[SOLVED] ERROR: device '/dev/sda4' not found. Skipping fsck.

MegaLoler · 2012-07-27 15:34:55

I installed Arch Linux PPC from the live cd to my eMac using this guide: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/In … ting_Linux (I posted here instead of the PPC forum because the problem doesn't seem to be PPC specific, but I could be wrong.)
I have tried multiple persistent naming schemes as per this guide: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Pe … ice_naming (I tried both UUID's and Labels)
I've tried as /dev/sdaX, /dev/disk/by-UUID/X, /dev/disk/by-label/X, UUID=X, and LABEL=X in fstab and the root= argument in yaboot.conf. I've tried them same in both cases as well as different in both cases.
I have done pacman -Syyu. I have checked the wiki and googled.

I cannot use the recovery shell because the usb ports do no power at this point. (They work, in yaboot for example, just not here for some reason. I even tried putting the usb hook early in the HOOKS array.)

I am wondering why yaboot has no problem finding the root partition (it loads the kernel, so it seems like it would have to be able to find it, but I could be wrong), yet the kernel cannot.

I have made sure to chroot into the installed system to edit configuration files and run commands. After yaboot.conf, fstab, and mkinitcpio.conf I have used the commands

ybin

and

mkinitcpio -p linux-pmac

My partitions are layout out with sda3 as swap, sda4 as /, and sda5 as /home.

Currently, this is what I have:

The exact kernel output:

radeonfb 0000:00:10.0: Invalid ROM contents
pmac_zilog: Error registering serial device, disabling pmac_zilog.
pmac_zilog: Did another serial driver already claim the minors?
rtc-generic rtc-generic: hctosys: unable to read the hardware clock
:: Running Hook [udev]
:: Triggering Events...done.
:: Running Hook [lvm2]
Activating logical volumes...
  No volume groups found
ERROR: device '/dev/sda4' not found. Skipping fsck.
ERROR: Unable to find root device '/dev/sda4'.
You are being dropped to a recovery shell
    Type 'exit' to try and continue booting
sh: can't access tty; job control turned off
[rootfs /]#

fstab:

tmpfs    /tmp    tmpfs    nodev,nosuid    0    0
LABEL=Swap    swap    swap    defaults    0    0
LABEL=Root    /    ext3    defaults,noatime    0    1
LABEL=Home    /home    ext3    defaults,noatime    0    2

mkinitcpio.conf hooks:

HOOKS="base udev pata scsi sata usb usbinput autodetect lvm2 filesystems fsck"

Last part of yaboot.conf:

root=/dev/sda4

image=/boot/vmlinuz-linux-pmac
    label=Linux
    initrd=/boot/initramfs-linux-pmac.img
    read-only
    partition=4

image=/boot/vmlinuz-linux-pmac
    label=Fallback
    initrd=/boot/initramfs-linux-pmac-fallback.img
    read-only
    partition=4

Last edited by MegaLoler (2012-07-28 10:29:56)

Malvineous · 2012-07-28 06:27:51

This error typically means the kernel drivers which provide access to your storage device have not yet been loaded. I'm not familiar with how modules are attached to Arch kernels, but to me it looks like a required module is missing from the kernel initrd. Have you tried the fallback one? It should have everything built into it. Otherwise is there any way you can figure out what modules need to be loaded for you to access your disks, and verify those are present in the initrd?

MegaLoler · 2012-07-28 10:29:32

Thanks. I solved the issue. I found this thread: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=901651

Basically I just copied all of the modules listed in lsmod to the MODULES section of the mkinitcpio.conf on the HD, removed autodetect from the hooks, and ran mkinitcpio -p linux-mac. I'm not sure what all of that was actually mandatory, I didn't check, but I know it worked. I think the main thing was the pata_macio module.

Turns out persistent block device naming wasn't my issue at all. I reverted back to using /dev/sdaX names.

DSpider · 2012-07-29 07:43:06

Removing the autodetect hook and then regenerating your initramfs is basically like using the Fallback entry from the bootloader... It will generate a full initramfs image, instead of a smaller one.

You're in fallback mode every time you start the computer.

Arch Linux

#1 2012-07-27 15:34:55

[SOLVED] ERROR: device '/dev/sda4' not found. Skipping fsck.

#2 2012-07-28 06:27:51

Re: [SOLVED] ERROR: device '/dev/sda4' not found. Skipping fsck.

#3 2012-07-28 10:29:32

Re: [SOLVED] ERROR: device '/dev/sda4' not found. Skipping fsck.

#4 2012-07-29 07:43:06

Re: [SOLVED] ERROR: device '/dev/sda4' not found. Skipping fsck.

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