[SOLVED] Do not hibernate desktop!

occam · 2010-04-17 02:24:37

My system had started behaving strangely - the ctrl key started a KHelp session, that could not be removed and automatically switched to whatever desktop I tried, so I did pacman -Suy in case last update had included a bad version on some KDE component. Then I was going to restart KDE (just in case) - but carelessly had the mouse click on "hibernate" when I left my session.
This REALLY was a bad mistake: the computer went into a cycle of off/on/off/... until I used the physical power switch.
After powering on again Arch would not boot - it got stuck between booting CPU1 and CPU2(?).
Well, manipulating the BIOS fixed that problem, but now the system could not find the Arch root partition!

Booting into memtest worked even when only one CPU was working(?), and booting into Slackware (32bit) instead of Arch (64bit) works. Slackware has no problems finding and reading the Arch root partition, so the problem is not the memory (tested that); or the 2 CPUs (work in Slackware, as shown by gkrellm); or the hard disk and the Arch root partition (can read that now from Slackware).

Now I would dearly love some suggestions on how to restore a working Arch (64bit). Or is any 64bit system impossible now?
Of course, if/when I get Arch running again I am going to remove that menu option!!

Last edited by occam (2010-04-17 22:08:11)

occam · 2010-04-17 07:44:51

Further to the above: 64bit Ubuntu (64bit) works ok, but Windows XP (32 bit) derails during boot, and goes to reboot.
fsck on the Arch root partition finds no errors.
Arch apparently starts both CPUs - but still cannot find its root partition!

So my revised question is: ANY suggestions on how to get my Arch running again - or do I have to "reload OS" (as if it were Windows).

By the way, KMail filter operation misbehaves in this Arch, as it has done in other Arch and Slackware installations..

IncredibleLaser · 2010-04-17 08:14:51

What's the error message? Did you try to modify your GRUB line for Arch?

tomk · 2010-04-17 10:01:00

Sounds like an initramfs problem - try the fallback init image. If that works, regenerate your default image. If fallback doesn't work, chroot in from salck and regenerate your default image.

occam · 2010-04-17 10:01:33

The first abnormal lines I can see are

Waiting 10 seconds for device /dev/sdb5
Root device '/dev/sdb5' doesn't exist. Attempting to create it
ERROR: Unable to determine major/minor number of root device '/dev/sdb5'

followed by some informational lines (what will happen next) and then

can't access tty

and finally the computer stops..

I have not changed anything in the GRUB menu.lst since 9/1/10.

occam · 2010-04-17 10:06:09

tomk: this seems to fit the symptoms. I will try that tomorrow - it is too late for me to do any good work now (after a good dinner with nice wine).

occam · 2010-04-17 22:07:42

That did it; Arch works again. Both the fallback image, and a newly built image worked - but both copies (in /boot and /mnt/boot) of the image created after the last kernel update are bad.
Of course, Windows still does not work but so what?
Now to remove the 'hibernate' option!!

Arch Linux

#1 2010-04-17 02:24:37

[SOLVED] Do not hibernate desktop!

#2 2010-04-17 07:44:51

Re: [SOLVED] Do not hibernate desktop!

#3 2010-04-17 08:14:51

Re: [SOLVED] Do not hibernate desktop!

#4 2010-04-17 10:01:00

Re: [SOLVED] Do not hibernate desktop!

#5 2010-04-17 10:01:33

Re: [SOLVED] Do not hibernate desktop!

#6 2010-04-17 10:06:09

Re: [SOLVED] Do not hibernate desktop!

#7 2010-04-17 22:07:42

Re: [SOLVED] Do not hibernate desktop!

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