Grub Error Collection [Part 1]

Earthwings · Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 2:21 pm Post subject:

@slam633: Everything looks fine to me. Did you do a fsck for /dev/hda1? If this doesn't help, try deleting the kernel (or move away) and copy again from /usr/src/linux/arch/i386/boot/bzImage to /boot/gentoo...

vpupkind · n00b Joined: 18 Oct 2004 Posts: 2

slam633 · Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:44 pm Post subject:

Earthwing,

Thanks for the help.

Here's what I've done:

Earthwings · Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 8:02 pm Post subject:

Force a filesystem check for boot (that means run fsck with -f parameter). It has not been checked yet. Just boot from livecd, don't mount anything and run

slam633 · Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 8:50 pm Post subject:

Earthwings,

Thanks for your help,

I forced the check:

Earthwings · Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 9:26 pm Post subject:

I would try lilo next to decide whether it is a problem of grub or with your kernel/partition or whatever. There's a description on how to install lilo in the handbook as well.

slam633 · Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2004 9:38 pm Post subject:

Earthwings,

Thanks,

I'll remove grub, install LILO. If that doesn't work, I reload the kernel.

Should I clean the hard drive to clear any possible problems, or does repartitioning and adding the file systems do that for me?

I tried to follow the steps in the handbook, that's why I tried the 2.4 kernel.

If I reinstall, I'll go with the grub and the 2.6 kernel, I've heard/read that it works better with dual processors.

Thanks again for your help,

Rob
_________________
"Beer is proof God loves us, and wants us to be happy. Ben Franklin"

slam633 · Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2004 12:36 am Post subject:

Earthwings,

Thanks,

I'll remove grub, install LILO. If that doesn't work, I reload the kernel.

Should I clean the hard drive to clear any possible problems, or does repartitioning and adding the file systems do that for me?

I tried to follow the steps in the handbook, that's why I tried the 2.4 kernel.

If I reinstall, I'll go with the grub and the 2.6 kernel, I've heard/read that it works better with dual processors.

Thanks again for your help,

Rob
_________________
"Beer is proof God loves us, and wants us to be happy. Ben Franklin"

SoNiCfReAk · Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2004 5:50 am Post subject:

When I boot the kernel I get

VFS: cannot open root device "sda3" or unknown-block (0,0) please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic: VFS: unable to mount root fs on unknown-block

grub.conf

venquessa2 · Apprentice Joined: 27 Oct 2004 Posts: 283

Just some thoughts...

I never did get the grub-install to work. Possibly because I wasnt' using a separate boot partition. I got endless "can't find /boot" or "is not a block device" errors. Using the manual grub command line and all worked fine.

The default grub.conf is a little odd if you use the manual method, the titles for "change colors" and "install to hard disk" appear as boot options, so need removed.

I would ask if it is possible for veterans that you state in the install docs that the grub.conf is symlinked with menu.lst as this caused me some confusion at first.

Finally, Packard Bell igo450 laptop does not like grub at all. I had to use Lilo. On boot I recieved "Loading grub....." and nothing further. I checked the grub conf and reinstalled the boot block with and without splash screen , but it wouldn't run grub. Lilo worked perfectly.

(another note for first boot on the mentioned laptop, is don't use the kernel framebuffer SiS driver, I got major font distortion. The VESA driver works perfect at 1024x768x16)

Paul
Workstation - Gentoo
Server - LFS

chrisduck · Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 10:03 pm Post subject: error 15

I'm getting the error 15 message.

To be brief, I'll quickly list information that seems necessary
first
- I did a stage two installation
- Grub loads fine and will boot windows
- when I use the tab completion method from grub, it completes the correct kernel file
- it cannot find the initrd file
- ls boot shows kernel-2.6.9-gentoo-r1, but it does not show an initrd file

here is my grub.conf

default 0
timeout 30
splashimage=(hd0,1)/grub/splash.xpm.gz

title=Gentoo Linux 2.6.9-r1
root (hd 0,1)
kernel /kernel-2.6.9-gentoo-r1 root=/dev/ram0 video=vesafb:ywrap,pmipal,1440x900-3 ramdisk=8192 real_root=/dev/hda4
initrd /initrd-2.6.9-gentoo-r1

title=WindowsXP
root (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

Thanks for any help[/b]

chrisduck · Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2004 10:40 pm Post subject:

I thought that I should add the happening of my latest experiment.
I commented out the initrd section of grub.conf. It started to boot as it normally might then it stopped. It gave these final lines of text.

VFS: Cannot open root device "ram0" or unknown block (0,0)
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel Panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block (0,0)

now I'm more confused.

dkaplowitz · Posted: Sun Oct 31, 2004 7:51 pm Post subject: Re: grub error collection

slam633 · Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2004 8:32 pm Post subject: Grub error [SOLVED]

Earthwings,

Thanks for all the help.

Turns out that I didn't have my hard drive set to use LBA.

Thanks
_________________
"Beer is proof God loves us, and wants us to be happy. Ben Franklin"

astaines

Problem :- Grub crashes out at

Invincible_777 · Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2004 2:42 am Post subject:

Earthwings · Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2004 10:13 am Post subject:

You could have mentioned you already opened a thread about it.
:arrow:

https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?t=251139

Hyrken · n00b Joined: 09 Aug 2004 Posts: 3 Location: Andorra

Airheat found the good solution. I has the same trouble and thanks to him I solved it in 5 min! Thanks guy

AngryLlama · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 30 Sep 2004 Posts: 111

I just found this sticky after posting a grub/dualboot problem I am having. I haven't gotten through all 12 pages yet... I'm around page 4. Here is a reference to my problem if anyone can help me out.

Thanks!

Mr. Garr · Posted: Tue Dec 14, 2004 3:30 pm Post subject:

hmm on my box it shows error 15 but i can;t do anything, it just stops after "loading grub" or sth like that
my grub conf:

Karsten1973 · Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2004 10:08 am Post subject:

Hey,

your list looks very complete - but does not solve my problem. I have the all-i-get-is-the-grub-prompt problem.

typing configfile and then giving it my grub.conf works. What am I doing wrong?

I think I have the right softlinks:

bash-2.05b# pwd
/boot/grub
bash-2.05b# ls -lsa
total 847
1 drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 1024 Dec 17 10:47 .
1 drwxr-xr-x 5 root root 1024 Dec 15 23:00 ..
11 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 11264 Dec 15 22:53 e2fs_stage1_5
11 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 10256 Dec 15 22:53 fat_stage1_5
9 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 9216 Dec 15 22:53 ffs_stage1_5
1 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 330 Dec 15 23:37 grub.conf
2 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1495 Dec 15 22:53 grub.conf.sample
12 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 11456 Dec 15 22:53 jfs_stage1_5
0 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 Dec 17 10:47 menu.lst -> grub.conf
10 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 9600 Dec 15 22:53 minix_stage1_5
194 -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 196836 Dec 15 22:53 nbgrub
195 -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 197860 Dec 15 22:53 pxegrub
14 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 12864 Dec 15 22:53 reiserfs_stage1_5
35 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 33856 Dec 15 22:53 splash.xpm.gz
1 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 512 Dec 15 22:53 stage1
133 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 135148 Dec 15 22:53 stage2
194 -rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 196900 Dec 15 22:53 stage2.netboot
9 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 8896 Dec 15 22:53 vstafs_stage1_5
14 -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 12840 Dec 15 22:53 xfs_stage1_5

/boot is a partion:
/dev/hda2 /boot ext2 noatime,noauto 1 2
/dev/hda4 / reiserfs noatime,notail 0 0
/dev/hda3 none swap sw 0 0
/dev/cdroms/cdrom0 /mnt/cdrom iso9660 noauto,ro 0 0
/dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy auto noauto,user 0 0
none /proc/bus/usb usbfs defaults 0 0
/dev/sda1 /mnt/usbstick vfat defaults,users,noauto 0 0
/dev/hda1 /mnt/windows vfat noauto 0 0
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
none /dev/shm tmpfs nodev,nosuid,noexec 0 0

And last but not least:

bash-2.05b# cat /boot/grub/grub.conf
# Boot automatically after 30 secs.
timeout 30

# By default, boot the first entry.
default 0

# For booting GNU/Hurd
title Gentoo Linux
root (hd0,1)
kernel /kernel-2.6.9-karsten2 root=/dev/hda4
# vga=791
# initrd /initrd

# For booting Windows NT or Windows95
title Windows 98 SE
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

Any suggestions?

Karsten1973 · Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2004 10:56 pm Post subject:

Solved that. I lacked the symlink from /boot/boot to /boot :oops:

SniperSlap · n00b Joined: 26 Nov 2004 Posts: 45 Location: Winnipeg, MB

Despite having read all the available posts and documentation, I haven't been able to come up with a solution to my bootup problem.

I noticed that a lot of people have been getting similar error messages as me, however the layout of their systems has been different to mine...

As a preface, my hard drive is as configured as follows:

200gb Western Digital SATA on a Silicon Image 3112 Controller (Abit NF7-S, NOT NF7-S2)
And yes, the kernel has BOTH ReiserFS and the Silicon Image chip's support compiled in. And YES, /dev is set to automount at boot.

Partitions of "sda" (as the gentoo CD recognizes it):

sda1 - WindowsXP - NTFS
sda2 - Swap Partition
sda3 - ReiserFS - / - includes /boot directory (I don't use a /boot partition)

I configured Grub's .conf file as best as I could eyeball it, but I turned up no results, so I've resorted to simply making entries and alterations in the grub console until I can sort this out...No sense in making broken configuration files.

My kernel seems to load in the SATA driver, but unfortunatley, there's no way for me to slow down or save the output of my kernel bootup, and so the screens just go whipping right by me!

The error message I end with though - without having it in front of me - is:

"kernel panic - not syncing VFS unable to mount root FS on unknown block (8,3)"

No matter how I play around with GRUB in it's console, I simply get this message, or some variant of it. Obviously it's related to the root=/dev/XXXX kernel option that I pass. But it seems like I can't find the magic spot. /dev/sda3 doesn't get me anywhere, /dev/hd[a/b/c/d/e]3 are all no-gos as well.

The least I'd like is some way of slowing down or debugging my kernel output, but I doubt this is possible. Ideally, I'd like to just have my Linux system booting properly.

I'm having a heck of a time getting SATA drives to work, they're quite the nightmare...To Grub's credit, I really enjoy the versatility it offers DURING the boot menu, and it seems like a fantastic boot loader. So instead of attributing my troubles to a crappy program, I'm just going to say these are growing pains.

cynric · Guru Joined: 08 Oct 2004 Posts: 439

Well, I see a lot of file not founds, but only one 'the file /boot/boot/grub/stage1 not read correctly'. Since most want the grub.conf, here it is:

default 0
timeout 5
splashimage=(hd1,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz

title Gentoo Linux
root (hd1,0)
kernel /kernel-2.6.9-gentoo root=/dev/sda3 doscsi

I am running SATA drives using grub-static 0.93.20030118 and kernel 2.6.9-r9 on an amd64 system. I originally tried (sd0,0) and (sd1,0) instead of (hd1,0). In device.map it lists hd1 as being /dev/sda ... possibly configured the kernal wrong? Thanks.

[edit]After more reading, apparently this issue of naming is common. Futhermore, using (interactive?) 'grub' to 'setup (hd1,0)' it gets an Error 15 which is fairly common in this thread. Back to reading ...[/edit]

[EDIT]
Well, I got frustrated and decided to reboot. At the grub prompt, I passed it 'root (hd1,0)' 'kernel /kernel-2.6.9-gentoo' and then 'boot' ... and it booted. *shrug* It wasn't bringing up the menu list so I went back into gentoo in the /boot/grub directory and did 'ln -s grub.conf menu.lst' to create the symlink. And that, apparently, fixes my grub errors although I have no idea why ... now to get sk98lin loading and the framebuffer looking sexy.
[/EDIT]

Lazy_Dewd · Tux's lil' helper Joined: 22 Dec 2004 Posts: 144

-SOLVED-
I have a very common problem. it's something like this: