Arch Linux

Shagbag

Member

Registered: 2006-10-25

Posts: 259

Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount... [SOLVED]

I'm new to Arch.
I installed the Arch 0.7.2 base packages.
I got to the command line.
I ran packman -Syu and it updated my packages.
As part of the update it replaced some packages with some new ones.  I don't remember which ones and I'm kicking myself for not writing them down.
I then left my PC and went to work.  I did not shutdown -r now before leaving, ie. my PC was on all day while I was out.
I came back to it and the screen was completely black, as if some kind of 'screen saver' was in operation (even though I haven't installed X).
I pressed keys, fiddled with the mouse, etc. to try to get the screen back and I waited several seconds until I became impatient and held down the power key to power it off.
I then rebooted and, after a load of commands whizzed by on the screen I got to the following error:

"No filesystem could not mount root, tried:
Kernel panic - not syncing : VFS : Unable to mount root fs on unknown block (0,0)"

I fear that I've totally shagged my install due to my impatience.  Is this the case?  Will I have to re-install Arch from scratch?  Or is there something I can do?

I am a n00b at configuration :oops: but if someone can help me out I'd really appreciate it.  I am loathed to re-install Arch from scratch not because it will take some time, but because I'd rather understand what I did wrong and how I can fix it.

Any help will be appreciated.

Romashka

Forum Fellow

Registered: 2005-12-07

Posts: 1,054

Re: Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount... [SOLVED]

Shagbag: either you use lilo instead of grub, or something went wrong when generating initcpio.

See here:
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ker … t_Problems
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Res … oot_loader

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to live is to die

Shagbag

Member

Registered: 2006-10-25

Posts: 259

Re: Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount... [SOLVED]

Thanks guys!  It did the trick.

It was my GRUB configuration.

I've changed it as follows and it seems to be working a treat!

#hda13, Arch Linux
title   hda13 Arch Linux (2.6.16.16-1)
root    (hd0,12)
kernel  /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/hda13 ro
#initrd  /boot/initrd26.img
initrd    /boot/kernel26.img

Everything is back to normal and I'm no longer climbing the walls.  My wife's happy.  My computer's happy.  I'm happy.  We're all happy!      

Can anyone tell me how I label this thread "[Solved]"?

Romashka

Forum Fellow

Registered: 2005-12-07

Posts: 1,054

Re: Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount... [SOLVED]

Can anyone tell me how I label this thread "[Solved]"?

Just edit your first post and change its subject.
But I see it's already done.

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to live is to die

jazzi

Member

From: Xiamen

Registered: 2006-10-30

Posts: 57

Re: Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount... [SOLVED]

I got the same problem with you after I upgraded my system,thanks for your sharing,and now it works fine.
Thanks again.

Romashka

Forum Fellow

Registered: 2005-12-07

Posts: 1,054

Re: Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount... [SOLVED]

I think all that had such problem missed warning message during install about initrd26.img to kernel26.img change.

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to live is to die