Root block deivce device not specified or not detected

gentoobobby · Apprentice Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 293

Hi im getting a bit of a problem after it starts unpacking the kernel i get an error essage

Root block deivce device not specified or not detected
please specify a "shell" or shell

if i type sheel it logs me into the busy bee shell

any ideas on what this means and why i dont have the default shell ?

Akhouk · Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 7:24 am Post subject:

This error message is due to one of two things....

1. Your kernel does not have support for the device you are using e.g. you have a SCSI/SATA disk but didn't compile the SCSI/SATA controller driver. What type of disk do you have? What chipset?

2. The other possibility is that your kernel has the right device driver but you have specified the wrong device in your grub.conf. Did you use genkernel to make the kernel? What did you put in your grub.conf? Which device do you use for the root of your filesystem?
_________________
AMD 64 3500+, 2Gb RAM DDR400, 2 x 180Gb SATA, 256Mb Nvidia

hunnystar · n00b Joined: 08 Feb 2006 Posts: 9

try /dev/hda3

gentoobobby · Apprentice Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 293

im sda3 but i have tried this

jmbsvicetto · Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2006 6:22 pm Post subject:

Please post the exact error message.
I'm guessing that it has to do with missing disk controller driver or / filesystem in the kernel <*> and not as a module <M>.
_________________
Jorge.

Your twisted, but hopefully friendly daemon.
AMD64 / x86 / Sparc Gentoo
Help answer || emwrap.sh

gentoobobby · Apprentice Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 293

I cannot any more as it has now gone i got really fed up trying to fix it , so what the diffrence between star and m can this stop things from working

Jaglover · Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 12:42 pm Post subject:

gentoobobby · Apprentice Joined: 17 Jan 2006 Posts: 293

Yep indeed it does my friend i like the way u explained that helps . But im still a little confuse don whats kinda mor eimportant the m or the *

Jaglover · Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 2:20 pm Post subject:

* - the code necessary to perform certain function (let's say access HDD via your specific controller) is compiled into kernel and will be loaded at boot as a result
M - same code is not in your kernel, but is located in your hard disk as a loadable module instead.

In latter case your key is "locked into car".

Akhouk · Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2006 7:37 am Post subject:

This is a chicken and egg situation. If you have your scsi card driver as a module it needs to be loaded to make your scsi disk work. But the module is on your scsi disk.

Before it tries to mount your root file system the scsi card must be working. The easiest way to do this is to have the driver compiled in...that is with the *
_________________
AMD 64 3500+, 2Gb RAM DDR400, 2 x 180Gb SATA, 256Mb Nvidia