[SOLVED] "Superblock could not be read" error on install

johnrl · 2010-01-26 22:26:52

I've been trying desperatly to install Arch Linux on my main computer but this error almost always shows up after 1 or two reboots (usually when I'm finished installing base system and about to install Xorg):

:: Checking Filesystems
/dev/sdc3:
The superblock could not be read or does not describe a correct ext2 filesystem. If the device is valid and it really contains an ext2 filesystem (and not swap or ufs or something else), then the superblock is corrupt, and you might try running e2fsck with an alternative superblock: e2fsck -b 8193 <device>

I installed Arch by following the install guide and choosing Auto-prepare partitioning where I chose EXT4 as FS for /home and / I believe, so Im guessing the filessytems are set-up properly.
I have no idea why this error keeps coming back reinstall after reinstall (with complete format of HD in each reinstall). First I thought the HD might have gone bad so I tried installing arch to another HD and the error still shows.
Sometimes if I reboot enough times the error doesn't show and sometimes it just doesn't go away, seems like it's kind of random.

The harddisk I am installing to is a 30GB IDE Maxtor harddisk (a couple of years old) and I also tried with a 40GB Seagate IDE harddisk both with no success. When I installed I had 2 other harddisks in my system; a 60GB OCZ agility SSD and a 640GB Wester Digital both on SATA channels, but they are unplugged now.

I'm really lost as what to do here, I love Arch Linux and have used it for some time on my laptop but I never had any kind of problems like this.
Here's output from 'fdisk -l' run from the "maintanence mode" I get into when the error shows "Give root password for maintenance".
I find it weird that Arch tells me the error is on "/dev/sdc3:" when my harddisk is /dev/sda (my other two harddisks are unplugged, but it shows the error both with and without them so I guess it doesnt matter):

fdisk -l
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 13 104422 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 14 587 4610655 82 Linus swap /Solaris
/dev/sda3 588 1544 7687102+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda4 1545 3738 17623305 83 Linux

Regards,
John

Last edited by johnrl (2010-01-28 14:42:15)

n0dix · 2010-01-26 23:10:43

I see an error, i believe:

:: Checking Filesystems
/dev/sdc3:

but i see that you don't have this sdc3 in your fsick -l.

Can you post your /etc/fstab(you will need a live cd)??

Last edited by n0dix (2010-01-27 00:16:14)

Peasantoid · 2010-01-27 00:11:53

Post your /etc/fstab. I had a similar problem.

If /dev/sdc3 is in fstab, you can try setting the 'pass' field to 0 (so it doesn't get fsck'd on boot). This worked around the issue for me.

Last edited by Peasantoid (2010-01-27 00:12:57)

johnrl · 2010-01-27 08:00:17

/etc/fstab (only uncommented lines):

<file system> <dir> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
devpts /dev/pts devpts defaults 0 0
shm /dev/shm tmpfs nodev,nosuid 0 0
/dev/sdc1 /boot ext2 defaults 0 1
/dev/sdc2 swap swap defaults 0 0
/dec/sdc3 / ext4 defaults 0 1
/dev/sdc4 /home ext4 defaults 0 1

How come /etc/fstab says my disk is /dev/sdc when fdisk says it's /dev/sda? Could this be the problem?

Last edited by johnrl (2010-01-27 08:00:39)

PirateJonno · 2010-01-27 08:12:39

try using UUID's in fstab to avoid this problem (e.g. UUID=e492063a-fc17-43dd-9510-69303efcfb65 / ext4 ...). To find your UUID look in /dev/disk/by-uuid and use readlink to find the equivalent sdXX. More information should be on the wiki if needed

Peasantoid · 2010-01-27 08:23:13

PirateJonno wrote:

To find your UUID look in /dev/disk/by-uuid and use readlink to find the equivalent sdXX.

...or use `blkid`.

PirateJonno · 2010-01-27 08:29:03

cool, I didn't know about that

n0dix · 2010-01-27 13:24:59

Peasantoid wrote:

PirateJonno wrote:
To find your UUID look in /dev/disk/by-uuid and use readlink to find the equivalent sdXX.
...or use `blkid`.

You can use it.

How many hard drives you have installed at the moment?

Last edited by n0dix (2010-01-27 13:26:29)

johnrl · 2010-01-27 15:02:41

How many hard drives you have installed at the moment?

Atm I have 3 HDs installed; my Arch HD, my OCZ agility and my Western Digital.

Peasantoid wrote:

PirateJonno wrote:
To find your UUID look in /dev/disk/by-uuid and use readlink to find the equivalent sdXX.
...or use `blkid`.

Thanks, I used blkid and set-up UUID in /etc/fstab and it seems to be working now.

Can anyone explain how come that the /dev/sdx assignments seems to be randomly distributed among my HDs on each reboot - is this normal? I tried using 'blkid' on a few reboots and noticed that the problem occured everytime the HD arch is installed on was NOT assigned to /dev/sdc, but when it was assigned to /dev/sdc (which was in fstab) it worked fine.

Isn't it weird that Arch seems to assign a different /dev/sdx number to each harddisk on reboots? I mean, if this is normal, why doesn't Arch use UUIDs by default? At first I thought the different /dev/sdx assignments was caused by changing boot order in the BIOS, but the assignments seem to change even when I don't enter the BIOS and just reboot without touching a thing - one reboot it works and one it doesn't (due to differnet /dev/sdx assignment to my Arch hd).

EDIT:
I found the answer to my question on http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Per … ice_naming - Arch randomly assigns device nodes so it seems the UUID fix is the way to avoid unbootable systems.

Is it possible to make Arch use UUIDs in the install so I don't have to configure it manually afterwards? (Why doesn't it use UUIDs by default?)

Thanks for the answers,
John

Last edited by johnrl (2010-01-27 15:20:12)

PirateJonno · 2010-01-27 21:14:16

good to hear it's working again
last time I installed arch I'm pretty sure the UUID got in there automatically (can't remember completely though), but if it doesn't I guess that would be a good idea yeah, maybe consider filing a bug report?

NB: it does mention using UUID's in the beginner's guide, which is pretty much required reading for an arch install, but it was probably quite easy to overlook

Last edited by PirateJonno (2010-01-27 21:16:17)

n0dix · 2010-01-27 21:22:37

The UUID is little strange in my laptop. If put the UUIDs in my fstab i got an error but if i doesn't works perfectly. I don't know why it is.

Arch Linux

#1 2010-01-26 22:26:52

[SOLVED] "Superblock could not be read" error on install

#2 2010-01-26 23:10:43

Re: [SOLVED] "Superblock could not be read" error on install

#3 2010-01-27 00:11:53

Re: [SOLVED] "Superblock could not be read" error on install

#4 2010-01-27 08:00:17

Re: [SOLVED] "Superblock could not be read" error on install

#5 2010-01-27 08:12:39

Re: [SOLVED] "Superblock could not be read" error on install

#6 2010-01-27 08:23:13

Re: [SOLVED] "Superblock could not be read" error on install

#7 2010-01-27 08:29:03

Re: [SOLVED] "Superblock could not be read" error on install

#8 2010-01-27 13:24:59

Re: [SOLVED] "Superblock could not be read" error on install

#9 2010-01-27 15:02:41

Re: [SOLVED] "Superblock could not be read" error on install

#10 2010-01-27 21:14:16

Re: [SOLVED] "Superblock could not be read" error on install

#11 2010-01-27 21:22:37

Re: [SOLVED] "Superblock could not be read" error on install

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