Can't find root device

vertimyst · 2009-02-19 19:31:18

Hi,

I've recently installed 2009.02, and the installation went by smoothly, but I can't boot into my new install.

Arch starts to boot normally right up until 'Loading root filesystem module...' - it then outputs the following:

Attempting to create root device '/dev/disk/by-uuid/fa1d1e54-2806-48e1-a662-1d90ef3f42d'
ERROR: Failed to parse block device name for '/dev/disk/by-uuid/fa1d1e54-2806-48e1-a662-1d90ef3f42d'
unknown
ERROR: root fs cannot be detected.   Try using the rootfstype= kernel parameter.
Waiting for devices to settle...done.

Root device '/dev/disk/by-uuid/fa1d1e54-2806-48e1-a662-1d90ef3f42d' doesn't exist, attempting to create it
ERROR: Failed to parse block device name for '/dev/disk/by-uuid/fa1d1e54-2806-48e1-a662-1d90ef3f42d'
ERROR: Unable to create/detect root device '/dev/disk/by-uuid/fa1d1e54-2806-48e1-a662-1d90ef3f42d'
Dropping to a recovery shell... type 'exit' to reboot
NOTE: klibc contains no 'ls' binary, use 'echo *' instead

If the device '/dev/disk/by-uuid/fa1d1e54-2806-48e1-a662-1d90ef3f42d' gets created while you are here,
try adding 'rootdelay=8' or higher to the kernel command-line
ramfs$

I've installed Arch to this laptop (Toshiba Satellite Pro P100) before, several times infact, with little to no problems. This time, however, I installed it to a partition on my new external USB HDD. I used to install to my internal drive, but I don't have room there for another OS currently (dual-booting WinXP and Win7 on the internal).

I thought maybe it was because I was using the ext4 filesystem, but I reinstalled with ext3 and there's no difference.

The drive I'm installing to is a Western Digital My Book Essential Edition.

EDIT: It seems the drive turns off right about the time the error happens. I'm not sure if it's /because/ of the error, or the cause of the error. The drive has no power button - it simply powers up with the OS if plugged in.

EDIT 2: I've added rootdelay=15 to the kernel line via GRUB, and I get 'Attempting to create root device '/dev/disk/by-uuid/fa1d1e54-2806-48e1-a662-1d90ef3f42d'' then 'waiting for devices to settle...done', then the drive turns off and I get the error.

Last edited by vertimyst (2009-02-19 19:39:21)

pyther · 2009-02-19 23:10:30

What if you try something like /dev/sda1 or /dev/sdb1, etc...

vertimyst · 2009-02-20 01:54:35

What do you mean? I understand what you're referring to '/dev/sda1, etc.' - but where do you mean? In /etc/fdisk? Or whatever that config file is called, during install?

I'm fairly certain the problem is the drive's not staying on - I've read about a similar problem with the same/similar drive in Ubuntu. But I'm not sure what to do about it.

holstein · 2009-02-20 05:02:58

Please post the content of the file /etc/fstab (mount file for Linux) and /boot/grub/menu.lst (Your grub file).

Also you may read the install page of arch. I had a similar problem when I forgotten to create /dev/null, /dev/console and /dev/zero.

Try this :

Delete and recreate any device which has a different set of permissions (the crw-... stuff plus the two root entries) and mayor/minor numbers (the two before the date).

cd /newarch/dev
rm console ; mknod -m 660 console c 5 1
rm null ; mknod -m 666 null c 1 3
rm zero ; mknod -m 666 zero c 1 5

It come from : http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Off … f_packages

vertimyst · 2009-02-20 18:18:00

I was unable to access my files from Arch, since it can't load the root filesystem, but I was able to do it from Windows via the ext2fs driver - so the filesystem /is/ there.

Contents of /etc/fstab:

# 
# /etc/fstab: static file system information
#
# <file system>        <dir>         <type>    <options>          <dump> <pass>
none                   /dev/pts      devpts    defaults            0      0
none                   /dev/shm      tmpfs     defaults            0      0

#/dev/cdrom             /media/cd   auto    ro,user,noauto,unhide   0      0
#/dev/dvd               /media/dvd  auto    ro,user,noauto,unhide   0      0
#/dev/fd0               /media/fl   auto    user,noauto             0      0

UUID=9ac91e88-209f-4c60-bcf6-2cb07bc35a97 swap swap defaults 0 0
UUID=fa1d1e54-2806-48e1-a662-1d90ef31f42d / ext3 defaults 0 1

Contents of /boot/grub/menu.lst:

# Config file for GRUB - The GNU GRand Unified Bootloader
# /boot/grub/menu.lst

# DEVICE NAME CONVERSIONS 
#
#  Linux           Grub
# -------------------------
#  /dev/fd0        (fd0)
#  /dev/sda        (hd0)
#  /dev/sdb2       (hd1,1)
#  /dev/sda3       (hd0,2)
#

#  FRAMEBUFFER RESOLUTION SETTINGS
#     +-------------------------------------------------+
#          | 640x480    800x600    1024x768   1280x1024
#      ----+--------------------------------------------
#      256 | 0x301=769  0x303=771  0x305=773   0x307=775
#      32K | 0x310=784  0x313=787  0x316=790   0x319=793
#      64K | 0x311=785  0x314=788  0x317=791   0x31A=794
#      16M | 0x312=786  0x315=789  0x318=792   0x31B=795
#     +-------------------------------------------------+
#  for more details and different resolutions see
#  http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GRUB#Framebuffer_Resolution 

# general configuration:
timeout   5
default   0
color light-blue/black light-cyan/blue

# boot sections follow
# each is implicitly numbered from 0 in the order of appearance below
#
# TIP: If you want a 1024x768 framebuffer, add "vga=773" to your kernel line.
#
#-*

# (0) Arch Linux
title  Arch Linux
root   (hd1,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/disk/by-uuid/fa1d1e54-2806-48e1-a662-1d90ef31f42d ro vga=773 acpi=off
initrd /boot/kernel26.img

# (1) Arch Linux
title  Arch Linux Fallback
root   (hd1,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/disk/by-uuid/fa1d1e54-2806-48e1-a662-1d90ef31f42d ro vga=773
initrd /boot/kernel26-fallback.img

# (2) Windows
title Windows
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

I can't do the rest of your suggestion, I don't think, as most of the usual commands don't seem to work from the recovery shell, and since I can't access the root fs from Arch.

holstein · 2009-02-20 19:01:14

You can do the command from any other distro. Try to boot puppy, a minimal Linux, wich runs from RAM or from any Linux install CD. This should be easy to start since you use grub. With this you may have more possibilities. Don't forget to chroot before doing this. Look at the page linked in the post.
Check also your UUID's, may be there is a error : blkid.

Last edited by holstein (2009-02-20 19:02:55)

vertimyst · 2009-02-25 02:45:59

Well, I ended up removing Windows 7 and installing Arch to my internal drive. I'm almost positive it's the drive not staying on that was the problem - and besides, I like Arch to be portable (on my laptop rather than an external drive so I don't have to be at my desk all the time), and Win7 eats up my 512 MB of RAM.

Thanks for the help, though.

yvonney · 2009-03-17 02:23:17

YEP, weirdness here with fresh install 2009.02 via FTP

cannot find files system of external drive etc, etc

solutions???

vertimyst · 2009-03-17 02:30:29

What external drive are you guys trying to use?

yvonney · 2009-03-17 07:34:03

thank you!
yes, it's appearing that the drive itself is the only variable left to try. [um, wrong...there's plaenty more :--)]
I've slimmed down the hooks line to just pata and usb just before filesystems all the rest of course though no sata or scsi....then again perhaps it needs scsiaand not pata.. hmmm

OK... so the external I'm using is a 20 gig ARCHOS miniHD isb2 don't have the spect at this sec. and wanted to get RIGHT back to you ...hehehe all night on this one....
not sure what going on....obviously!

Last edited by yvonney (2009-03-17 23:36:16)

Arch Linux

#1 2009-02-19 19:31:18

Can't find root device

#2 2009-02-19 23:10:30

Re: Can't find root device

#3 2009-02-20 01:54:35

Re: Can't find root device

#4 2009-02-20 05:02:58

Re: Can't find root device

#5 2009-02-20 18:18:00

Re: Can't find root device

#6 2009-02-20 19:01:14

Re: Can't find root device

#7 2009-02-25 02:45:59

Re: Can't find root device

#8 2009-03-17 02:23:17

Re: Can't find root device

#9 2009-03-17 02:30:29

Re: Can't find root device

#10 2009-03-17 07:34:03

Re: Can't find root device

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