cds :P

is there any way to install from a hard disk ? i have a 6 gb and another unknown gb hdd laying arround, and at least the 6gb one works.

i want to install this for server (home server :P) purposes, so i want to customize whats installed.

The sad part is that the installation that will come for my job, will be on CD too, since the server there has no dvd...

Looks like you might have WinXP or something similar as well. Recently I did install "cygwin" on winXP then NFS Server under winXP and hosted DVD on Windows box. I did NFS install from that as described above. When no DVD/CD network is always useful ;-)

HTH

[rcocchiararo]

will have to learn how to do that :P

i have vista, xp, and nothing more right now (the partitions where debian and osx where were just formated and i didnt have time ro reinstall them).

[bmwpingvinen]

Very good tip arvinddeshpande, I'll keep that in mind!

For now I jut borrowed a DVDrom and installed from the DVD I already had downloaded and burned earlier (berfore I discovered that the box I was installing on could not read it...).
Tada..! After the install, fedora boots right up! No problems whatsoever!
imho that supports my theory that there is something wrong with the CD edition.

Go for the DVD install rcocchiararo! And someone tell fedora to fix the CD edition download?
Thanks everyone!

[rcocchiararo]

well, dvd install is not doable here, my friends/relatives/known people relay on me for everything pc related, no one has a dvdrw unit (or dvd reader for that matter), and i have 2 here, but both ara SATA, and the pc im using has no sata conectors :P

for now i installed from the live cd and ill try to install the stuf that surely was left out.
i may try the network install later, i have a lot to learn for that i think.