Kernel panic! Not syncing VFS

Lunnie · #1 10th June 2010, 04:59 PM

Hi! I've been using Linux for a few years, but this is my first time using Fedora. I installed it on an old computer last night and rebooted, and everything seemed good. I let it start to install updates, but after they were about half done I stopped it, turned the computer off, and went to bed. I know that was stupid of me, and I'm afraid it screwed something up because now when I boot I get the error "kernel panic-not syncing VFS:unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(0,0)".

When I looked up the error on Google it seems a lot of people get this after installing a kernel incorrectly, so could stopping the update in the middle perhaps screwed with my kernel? Could I simply chroot into the installation from the live CD and run 'yum install kernel26'?

Thank you! :-)

forkbomb · #2 10th June 2010, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lunnie

Could I simply chroot into the installation from the live CD and run 'yum install kernel26'?

Well, besides the fact that there's no package named "kernel26"...

I'd chroot in from a LiveCD and try running a full update ('yum update'). Any number of things could have been screwed up by interrupting the update.

Lunnie · #3 10th June 2010, 05:23 PM

Alright, I'm having some trouble chrooting into the install. When I run fdisk -l, I have /dev/sda1 and /dev/sda2. I assume /dev/sda1 is /boot, and so I followed what this site says to do to mount LVM partitions, when I run lvdisplay I see all the logical volumes but when I try mounting it mount complains that the special device doesn't exist.

Thank you very much for the help!

e: Nevermind, I got it. How do I do a full system update with yum? Just yum update right?

And another random question, if I need a more recent version of a program than what's in the Fedora repos, is there any "proper" way of going about that, or will I just have to compile it from source?

forkbomb · #4 10th June 2010, 05:32 PM

yum update

Lunnie · #5 10th June 2010, 05:50 PM

Everything updated fine, but when I rebooted I still got the same error. Should I try anything else before I just reinstall?

forkbomb · #6 10th June 2010, 05:55 PM

It's possible it's a regression with the latest kernel. You should have multiple kernels maintained by yum (2 is the default I believe). See if you can boot the old one.

(You'll likely have to edit the /boot/grub/grub.conf file because of the moronic defaults of the Fedora grub config.)

SlowJet · #7 10th June 2010, 06:08 PM

I got this with a f13 vbox system after it crashed right at the end of the kernel update.
It truncated the grub line and did not finish the kernel install.

So try booting up in a recovery cd and
1. ckfs the ext fs unmounted.
2. restart the recovery and do the chroot
. rpm -e the bad kernel
. re-install the new kernel

or boot up with the older kernel and do

. rpm -e the bad kernel
. re-install the new kernel
restart

SJ

Lunnie · #8 10th June 2010, 06:20 PM

I tried using the old kernel and got the same problem. Thanks for the help, but I think I'm just going to reinstall. I didn't have anything on it anyway.

When I reinstall, I'm going to need the latest version of Wine - even newer than what's in the repos. Will I just be able to compile the latest version + whatever dependencies it has?

SlowJet · #9 10th June 2010, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lunnie

I tried using the old kernel and got the same problem. Thanks for the help, but I think I'm just going to reinstall. I didn't have anything on it anyway.

When I reinstall, I'm going to need the latest version of Wine - even newer than what's in the repos. Will I just be able to compile the latest version + whatever dependencies it has?

Well, my vbox system would not boot with the old kernel either, but I just had to copy the vdi bak and boot again.

One topic per thread.
compile newer wine in Fedora with SELinux and a gnc-4.4.4.7 compiler?
I double dog dare ya.

SJ

Lunnie · #10 10th June 2010, 06:57 PM

Are you saying I won't be able to? That'd be a shame, the whole reason I need this computer is to play Starcraft on it, and LAN doesn't work with the version of Wine in the Fedora repos.

SlowJet · #11 10th June 2010, 07:01 PM

No, I'm saying I don't know but give it a try.

SJ

Lunnie · #12 11th June 2010, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlowJet

No, I'm saying I don't know but give it a try.

SJ

It was quite easy. Just download the source, install gcc, make, bison, flex, libxf86-devel libraries and freefont-devel libraries and then run ./tools/wineinstall.

Also, anyone who wants to play Starcraft over LAN, make sure the firewall in Fedora is either disabled or set to allow other computers to connect.