Arch Linux

azwethinkweiz

Member

Registered: 2007-01-25

Posts: 101

/dev/sda3 not detected

OK, so today I bought a machine that was somewhat custom built. I have 2 hard drives installed on the machine. One with Windows XP which is what the guy put in there, and my old one that has Arch on it. Everything starts to boot for Arch then as soon as the verbose output for the Arch boot begins I'm told this:
Cant find the root device: /dev/sda3
or somethng very similar to that anyway...the main idea is there.
Anyone got any ideas? Id really like to do this without reinstalling so I can save the data on the drive. Im sure it can be done, Im just not sure how.

---

"The hardest thing is rendering a moment moving to fast to endure"

samoturk

Member

From: Ljubljana, Slovenia

Registered: 2007-02-12

Posts: 86

Re: /dev/sda3 not detected

Your root partition isn't /dev/sda3 anymore but it is something else. It could be /dev/sdb3 or /dev/hda3 or something else.

System can be saved if you are using grub.

When grub loads press "e" to edit kernel line. Change root=/dev/sda3 to root=/dev/hda3 (or sdb3), press enter and then "b" to boot. When system boots you will get maintainance mode. Remount / and then edit your /etc/fstab. You have to change all sda* to hda* (or sdb*). You should also edit /boot/grub/menu.lst. Change root=/dev/sda3 to root=/dev/hda3(or sdb3).

To avoid this type of problems look at this: http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Per … ice_naming

azwethinkweiz

Member

Registered: 2007-01-25

Posts: 101

Re: /dev/sda3 not detected

Well I truied this man, it didnt work. So I broke down and tried a fresh install. The hard drive is now sdb instead of sda, so I installed there, and when I boot after install it says something about bad string or root name in the kernel line...something like that. I installed it exactly as I always have...however this is a differant machine. Intel Celeron D processor just as my old machine. Anyone got any ideas?

Btw...if you need it Ill try to boot and and get the exact error its giving me. Im just hoping somone may have seen this issue before and know what to do. Thanks guys, arch forums have always had the fastest and most accurate responses of any distro in my opinion, they have been invaluable tool for me so far, and Im sure will continue to be

---

"The hardest thing is rendering a moment moving to fast to endure"

azwethinkweiz

Member

Registered: 2007-01-25

Posts: 101

Re: /dev/sda3 not detected

OK...heres an update on this issue. Since I couldnt get Arch t install correctly I thought Id try installing Ubuntu on the hard drive and if that worked Id install Arch over it. I dont know if thats even logical but it made sense in my head. Well. heres the thing it worked. But heres the problem, when I install Linux(any distro) on the 2nd hard drive my eth0 device just disappears. Windows can't see it either, now obviously when I boot Windows it will detect new hardware install the device and the driver and I reboot and windows shows the device fine. But as soon as I boot Linux from the other hard drive the device disappears again. I'd really like to get this working, but I'm dumbfounded by this one. I dont have the exact specs on the mobo handy but Windows shows the device as this:
VIA RhineII Fast Ethernet Adapter #2
Any one got any suggestions?

---

"The hardest thing is rendering a moment moving to fast to endure"

zenlord

Member

From: Belgium

Registered: 2006-05-24

Posts: 1,221

Website

Re: /dev/sda3 not detected

I guess the latest problem just 'shows' two unrelated problems together.

Wait a minute - http://www.elearnit.de/knoppix/forum/vi … a8f27f2a0f

This german post (last one) mentions firmwaretrouble with these chips that windows indeed needs to reinstall the drivers each time one has booted linux... Firmware/BIOS upgrade if possible?

Zl.

azwethinkweiz

Member

Registered: 2007-01-25

Posts: 101

Re: /dev/sda3 not detected

I guess the latest problem just 'shows' two unrelated problems together.

Wait a minute - http://www.elearnit.de/knoppix/forum/vi … a8f27f2a0f

This german post (last one) mentions firmwaretrouble with these chips that windows indeed needs to reinstall the drivers each time one has booted linux... Firmware/BIOS upgrade if possible?

Zl.

Well theres only one problem now. That would be the problem with the eth0 device. I thank you for your help, but I dont speak or read German, so if theres anyway you could translate that, that'd be great.

---

"The hardest thing is rendering a moment moving to fast to endure"

zenlord

Member

From: Belgium

Registered: 2006-05-24

Posts: 1,221

Website

Re: /dev/sda3 not detected

Well, everything it says in german is also translated... in my post - I know it's not very informative, but a firmware upgrade (probably through BIOS flash if your eth0 is onboard your motherboard) is the only solution to your problem.

Zl.

dmartins

Member

Registered: 2006-09-23

Posts: 360

Re: /dev/sda3 not detected

A map of your partitions and the actual GRUB error you are getting might help us diagnose your problem!