Subject: RE: Please help! "Unable to mount root fs" after install.
From: Blottman John B III NPRI (BlottmanJB@Npt.NUWC.Navy.Mil)
Date: Tue Feb 08 2000 - 09:23:20 MST
John,
Did you type the boot partition correctly in the BootX control panel? Note
that BootX sets /dev path. You just need the /sdaXX part. In a late night
build last week I stumbled into the same kernel panic message as you because
I effective defined the path: /dev/dev/sdaXX
Good luck,
john
> ----------
> From: John Wheeler
> Reply To: yellowdog-general@lists.yellowdoglinux.com
> Sent: Tuesday, February 8, 2000 11:03 AM
> To: yellowdog-general@lists.yellowdoglinux.com
> Subject: Please help! "Unable to mount root fs" after install.
>
> Hello,
>
> I have being trying install Yellog Dog Linux Champion 1.1, but have been
> unable to boot Linux after the installation process. My environment is as
> follows:
>
> PowerMac 8500/150, 128MB RAM, 2 x SCSI discs.
>
> I followed this procedure, as described in the installation guide:
>
> (1) reformatted my secondary (non-MacOS) disk using FWB toolkit, creating
> 2 x 2 Gig MacHFS partitions, and leaving 4.5 GB unallocated.
>
> (2) followed the instructions for copying the MacOS side installation
> files to the system folder, control panels and extensions. I had
> previously installed MkLinux on the same (now reformatted) drive, but to
> be on the safe side removed all the MkLinux extensions, kernels etc. from
> the system folder.
>
> (3) started the installation process from the BootX application
>
> (4) used "fdisk" to create 2 x 2Gig partitions called "root" and "data",
> and one 128MB partition called "swap", and wrote the partition table. This
> gave me a slightly worrying message that the parition table could not be
> read until after rebooting. The installation guide mentions this slightly
> differently:
> " If you do not restart the installation program after making changes to
> the partition map, you will experience unusual errors later in the
> installation process."
>
> The only way that I saw to "restart the installation program" was to
> reboot and step through the same point. fdisk indicated that the
> partitions had been created as expected, so I continued with the
> installation.
>
> (5) I assigned the partitions that I had created to "/" and "/data"
>
> (6) Formatted swap partition, and proceeded to select packages.
>
> (7) The installation paused for some time while creating an "ext2" file
> system on the root partition, but then proceeded normally with package
> installation.
>
> (8) Selected mouse, and selected Network settings.
>
> (9) I had some problem with the display settings - for some reason my
> Apple Multiscan 17 monitor wasn't accepted, until I chose "custom" and set
> the refresh frequency and resolution manually.
>
> (10) I restarted, and set the the boot partition in the BootX application
> as instructed during the installation process. Curioly the Boot selector
> had "MacOS" , "Linux" and a greyed out box "MkLinux" - even though I
> removed MkLinux previously.
>
> On booting, all drives and partitions are recognised, but the last lines
> on the screen are:
>
> VFS: Cannot open root device 00:00
>
> Kernel Panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 00:00
>
> Rebooting in 180 seconds.
>
>
>
> This is the third time I have tried to install Yellow Dog (once over FTP),
> and I would be very grateful indeed if someone could help me get it
> running! Could it be something to do with the drive formatting - FWB ? Is
> some vestige of MkLinux still on the hard disk?
>
> Thanks for any help!
>
> John Wheeler.
>
>
>
>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2a24 : Wed Mar 01 2000 - 00:07:10 MST