Can't boot, failed to execute sbin/init : Input/Output error

svalmont · 2015-12-03 05:44:39

I can't boot regularly, but I can chroot into the system with the live disc. /sbin/init exists and points to systemd

The boot stops and give the message "failed to execute sbin/init : Exec format error" and doesn't get past that step.

I tried to resume mkinitcpio -p linux and mkinitcpio -p linux-lts with the live disc, but I get invalid image. And I'm not even sure if that would fix it.

My libraries are all up to date.

Last edited by svalmont (2015-12-04 19:50:08)

Scimmia · 2015-12-03 05:59:00

Usually means your bootloader is pointing to the wrong root partition.

svalmont · 2015-12-03 06:01:57

Its pointing to the correct partition, I double checked. I've also tried launching the rescue, emergency, and init=/bin/sh recover shells, but none will launch. An addition to the message above (which I'll edit up there as well) The full message is "failed to execute sbin/init : Exec format error".

Scimmia · 2015-12-03 06:09:18

Oh! Exec format error. 32-bit kernel and 64 bit userspace?

svalmont · 2015-12-03 12:57:51

No, unless pacman somehow inserted a 32-bit kernel. I've been running 64-bit for a long time.

Scimmia · 2015-12-03 16:20:24

It should be dropping you to a command prompt inside the initramfs. What does `uname -a` tell you?

svalmont · 2015-12-03 16:22:19

It does not drop me to a command prompt. Kernel panic messages after the original message.

mich41 · 2015-12-03 16:44:59

svalmont wrote:

I tried to resume mkinitcpio -p linux and mkinitcpio -p linux-lts with the live disc, but I get invalid image.

What exactly do you mean?

svalmont · 2015-12-03 16:51:44

I booted the live disc and attempted to create a new init file by using the commands, "mkinicpio -p linux-lts" and "mkinitcpio -p linux" (seperately).

with the linux-lts I received a .preset file not found error and with the regular linux kernel I received specific kernel image does not exist. In both instances the files do exist.

This is how I mount my live disc:

mount /dev/sdax /mnt
cd /mnt/
mount -t proc proc proc/
mount -t sysfs sys sys/
mount -o bind /dev dev/
mount -t devpts pts dev/pts/
chroot /mnt /bin/bash
mount /dev/sday /var (I have a seperate /var partition)

Scimmia · 2015-12-03 16:59:35

So separate /boot partition? EFI partition?

svalmont · 2015-12-03 17:07:14

No separate boot partition. I have root, home and var seperated. The system boots in BIOS-MBR mode.

Scimmia · 2015-12-03 17:11:09

Starting to sound like hardware to me. Either filesystem or memory corruption.

svalmont · 2015-12-03 17:20:03

Then why will chroot work? I there something I can reinstall incase its file corruption? I've already reinstalled glibc, linux and linux-lts.

mich41 · 2015-12-03 19:28:47

Maybe something's wrong with mkinitcpio configuration files?

svalmont · 2015-12-03 19:47:25

my only entry in etc/mkinitcpio.conf -- HOOKS="base udev autodetect modconf block filesystems keyboard fsck"

in /etc/mkinitcpio.d directory:

linux.preset :

# mkinitcpio preset file for the 'linux' package

ALL_config="/etc/mkinitcpio.conf"
ALL_kver="/boot/vmlinuz-linux"

PRESETS=('default' 'fallback')

#default_config="/etc/mkinitcpio.conf"
default_image="/boot/initramfs-linux.img"
#default_options=""

#fallback_config="/etc/mkinitcpio.conf"
fallback_image="/boot/initramfs-linux-fallback.img"
fallback_options="-S autodetect"

linux-lts.preset :
# mkinitcpio preset file for the 'linux-lts' package

ALL_config="/etc/mkinitcpio.conf"
ALL_kver="/boot/vmlinuz-linux-lts"

PRESETS=('default' 'fallback')

#default_config="/etc/mkinitcpio.conf"
default_image="/boot/initramfs-linux-lts.img"
#default_options=""

#fallback_config="/etc/mkinitcpio.conf"
fallback_image="/boot/initramfs-linux-lts-fallback.img"
fallback_options="-S autodetect"

Although vmlinuz-linux-lts is zero bytes. I can regenerate that with pacman reinstall, but why doesn't the regular kernel work?

Last edited by svalmont (2015-12-04 19:49:22)

mich41 · 2015-12-03 20:47:44

You may want to use the "code" tags.

It's quite weird that preset files are missing or vmlinuz is zero length. If the files are broken after relevant packages have been reinstalled, something is certainly wrong.

Does the filesystem pass fsck? Any disk IO errors in dmesg?

svalmont · 2015-12-04 00:07:21

No io messages that I saw in dmesg, and it did get past the fsck. I did remove and then move back my files from a working copy for bin, sbin, and usr folders and then added my files back. That seemed to get it to fail to the filefs command line now, but still the same error message. Can I somehow run mkinitcpio from that command line?

svalmont · 2015-12-04 17:57:32

I found out that usr/lib/systemd files were corrupt. I replace those with a previous working copy and not I still get "Failed to execute /sbin/init/ : Input/Output error"

Its finding the file now, but I'm not sure what is going wrong in the init script here.

Also when I try to chroot into my system either through the live disc or another partition it says "Cannot execute /bin/bash : Input/Output error" as well.

Last edited by svalmont (2015-12-04 19:47:39)

mich41 · 2015-12-04 20:34:52

Now this really looks like hardware errors. Run smartctl -a on this disk to see what's going on.

svalmont · 2015-12-05 16:15:47

Smartctl -a responded with "command not found "

So I "solved" the initial problem. I copied the usr/lib of a fresh install into my system and I can at least boot to a command line. I tried copying my other files from usr/lib in, but only folders beginning with A-M, have worked with no issues. I'm guessing the problem I had lies somewhere with the other files. I would at least like to get X running again.

Last edited by svalmont (2015-12-05 16:16:38)

Arch Linux

#1 2015-12-03 05:44:39

Can't boot, failed to execute sbin/init : Input/Output error

#2 2015-12-03 05:59:00

Re: Can't boot, failed to execute sbin/init : Input/Output error

#3 2015-12-03 06:01:57

Re: Can't boot, failed to execute sbin/init : Input/Output error

#4 2015-12-03 06:09:18

Re: Can't boot, failed to execute sbin/init : Input/Output error

#5 2015-12-03 12:57:51

Re: Can't boot, failed to execute sbin/init : Input/Output error

#6 2015-12-03 16:20:24

Re: Can't boot, failed to execute sbin/init : Input/Output error

#7 2015-12-03 16:22:19

Re: Can't boot, failed to execute sbin/init : Input/Output error

#8 2015-12-03 16:44:59

Re: Can't boot, failed to execute sbin/init : Input/Output error

#9 2015-12-03 16:51:44

Re: Can't boot, failed to execute sbin/init : Input/Output error

#10 2015-12-03 16:59:35

Re: Can't boot, failed to execute sbin/init : Input/Output error

#11 2015-12-03 17:07:14

Re: Can't boot, failed to execute sbin/init : Input/Output error

#12 2015-12-03 17:11:09

Re: Can't boot, failed to execute sbin/init : Input/Output error

#13 2015-12-03 17:20:03

Re: Can't boot, failed to execute sbin/init : Input/Output error

#14 2015-12-03 19:28:47

Re: Can't boot, failed to execute sbin/init : Input/Output error

#15 2015-12-03 19:47:25

Re: Can't boot, failed to execute sbin/init : Input/Output error

#16 2015-12-03 20:47:44

Re: Can't boot, failed to execute sbin/init : Input/Output error

#17 2015-12-04 00:07:21

Re: Can't boot, failed to execute sbin/init : Input/Output error

#18 2015-12-04 17:57:32

Re: Can't boot, failed to execute sbin/init : Input/Output error

#19 2015-12-04 20:34:52

Re: Can't boot, failed to execute sbin/init : Input/Output error

#20 2015-12-05 16:15:47

Re: Can't boot, failed to execute sbin/init : Input/Output error

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