ERROR: Unable to determine major/minor number of root device

oboedad55 · 2011-04-21 01:42:45

Hi, after kernel updates today I get this error on boot: ERROR: Unable to determine majot/minor number of root device '/dev/sda12', then I'm kicked to a command prompt, [ramfs/]#

I have two Arch installs on this hard drive and both are affected. Fallback does the same thing. Any ideas?

Last edited by oboedad55 (2011-04-21 01:47:04)

rekado · 2011-04-21 02:06:05

What kernel version did you install? Do you use [testing]? What kind of hard disk is this?
You can still mount your disk when booting from a live medium. Then you might be able to revert to the older kernel version, if it is still in your pacman cache at /var/cache/pacman/pkg/.

(Major/minor numbers are used to determine the correct driver for a device.)

oboedad55 · 2011-04-21 02:15:52

Hi, thanks for the reply. I don't use testing. I had upgraded to kernel 2.6.38.3-1. That caused the problem, so I downgraded to the previous version, 2.6.38.2-1, andthings are OK now.

Edit: I did pacman -Syu on both systems and after upgrading pacman I let it upgrade the kernel and it seems OK now. I would like to know what happened if anyone can shed some light.

Last edited by oboedad55 (2011-04-21 02:32:47)

rekado · 2011-04-24 02:42:12

It could be that the kernel image build failed the first time you tried upgrading. Without logs it is hardly possible to find the cause, I'm afraid.

EDIT: Oh, please mark the thread as [SOLVED].

Last edited by rekado (2011-04-24 02:42:53)

Arch Linux

#1 2011-04-21 01:42:45

ERROR: Unable to determine major/minor number of root device

#2 2011-04-21 02:06:05

Re: ERROR: Unable to determine major/minor number of root device

#3 2011-04-21 02:15:52

Re: ERROR: Unable to determine major/minor number of root device

#4 2011-04-24 02:42:12

Re: ERROR: Unable to determine major/minor number of root device

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