Skip to contentSkip to conversation

2.6.0-test2 - VFS: Cannot open root device "NULL" or sda1

DISCUSSION Henrik Storner 3 participants 6 messages Jul 28, 2003

lore
Share & tools
lore

Henrik Storner

author
#0 lore raw

I installed 2.6.0-test1 this afternoon, and was quite pleased that it could burn some cd's without the trouble I'd had with ide-scsi.

So I know 2.6.0-test1 works for me. But 2.6.0-test2 with the same configuration (just a "make oldconfig" in between) stops during boot with:

VFS: Cannot open root device "NULL" or sda1
Please append a correct "root=" boot option

Kernel panic: Unable to mount root fs on sda1

I have LILO on /dev/hda, and the root fs on /dev/sda1. Adding a "root=/dev/sda1" at the LILO: prompt doesn't change anything.

Henrik

Signature · 1 line
Henrik Storner <[email protected]>
#1 lore raw
Quoted 8 lines · Henrik Storner

So I know 2.6.0-test1 works for me. But 2.6.0-test2 with the same configuration (just a "make oldconfig" in between) stops during boot with:

VFS: Cannot open root device "NULL" or sda1
Please append a correct "root=" boot option

Kernel panic: Unable to mount root fs on sda1

I've got the same error, except my root device is /dev/hda3. It also worked in 2.6.0-test1 :)

Signature · 3 lines
Yifang Dai		 |
eFax: (847)628-0255      |    Debian GNU/Linux
[email protected]     |
#2 lore raw
Quoted 6 lines · Yifang Dai
Quoted 4 lines · Henrik Storner

So I know 2.6.0-test1 works for me. But 2.6.0-test2 with the same configuration (just a "make oldconfig" in between) stops during boot with:

Quoted 9 lines
Quoted 4 lines

VFS: Cannot open root device "NULL" or sda1
Please append a correct "root=" boot option

Kernel panic: Unable to mount root fs on sda1

I've got the same error, except my root device is /dev/hda3. It also worked in 2.6.0-test1 :)

I believe you need to change in your grub.conf file the root=/dev/hda3 to a root=### ie root=0307

The number is composed of 3 pieces

(a) major device number ie. 3 above (leading zero is ignored)
(b) minor device number ie. 0 above
(c) partition on device ie. 7 above

I use hdb. hda and hdb are both major device number 3

hda is minor device number 0
hdb is minor device number 64
BUT minor device number is in base 16
so in base 16, hda is 0 (0x16=0) and hdb is 4 (4x16=64)

THUS

my root=/dev/hdb4 becomes root=344 (ie. maj device 3, minor device 64 (4x16) and partition #4.

Examples:

hda1 = 301
hda3 = 303
hdb1 = 341
hdb4 = 344 etc.

Pardon if this is obvious. To determine linux device numbers, google. there's a list out there. I found a list below:

http://www.lanana.org/docs/device-list/devices.txt

author
#3 lore raw
Quoted 7 lines · In <[email protected]> gaxt <[email protected]> writes:
Quoted 6 lines · Yifang Dai
Quoted 4 lines · Henrik Storner

So I know 2.6.0-test1 works for me. But 2.6.0-test2 with the same configuration (just a "make oldconfig" in between) stops during boot with:

Quoted 7 lines
Quoted 4 lines
Quoted 1 line

VFS: Cannot open root device "NULL" or sda1

I've got the same error, except my root device is /dev/hda3. It also worked in 2.6.0-test1 :)

I believe you need to change in your grub.conf file the root=/dev/hda3 to a root=### ie root=0307

Doesn't seem to do much good here. I've tried:

root=/dev/sda1
root=0801
root=801
root=2049 (0801 hex = 2049 decimal)
root=08:01
root=/dev/sda/1

but none of them gets the kernel to mount the root fs (yes, I do have the SCSI driver and my reiserfs filesystem compiled in).

Anyone who added patches to -test2 who have a clue about what is going on ?

Henrik

Signature · 1 line
Henrik Storner <[email protected]>
#4 lore raw

Re: 2.6.0-test2 - Strange Terminal Problems- Gramofile

In reply to Yifang Dai

in 260-test1-mm2-O8+O9 gramofile worked fine

in 260-test2 gramofile loads but when you press on "start recording" where you are supposed to get an ASCII equalizer changing with the music input, you get a blank screen. Same in an xterm as in a virtual terminal.

#5 lore raw

Re: 2.6.0-test2 - Strange Terminal Problems- Gramofile UPDATE - Scheduler?

Quoted 4 lines · gaxt

in 260-test1-mm2-O8+O9 gramofile worked fine

in 260-test2 gramofile loads but when you press on "start recording" where you are supposed to get an ASCII equalizer changing with the music input, you get a blank screen. Same in an xterm as in a virtual terminal.

Hm. Well, closing down Wine (running Galciv) seems to have resolved the problem for some reason. Scheduler problems???