On March 13, 2012 at 1:36 AM ro...@cs.wisc.edu wrote:
> I recently decided to update my AMD64 box from 2.38 to the new 3.2
kernel.
> I used genkernel all to compile the upgraded kernel but when I go to boot
> I get the following error.
>
> >>Loading modules
> >>Determining root device
> !!Block device /dev/sdb2 is not a valid root device
> !!Could not find the root block device in .
> Pleas specify another value or" press enter for the same, type "shell"
for
> a shell, or "q"to skip..
> root block device()::
>
> However at this point the computer is hung and I am no longer able to
> input anything. I just switched over to gentoo from bsd a year or so ago
> and am still a newbie at some of the installation procedures but I
believe
> I have followed the manual correctly with the only change being that
/boot
> is located on the root partition and not a seperate partition. I'm still
> able to use my older kernel without a problem and the only difference
that
> I can note between the two is that older kernel seems to load in a bunch
> of modules and starts mdev, I believe, before trying to locate root. I am
> also using Lilo since my motherboard doesn't seem to like grub. Any help
I
> could get would be appreciated.
>
> roger
>
> Here is a print out of lilo.conf
> boot=/dev/sdb
> map=/boot/map
>
> prompt
> timeout=50
> default=Windows
>
> image=/boot/kernel-genkernel-x86_64-2.6.38-gentoo-r6
> label=2.6.38
> read-only
> append="real_root=/dev/sdb2"
> vga=773
> initrd=/boot/initramfs-genkernel-x86_64-2.6.38-gentoo-r6
>
> image=/boot/kernel-genkernel-x86_64-3.2.1-gentoo-r2
> label=3.2.1
> read-only
> append="real_root=/dev/sdb2"
> initrd=/boot/initramfs-genkernel-x86_64-3.2.1-gentoo-r2
>
>
> other=/dev/sda1
> label=Windows
>
>
> Here is a print out of fdisk
> Disk /dev/sdb: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders, total 156301488 sectors
> Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
> Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
> I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
> Disk identifier: 0x37cd3650
>
> Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
> /dev/sdb1 2048 12584959 6291456 82 Linux swap /
Solaris
> /dev/sdb2 * 12584960 14682111 1048576 83 Linux
> /dev/sdb3 14682112 156301487 70809688 5 Extended
> /dev/sdb5 14684160 18878463 2097152 83 Linux
> /dev/sdb6 18880512 23074815 2097152 83 Linux
> /dev/sdb7 23076864 65019903 20971520 83 Linux
> /dev/sdb8 65021952 156301487 45639768 83 Linux
>
> Here is a print out of fstab
> # /etc/fstab: static file system information.
> #
> # noatime turns off atimes for increased performance (atimes normally
aren't
> # needed); notail increases performance of ReiserFS (at the expense of
> storage
> # efficiency). It's safe to drop the noatime options if you want and to
> # switch between notail / tail freely.
> #
> # The root filesystem should have a pass number of either 0 or 1.
> # All other filesystems should have a pass number of 0 or greater than 1.
> #
> # See the manpage fstab(5) for more information.
> #
>
> # <fs> <mountpoint> <type>
> <opts> <dump/pass>
>
> # NOTE: If your BOOT partition is ReiserFS, add the notail option to
opts.
> /dev/sdb2 / ext3 noatime
> 0 1
> /dev/sdb1 none swap sw
> 0 0
>
> /dev/sdb5 /var ext3 defaults
> 1 2
> /dev/sdb6 /tmp ext3 defaults
> 1 2
> /dev/sdb7 /usr ext3 defaults
> 1 2
> /dev/sdb8 /home ext3
defaults
> 1 2
>
> /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom auto noauto,ro
> 0 0
>
> /dev/sda2 /mnt/Windows ntfs defaults
> 1 2
>
> proc /proc proc
> defaults 0 0
> shm /dev/shm tmpfs
> nodev,nouisd,noexec 0 0
>
> #tmpfs /var/tmp/portage tmpfs
> size=500M,mode=0777 0 0
>
>
>
>
>
Something else ...
LiLO doesn't need/use this "real_root= " convention. It knows that
/dev/sdb2 is /dev/sdb2. So, according to your fdisk and /etc/fstab output,
I think this /etc/lilo.conf should work for you:
[code]
# Faster, but won't work on all systems:
compact
# Should work for most systems, and does not have the sector limit:
lba32
# If lba32 does not work, use linear:
#linear
vga=773
# MBR to install LILO to:
boot = /dev/sda
map = /boot/.map
default = Windows
install = /boot/boot-menu.b # Note that for lilo-22.5.5 or later you
# do not need boot-{text,menu,bmp}.b in
# /boot, as they are linked into the lilo
# binary.
menu-scheme=Wb
prompt
# If you always want to see the prompt with a 5 second timeout:
timeout=50
# Will automatically reboot your computer in 10 seconds if kernel panics
append="panic=10"
#
# End LILO global section
#
# Linux bootable partition config begins
#
image = /boot/kernel-genkernel-x86_64-3.2.1-gentoo-r2
root = /dev/sdb2
label = 3.2.1
initrd = /boot/initramfs-genkernel-x86_64-3.2.1-gentoo-r2
read-only # Partitions should be mounted read-only for checking
image = /boot/kernel-genkernel-x86_64-2.6.38-gentoo-r6
root = /dev/sdb2
label = 2.8.38
initrd = /boot/initramfs-genkernel-x86_64-2.6.38-gentoo-r6
read-only # Partitions should be mounted read-only for checking
#
# DOS bootable partition config begins
#
other = /dev/sda1
label = Windows
table = /dev/sda
#
# DOS bootable partition config ends
#
[/code]
Leave off the two lines with the code tags ... that's my attempt to make
formatting look nice. <:-)}
In your /etc/fstab output I see:
/dev/sda2 /mnt/Windows ntfs defaults
1 2
Is Windows on /dev/sda2, or is this some type of shared partition? (Your
lilo.conf has Windows at /dev/sda1)
You might want to change that Windows partition in /etc/fstab from 1 2 to
0 0 so that fsck doesn't check it. Read "man fstab", particularly " The
sixth field"
Okay, let's run that up the flagpole and see if it flies!
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