Kernel panic: Does not like my harddrive or partitions

Somewhere · n00b Joined: 01 Jul 2008 Posts: 38

I tried installing Gentoo. I followed the handbook’s instructions, but my kernel panicked when mounting the root file system during boot-up. I tried every suggestion the #gentoo-amd64 guys had to offer, but in the end I just had to give up.

The error I was getting was:
kernel panic - not syncing :VFS: unable to mount root fs on unknown block (2,0)

(The disk sdc1 (hd2,0) is the cd-rom.)

They suggested that I had compiled a kernel without support for either SATA, ext3, or a few other things. All these suggestions were met in my compiled kernel. It did not work when I tried an generic kernel from genkernel either.

I think the problem was that I used a more advanced partition schema than the handbook suggested. This screen hot from GParted shows what I was trying to achieve.
[img]http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/9650/screenshothr5.png[/img]

/boot/grub/grub.conf said:
title Gentoo-o-ooo
root(hd0,0)
kernel /boot/kernel-image root=/dev/sda5

(Got the syntax from the Gentoo handbook.) I theorise that my problems may be related to the fact that sda5 is an extended partition and not a primary partition. I do not exactly understand how or why.

Alternatly it may be my /etc/fstab.

cwr · Veteran Joined: 17 Dec 2005 Posts: 1969

No, primary versus extended makes no difference as far as booting is concerned.
I'm not entirely certain that you can mount /usr apart from /, though you should
be able to.

I don't understand the /dev/.static/dev entry in fstab; it might be worth double-checking
that it's valid. Otherwise it looks as if grub is picking up the wrong filesystem. Would
it be worth re-installing grub?

Good luck - Will

cyrillic · Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 4:27 am Post subject:

kernelOfTruth · Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 9:59 am Post subject:

Somewhere, welcome to Gentoo,

a little more info on your hardware (like already posted, lspci) would be nice

also what motherboard are you running, sata-chipset, ide-controller, etc. etc.
_________________
https://github.com/kernelOfTruth/ZFS-for-SystemRescueCD/tree/ZFS-for-SysRescCD-4.9.0
https://github.com/kernelOfTruth/pulseaudio-equalizer-ladspa

Hardcore Gentoo Linux user since 2004

Somewhere · n00b Joined: 01 Jul 2008 Posts: 38

kernelOfTruth · Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 12:01 pm Post subject:

what laptop-model is that ?

manufacturer, etc.

if we have a model we can perhaps point to an existing (working) kernel-config
_________________
https://github.com/kernelOfTruth/ZFS-for-SystemRescueCD/tree/ZFS-for-SysRescCD-4.9.0
https://github.com/kernelOfTruth/pulseaudio-equalizer-ladspa

Hardcore Gentoo Linux user since 2004

Somewhere · n00b Joined: 01 Jul 2008 Posts: 38

Lenovo 3000 N100 (TY0BJNO). (“NO” is just referring to the Norwegian keyboard and Norwegian Win XP (which I have never used), so any other two-letter combination at the end of the model number should be the same machine.)

Somewhere · n00b Joined: 01 Jul 2008 Posts: 38

My weird kernel panics was due to problems with partition naming The livecd referred t them as /dev/sda1, but Gentoo used /dev/hda1 after I tried booting up in Gentoo.

cyrillic · Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 9:21 pm Post subject:

Somewhere · n00b Joined: 01 Jul 2008 Posts: 38

I have got it working now.

I have even got X up and running. KDM/KDE stiill remins, but I think I can get that to work as well.

1shot1kill · n00b Joined: 09 Feb 2006 Posts: 17 Location: Akron, Ohio

Good luck with kde. the rest of the installing of the software should be easy. The hardest thing i think you will run in to is going to be the USE flags or a blocked package, both of which should be easy after a little thought and a little google help.