Unable to determine major/minor number root device /dev/sda [SOLVED]

combuster · 2010-08-26 11:36:30

Well I always used to keep /dev/sd** in fstab instead of uuid and labels, but AFAIK the op tried that already...

graysky · 2010-08-26 22:00:14

Finally! Acknowledgments to Pontus Ekberg (HerrEkberg). The problem is with the 2.6.35.x kernel! Downgraded to kernel26-lts and booted right up. See: http://bugs.archlinux.org/task/20614

ianw1974 · 2010-08-31 07:46:16

This is a complete joke. I tried installing Arch again after a long time not using and yet still see problems. Every other distro works fine, so why Arch has to be so damn complicated? Even Gentoo is better than this.

I shouldn't have to jump through hoops to get a system up and running. If you can't even install a system without problems, what hope have you got?

I also had this today after an install, and no matter of using ext2, ext3, ext4, it can't recognise the device and start my system. Seriously disappointing and waste of time.

Sorry for the rant, but I thought Arch would have gotten better by now. And if other distros can work fine, it's obvious this problem is with the way Arch is implemented.

Hessiess · 2010-09-02 10:15:21

Now I'm experiencing this problem after a kernel update. Attempted to rollback the kernel, but must have done something wrong, or dont have a package from before the problem was introduced(don't reboot often).

Running on hp dv2000 laptop.

Last edited by Hessiess (2010-09-02 10:24:48)

kvn · 2010-09-18 14:06:47

Upgraded my kernel just a few moments ago with pacman -Syu. Now I can't boot with the same message. I do also have an ASUS motherboard like the OP. Everything was running fine until the update/reboot. Tried to chroot and rollback the kernel but I have no previous kernel in cache

What to do :<

[SOLVED]
followed this instruction: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php … 22#p767322

basically, boot with arch cd, get into a chroot environment, edit /etc/mkinitcpio.conf

remove "autodetect" from hooks, save, then regenerate the image by mkinitcpio -p kernel2. reboot. back to normal.

Last edited by kvn (2010-09-18 14:42:26)

Vikerness · 2010-12-26 00:41:14

Hi. I got the same problem as the op. Motherboard is Asus P5K.

Waiting 10 seconds for device /dev/sda3 ...
Root device doesnt exist
ERROR: Unable to determine major/minor number of root device '/dev/sda3'.

But it doesnt happened all the time! Sometimes i can boot just fine, other times i get this error, so i just restart my system until it boots
I tried removing "autodetect" from hooks (HOOKS="base udev pata scsi sata filesystems") and regenerating the image but nothing changed. What can i do?

Edit: fstab

# /etc/fstab: static file system information
#
# <file system>        <dir>         <type>    <options>          <dump> <pass>
devpts                 /dev/pts      devpts    defaults            0      0
shm                    /dev/shm      tmpfs     nodev,nosuid        0      0
/dev/sda3 / ext4 defaults 0 1
/dev/sda4 swap swap defaults 0 0

# sda = sata
/dev/sda1              /media/sda1     ntfs-3g   gid=users,umask=0000 0     0
/dev/sda2              /media/sda2     ntfs-3g   gid=users,umask=0000 0     0

# sdb = ide
/dev/sdb1              /media/sdb1     ntfs-3g   gid=users,umask=0000 0     0
/dev/sdb5              /media/sdb2     ntfs-3g   gid=users,umask=0000 0     0

Last edited by Vikerness (2010-12-26 01:03:31)

Vikerness · 2010-12-28 04:12:46

Bump. sda is sata and sdb is ide. Question: What if i rebuild the image with HOOKS="base udev autodetect sata filesystems" ? Without pata and scsi? Why are they even there, maybe those are the culprit ?
.
.
.
EDIT: FIXED by disconnecting the drive from the intel sata controller and connecting it to the jmicron one. YEY !

Last edited by Vikerness (2010-12-30 07:46:23)

NaX_sa · 2011-02-16 20:52:00

I have the exact same problem but my problem is a little stranger.

I have a fully working system that was recently upgraded, but I also installed kernel26-pae 2.6.37-5 from AUR and I added to my grub menu list two additional entries for the pae kernels.

This way I could boot into my original generic kernels if the pae kernels did not work.

Well both pae kernels including the fallback pae image gives this same error and then dumps me into a root shell.

A uname -a on my working original kernel gives me this

2.6.37-ARCH #1 SMP PREEMPT Sat Jan 29 19:40:04 UTC 2011 i686 Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU M 620 @ 2.67GHz GenuineIntel GNU/Linux

Everything I have read points to a regresion/bug in 2.6.35 sata_sil but I am running 2.6.37 and installed kernel26-pae 2.6.37-5. It is possible to have the same regression so close together. Or could this be something else just with the same error.

FYI: I am a little new to Arch. I have been able to get my Dell working 100% excluding a few things including PAE, but I have never messed around with mkinitcpio or manually re-built my kernel.

Jacob · 2011-02-16 22:16:52

Hi,

I want to re-enforce that 2.6.37 left my system unbootable too. The solution was to downgrade to 2.6.36 from a usb recovery stick.

Upon booting 2.6.37, my kernel would not find sda (or any partition on it). The kernel26 upgrade went without problem, and no sign was given as to a problem until the reboot.

I am up and running again with kernel26-2.6.36 and associated kernel headers. I will monitoring kernel changelogs (on kernel.org) for patch, as should have been done by package manager to prevent this.

Jacob

NaX_sa · 2011-02-17 21:00:16

I think I found something that might help some more experienced users resolve this issue.
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=108624

It looks like mkinitcpio could be at fault, but it does not make much sense to me.

DoDoENT · 2011-07-02 11:21:22

Hello folks!

I've got the same problem with my 2.6.39 kernel if I switch my SATA controller into AHCI mode in BIOS settings. After switching to AHCI mode, Arch fails to boot with the message "Unable to determine major/minor number root device /dev/sda" or "Unable to determine major/minor number root device UUID=<my_UUID>", and Windows 7 throws a BSOD.

By switching back SATA controller to IDE mode, everything works normally.

At the time of setting up my computer I didn't understand the difference between IDE and ACHI mode, so I chose IDE because it sounded more familiar (yes, I'm stupid ). Now I've learnt that in order to use TRIM (or discard) feature for my SSD, I should put the SATA controller into AHCI mode, and after putting it into ACHI mode, no OS boots.

If I don't find a solution for this error without the need of reinstalling my OSes, I'll reinstall them in hope that after reinstalling everything will work fine. Any other ideas on how to solve that issue without reinstalling all my OSes (for Windows I'm sure that reinstall will be needed - but at least I would like to save my self from reinstalling Arch)?

My motherboard is ASUS P7P55 LX.

Arch Linux

#26 2010-08-26 11:36:30

Re: Unable to determine major/minor number root device /dev/sda [SOLVED]

#27 2010-08-26 22:00:14

Re: Unable to determine major/minor number root device /dev/sda [SOLVED]

#28 2010-08-31 07:46:16

Re: Unable to determine major/minor number root device /dev/sda [SOLVED]

#29 2010-09-02 10:15:21

Re: Unable to determine major/minor number root device /dev/sda [SOLVED]

#30 2010-09-18 14:06:47

Re: Unable to determine major/minor number root device /dev/sda [SOLVED]

#31 2010-12-26 00:41:14

Re: Unable to determine major/minor number root device /dev/sda [SOLVED]

#32 2010-12-28 04:12:46

Re: Unable to determine major/minor number root device /dev/sda [SOLVED]

#33 2011-02-16 20:52:00

Re: Unable to determine major/minor number root device /dev/sda [SOLVED]

#34 2011-02-16 22:16:52

Re: Unable to determine major/minor number root device /dev/sda [SOLVED]

#35 2011-02-17 21:00:16

Re: Unable to determine major/minor number root device /dev/sda [SOLVED]

#36 2011-07-02 11:21:22

Re: Unable to determine major/minor number root device /dev/sda [SOLVED]

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