Home partition not mounting

mizogs · 2010-06-04 10:33:26

I have Arch on sda2 with a separate home partition on sda3 and everything was running OK

On boot yesterday text rolls up as usual - then after udev starts there is a message "Mounting local files systems - local mount point /home does not exist".

I then end up at a kdm login screen but no working keyboard so have to use the mouse to get to a console login where the keyboard works. If I startx as root (root can run this on my system) it brings a message "Kstartupconfig4 does not exist or fails error code 3" I am then at a screen with 3 terminals showing (maybe TWM?) but again no keyboard.

From the root console /dev/sda3 wont mount, it returns "/home does not exist." If I create a dummy /home/username directory on sda2 (the root partition) the system will load as normal and I can access my files on sda3 through Dolphin /home. But this can't be a permanent solution.

I checked pacman log for the last two system upgrades and couldn't see anything that would cause problems. I also ran a new system upgrade .

line from rc.conf~~~~~~~~~~

DAEMONS=(syslog-ng hal @network @netfs @crond @webmin @cups)

Contents of fstab~~~~~~~~~~~

# /etc/fstab: static file system information
# <file system> <dir> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
devpts /dev/pts devpts defaults 0 0
shm /dev/shm tmpfs nodev,nosuid 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

/dev/sda2 / ext4 defaults 0 1
/dev/sda3 /home ext4 defaults 0 1
/dev/sda8 swap swap defaults 0 0

# mount my Win& files
/dev/sdb2/ /mnt/filesW7 ntfs auto,uid=1000,gid=100,exec 0 1
#

contents of mtab~~~~~~~~~

/dev/sda2 / ext4 rw 0 0
udev /dev tmpfs rw,nosuid,relatime,size=10240k,mode=755 0 0
none /proc proc rw,relatime 0 0
none /sys sysfs rw,relatime 0 0
shm /dev/shm tmpfs rw,nosuid,nodev 0 0

Has anyone had a similar problem?

gablink · 2010-06-04 12:04:29

I think you must use uuid http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Per … ice_naming

mizogs · 2010-06-04 12:58:45

I am not keen on uuid. I find it hard to work out what partition is what.

If I have to I will go to uuid but as the system was working fine with /dev/sda2 etc I want to try other avenues first, but thanks for your input.

sprince09 · 2010-06-04 13:26:37

gablink wrote:

I think you must use uuid http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Per … ice_naming

I don't use UUID on either of my Arch computers and don't have any problems. I'd suggest just making an empty /home directory and try

# mount /dev/sda3

If that works, then it should also work on boot. If that doesn't work, something is wrong with your fstab or possibly your sda3 partition.

mizogs · 2010-06-04 21:54:32

Well if I create a 'dummy' directory /home on sda2 I can boot up in to Arch. I lose a few customisations though. But that can't be the answer - I want to keep all my /home on a seperate partition. This way there is a directory on sda2 and the files are on sda3 - somethings not right and I want to fix it.

the main reason I have finally arrived at Arch is that it gives you control over everything. but I can't control this. i have even lost the 'shift' key on my keyboard. it must be something to do with udev/hal!

Barrucadu · 2010-06-04 23:24:56

The mount point needs to exist for things to be mounted there — thus, you need a /home directory, as otherwise the mount command will fail telling you that the mount point doesn't exist.

sprince09 · 2010-06-05 00:09:19

Or more concisely, the mount point /home must exist on whatever partition has / on it. For example, if / is on sda1, the mount point /home must also exist on sda1 even though the thing being mounted is not.

mizogs · 2010-06-05 04:44:31

Before this problem arose my system was working fine and there was never a home directory on the root partition [sda2]. Something tells the kernel? that home is on another partition [sda3] without an actual directory being in existance.

The message that scolls up in the boot process is "-local mount point /home does not exist" then when I get to a console as root the command #mount /dev/sda3 returns ;- mount: mountpoint /home does not exist. So at that stage the system knows that sda3 should be /home.

Thanks for looking at this.

Stebalien · 2010-06-05 05:14:03

The mount point must exist. If you are mounting to /home, /home must exist. All of the data in /home will still be stored in the sda3 partition (when sda3 is mounted). Nothing is put in your /home folder on your root partition, it simply acts as a placeholder.
If you don't like UUIDS, you can also use LABELS (http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fstab#Labels).

mizogs · 2010-06-11 13:22:47

I will try to mark this as solved. The problem seems to have been a phyicial one with the partition! Moved to a new hard drive and all is well.

Thanks to everyone who tried to help me.

mizogs · 2010-06-11 13:25:49

[solved]

Arch Linux

#1 2010-06-04 10:33:26

Home partition not mounting

#2 2010-06-04 12:04:29

Re: Home partition not mounting

#3 2010-06-04 12:58:45

Re: Home partition not mounting

#4 2010-06-04 13:26:37

Re: Home partition not mounting

#5 2010-06-04 21:54:32

Re: Home partition not mounting

#6 2010-06-04 23:24:56

Re: Home partition not mounting

#7 2010-06-05 00:09:19

Re: Home partition not mounting

#8 2010-06-05 04:44:31

Re: Home partition not mounting

#9 2010-06-05 05:14:03

Re: Home partition not mounting

#10 2010-06-11 13:22:47

Re: Home partition not mounting

#11 2010-06-11 13:25:49

Re: Home partition not mounting

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