[solved] could not find root block device

ch64 · Guru Joined: 09 Jun 2010 Posts: 412

Hello.
Could not find root block device at booting.
It's an old install from 2009. I chrooted and updated all packages (system/world) to today's stage which was probably working.
Now with the newest gentoo i need the newest kernel & booting into the original system.
After compiling any 3*.x kernel there it comes to the "couldn't find root block device' error.
So there must be something with the harddisk controller driver.
Kernel 2.6.29-gentoo-r5 was working. So i used that kernel configuration.

Genkernels mrprober & oldconfig did it fine.
I also tried to make a new kernel configuration. By hand. And with genkernel's automatic.
But i cannot boot the kernel image.

Anybody has got an idea?

I tried these kernels: 3.13.6 / 3.12.7 / 3.11.10 / 3.10.7-r1 /
No one is working.

Here is the kernel configurtation which should work: http://pastebin.com/vk0caArU

DONAHUE · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 4:25 pm Post subject:

your disk controller drivers are out of date, obsolete, and deprecated

boot a minimal install or preferably system rescue cd and run

Tony0945 · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 4:26 pm Post subject:

sounds like a udev problem to me. What's your udev version and type (udev or eudev)? What is your brand or model of disk controller? Is it IDE or SATA? The kernel defaults have changed since 2009. If a recent system rescur disk boots then it's probably a kernel configuration problem.

ch64 · Guru Joined: 09 Jun 2010 Posts: 412

http://pastebin.com/5k9sTzEW

I have udev 208 installed. But there are updates. atm. i have this emerge fail with portage 2.2.10
The controller is IDE. But i allways had luck with sata drivers.

DONAHUE · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 5:53 pm Post subject:

Have you backed up your personal files to external media?
it looks like the cd you are using may also be overage. lspci -k should show modules and driver in use as well as component identification. run

ch64 · Guru Joined: 09 Jun 2010 Posts: 412

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-987132-highlight-traceback+emerge.html

There was a 2.2.10 .. now i cannot reemerge the 2.2.8-r1 .. i will try quickpgk.

i burn the rescue cd you decribed now.

DONAHUE · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 6:29 pm Post subject:

sorry can't read saw 2.1.0 vice 2.2.10; I keep portage stable so 2.2.8-r1; 2.2.10 should be fine
edit: reading the link 2.2.10 may not be fine? But probably is.
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ch64 · Guru Joined: 09 Jun 2010 Posts: 412

yes. i can emerge -avuDN world .. but not ... emerge -avu back to the portage version before. there it comes the error described in the link.
also emerge -avu udev etc. doesn't work.

that error is new until i updated portage today. i have the rescuecd now up. that is a nice cd. i didn't know that.
wait...i'll post your links.

ch64 · Guru Joined: 09 Jun 2010 Posts: 412

http://bpaste.net/show/196432/
http://bpaste.net/show/196433/
zsh: Input/output error: fdisk
http://bpaste.net/show/196436/
lsusb zsh: Input/output error: lsusb

fdisk and lsusb doesn't work on the rescuecd. but on my gentoo cd 10 i have used a few minutes ago.

ata_piix,pata_acpi, ata_generic are the modules. that is true, because i had these on the old gentoo days on that laptop.

many commands does not work after a few minutes of running that rescuedisk. input/output error. i do a reboot into it.

DONAHUE · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 6:46 pm Post subject:

ch64 · Guru Joined: 09 Jun 2010 Posts: 412

parted does not run, too. like fdisk.
i rebooted one time to be sure.

the lspci is working. the manpages of fdisk and parted not.
input/output error.

i can boot up into my gentoo livecd 10 to give you that two line outputs.

DONAHUE · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 6:53 pm Post subject:

will gparted work? icon lower left

what options does bios have for hard drive controllers- ahci, legacy ide, ide, raid are common

fdisk result from gentoo 10 would be of interest
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ch64 · Guru Joined: 09 Jun 2010 Posts: 412

here is the fdisk and lsusb output from the gentoo cd 10:
http://pastebin.com/bc2VQZRs
http://pastebin.com/CW978JZm

bios... i don't know.. but ahci, ide,, legacy ide.. etc. is in my mind.. sounds familiar.

normally i do have a boot partition.. and swap space is not 21gb.. haha i will shrink that later when the system is running.
when i boot up my old kernel 2.6.29 .. it shows RAID on the disks..

the controllers driver is listing raid.. but i don't know if that old laptop is supporting some raid levels.soft raid, yes i think.

DONAHUE · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 7:08 pm Post subject:

I avoid separate /boot as remembering to mount it has been a problem

Are you familiar with pappy's kernel seeds?

It would be good to drop into bios and look at the drive controller mode.
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ch64 · Guru Joined: 09 Jun 2010 Posts: 412

I read 'Pappys kernel seeds' a few times.
But i don't know what it is.

I didn't find it in the eix :p

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 7:12 pm Post subject:

ch64,

Your SATA controller is in IDE mode.

ch64 · Guru Joined: 09 Jun 2010 Posts: 412

I have looked up into the (phoenix) bios.
i do not like it pretty much, because there are no such options.

but i can tell you: the mainboard chipset only does this IDE mode. i read it much often in the interwebz. (internet

)
also i can tell you, that my 2.6.29 is booting with this option. also the livecds.

the chipset which is coming after that in 2006 to 2009 can do other modes. but my chipset does not.

DONAHUE · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 7:22 pm Post subject:

Thanks Neddy was looking for the rough guide. Quick Search not producing. Apparently current fdisk, parted, gparted on the sysresccd cannot handle the ich8 ide mode even though the sysresccd can boot it.
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ch64 · Guru Joined: 09 Jun 2010 Posts: 412

ah, i've found it.
i can move IDE to AHCI.

i use AHCI now.

yes, normally i have AHCI.. but i did change it.. when the newer kernel weren't booting and forgot to change it back.

DONAHUE · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 7:23 pm Post subject:

excellent reboot sysresccd, check fdisk works, mount gentoo partitions enter chroot.
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ch64 · Guru Joined: 09 Jun 2010 Posts: 412

fdisk works. i'm in the chroot now. i do have a system backup which is working. by the way. (you asked)
the backup works.. the system on it not :-)

i do need the newer kernels because of before 2.6.39 there the CONFIG_DEVTMPFS=y was not there.

thanks NeddySeagoon it was my mistake

DONAHUE · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 7:36 pm Post subject:

ch64 · Guru Joined: 09 Jun 2010 Posts: 412

http://bpaste.net/show/196456/
http://bpaste.net/show/196457/
http://bpaste.net/show/196458/
http://bpaste.net/show/196459/
http://bpaste.net/show/196460/

i do not know why i have my MAKEOPTS so big.. 2 or 3 would be nice.
celeron does only have one core.

edit:
i do have MAKEOPTS="-j2" now.
maybe that was so high while using distcc.

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2014 7:57 pm Post subject:

ch64,

This is both out of date an incorrect.

ch64 · Guru Joined: 09 Jun 2010 Posts: 412

I have removed this ram0 entry on two kernel lines because of i was testing without.
Here on the forum there were many threads describing that it is possible, that it's booting then.

Hey, the line you called: it's not changing anything.
By the way: Normally there it comes: "Loading modules" "Determining root device.
And there are all initram drivers shown.
On my 2.6.29 it is a big list with drivers scrolling down the screen.

On my 3.x.x Kernels its only switching the drivers.. not doing a list.
It seems like it's "choosing" the right drivers.. But not using any of it.

So there is the "could not find root blockdevice in . " message and no initrd modules list.