You are not logged in.

#1 2003-10-18 12:52:43

lubot
Member
Registered: 2003-10-18
Posts: 14

"VFS: Cannot open root device" again

hi arch users!
after ive tested several linux distros i finaly found a good one.
so i am a new arch linux user from germany smile

but i have some trouble booting arch after the installation.
i always get the error "VFS: Cannot open roor device "2104" or 21:04 ...."
ive searched the forum and read the faq and found out that i have to fix my lilo.conf.
the problem is i dunno what is wrong with my lilo.conf.

my root partition is /disc0/part4
swap is /disc0/part5.
i can boot the root partition from the arch cd with the option "vmlinuz root=/dev/discs/disc0/part4"

lilo.conf and fstab follows:

boot=/dev/discs/disc0/part4

default=arch
timeout=3
lba32
prompt

image=/boot/vmlinuz
        label=arch
        root=/dev/discs/disc0/part4
        #if tryed this one too root=/dev/ide/host2/bus0/target0/lun0/part4
        read-only
/dev/cdroms/cdrom0     /mnt/cd   iso9660   ro,user,noauto,unhide  0      0
/dev/floppy/0          /mnt/fl   vfat      user,noauto,unhide     0      0
none                   /proc     proc      defaults               0      0
none                   /dev/shm  tmpfs     defaults               0      0
tmpfs                  /tmp      tmpfs     size=2G,nr_inodes=10k  0      0

/dev/discs/disc0/part5 swap      swap      defaults               0      0
/dev/discs/disc0/part4 /         ext3      defaults               0      1

whats wrong with these configs?
i apreciate any help smile

lubot

Offline

#2 2003-10-18 13:13:58

andy
Member
From: Germany
Registered: 2002-10-11
Posts: 374

Re: "VFS: Cannot open root device" again

So, looking at your boot= line, you are using a different boot loader in the MBR ? Is this by any chance a different lilo which may be confusing things ?
Note, there is nothing wrong with putting something else in the MBR (which in turn has to boot your lilo) as long as this boot manager can boot a logical partition (where you put AL's lilo).

The next thing : there may be issues regarding BIOS/1024 cylinders/geometry translations. Try to change the lba32 option and see if that helps.

Good luck !

Offline

#3 2003-10-18 13:29:30

terrapin
Member
From: Lockport, IL
Registered: 2003-08-06
Posts: 104

Re: "VFS: Cannot open root device" again

I would try changing your boot line to

boot=/dev/discs/disc0/disc

or if you don't want lilo in the MBR check to see if /.../part4 is bootable.

Offline

#4 2003-10-18 13:29:58

lubot
Member
Registered: 2003-10-18
Posts: 14

Re: "VFS: Cannot open root device" again

yes i am using vamos in the MBR. worked with other distros as well.
vamos can boot logical partitions, but my root partition isnt logical its a primary partition. my swap is logical but that shouldnt be a problem.

maybe u are right with the 1024 cyl. limit. i will try to change this option.

thank you andy smile

Offline

#5 2003-10-18 14:31:18

lubot
Member
Registered: 2003-10-18
Posts: 14

Re: "VFS: Cannot open root device" again

ive tried to boot with out the lba32 option, but the manual says that its on by default.
ive booted other distros over 1024 cly. with lilo before. this should be a problem.
but maybe its the fault of my onboard ide promise controller.
booting reports me that my harddisc is hde (primary master on the onboard IDE controller) my cdrom is hda (primary master on the default IDE).
but /dev/hde4 isnt /dev/discs/disc0/part4
it should be /dev/discs/disc4/part4 or  /dev/ide/host2/bus0/target0/lun0/part4
neither of them works

i dont understand this sad

Offline

#6 2003-10-18 14:56:25

andy
Member
From: Germany
Registered: 2002-10-11
Posts: 374

Re: "VFS: Cannot open root device" again

riiigghht ... partitions start with 1, discs start with 0 .... *sigh* ....

you checked terrapin's point about the bootable flag, I assume ?

Hmmmm maybe lilo is indeed confused about the various controllers.

BUT : how many hard drives do you have ? the counting of the discs in /dev/discs goes sequentially (I think). My IDE disk is disc0 and my SCSI disc is disc1 ! So, if I am right and if hde is the only discs in your system it should indeed be /dev/discs/disc0 and not /dev/discs/disc4. However, the ide/host nomenclature should be correct.
but now you are back at point zero :-(

Thinking a bit more : the original error message VFS: cannot .... comes from the kernel. So the kernel is already booted, right ? And it is indeed the correct Arch kernel ?
If so, it seems the kernel may be confusing the controllers. Try to give the root= option in lilo with the dev/ide/host/XXX nomenclature.

Offline

#7 2003-10-18 15:39:39

lubot
Member
Registered: 2003-10-18
Posts: 14

Re: "VFS: Cannot open root device" again

changing lilo.conf to boot=/dev/discs/disc0/disc doesnt solve the problem neither setting the bootflag for disc0/part4.

if tried selveral string in lilo.conf for root with out success:
/dev/discs/disc0/part4
/dev/hde4
/dev/ide/host2/bus0/target0/lun0/part4

i wonder why i can boot my dead partition with the arch cd (0.5) typing vmlinuz root=/dev/discs/disc0/part4 (/dev/hde4 does work too) but not with the default lilo.
strange, i dont get it.

seems i have to learn alot ...

Offline

#8 2003-10-18 17:41:18

lubot
Member
Registered: 2003-10-18
Posts: 14

Re: "VFS: Cannot open root device" again

BUT : how many hard drives do you have ?

ive one harddisc and one cdrw.
the harddisc was always /dev/hde in every distro i tried.
the cdrw was always /dev/hda.

Thinking a bit more : the original error message VFS: cannot .... comes from the kernel. So the kernel is already booted, right ? And it is indeed the correct Arch kernel ?

the kernel seems booted. it detects my hardware (promise controller ...)and then it stop with the error.
the kernel i am using is the default arch ide kernel.

Offline

#9 2003-10-19 11:27:54

andy
Member
From: Germany
Registered: 2002-10-11
Posts: 374

Re: "VFS: Cannot open root device" again

Let's try something else : copy the kernel from the CD to your hard drive (but not overwriting the existing kernel) and duplicate the current lilo section only changing the kernel name and setting root= to someting that you know that works (don't forget to run lilo). If you can boot with this entry, it's obviously something with the kernel configuration.

I'm not sure if the kernel config of the CD kernel is included on the CD. If it is not there, you can find it in CVS in arch/misc/bootdisk/1/config see http://www.archlinux.org/cvs.php how to get it and instead of cvs -z3 co arch, do something like cvs -z3 co arch/misc. The kernel config of the "normal" kernel is in /boot/kconfig

Offline

#10 2003-10-19 16:51:17

lubot
Member
Registered: 2003-10-18
Posts: 14

Re: "VFS: Cannot open root device" again

ok ive downloaded cvs but ive no time today.
i will compare the kernel configs and try to replace the kernel with the cd version tomorrow.
thx alot smile

bye till tomorrow

Offline

#11 2003-10-20 10:18:52

lubot
Member
Registered: 2003-10-18
Posts: 14

Re: "VFS: Cannot open root device" again

ive replaced the kernel with the cdrom kernel but still the same error.
same if i compile a kernel with the cvs config.
but then ive selected the ide-scsi kernel (just for fun) to install at the setup and now it boots without errors.
strange ive never used any scsi stuff in my kernel O.o

now ive to find out which missing kernel componet pervents the default kernel from booting.

Offline

Board footer

Powered by FluxBB