[SOLVED} Kernel - Not syncing: VPS: Unable to mount root fs

[als365]

Hello,

I'm having this problem when booting into linux and here's the error:


VFS: Cannot open root device "<NULL>" or unknown-block(8,4)
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(8,4)

My grub.conf file is pretty much the one out of the handbook

#grub.conf
default 1
timeout 30

#Linux
title=Gentoo Linux 2.6.13
root (hd0,1)
kernel /kernel-2.6.13-gentoo-r5

#Windows
title=Windows XP Pro
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1
#End grub.conf

Here's how i am partitioned

/dev/sda1 is my NTFS for windows
/dev/sda2 is my boot for linux
/dev/sda3 is my swap
/dev/sda4 is where i store all of my other linux stuff


I have no idea what this error means and i'm a new linux user so any help would be appreciated. If this means editing my fstab file, can you please tell me how to get to it from the boot cd.

Thanks,
-Austin

[adaptr]

[als365]

Thanks for the quick reply but the error still isn't solved. The error has changed to:

VFS: Cannot open root device "sda4" or unknown-block(0,0)
Please append a correct "root=" top boot option
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(0,0)

My grub.conf file remains the same except for the change that i made from the above mention suggestion.

#grub.conf
default 1
timeout 30

#Linux
title=Gentoo Linux 2.6.13
root (hd0,1)
kernel /kernel-2.6.13-gentoo-r5 root=/dev/sda4

#Windows
title=Windows XP Pro
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1
#End grub.conf


I don't have any idea how to fix this. Also, which of my drives must be bootable (please refer to my partition listing in my above post). Once again, thanks to anyone who can help me solve this problem or get me pointed in the right direction

-Austin

[adaptr]

Then the drive is not called sda in your kernel - try hda.
SATA can be tricky with that depending on which driver you use.

No drive needs to be bootable, and no partition either - as you can see, since it boots the kernel just fine.
_________________
>>> emerge (3 of 7) mcse/70-293 to /
Essential tools: gentoolkit eix profuse screen

[als365]

Thanks,

I fixed that error and now i have another one:

Warning: unable to open an inital console.
Kernel panic - not syncing: No init found. Try passing the init=option to the kernel.

I don't have a clue what init is.

Thanks againk,
-Austin

[als365]

Oh, and the root= line in my grub.conf file reads "root= /dev/hda" I tried "root= /dev/hda4" and got the same error again so i changed it to 'hda' and got passed that error just go get another one lol.

Thanks,
-Austin

[adaptr]

That is related to your not specifying what your root partition is.
Among other things.
Did you use genkernel or build it manually ?
Free tip: don't use genkernel.
_________________
>>> emerge (3 of 7) mcse/70-293 to /
Essential tools: gentoolkit eix profuse screen

[als365]

I did it manually. Do you know how i can specify my root partition or how i can solve this problem?

Thanks again,
-Austin

[als365]

I'm going to post my most recent problem in a new thread and mark this thread as solved since my original problem was solved. Thanks again