[Clfs-support] Can't mount root at boot

[Stan Sander]

Arnie Stender wrote:
> 
> Mount JFS Failure: -22
> No filesystem could mount root, tried: reiserfs ext3 ext4dev ext2 msdos
> vfat iso9669 jfs
> kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: unable to mount root fs on
> unknown-block(8,49)
> 
> What does it mean by "unknown-block(8,49)"? The message seems to be
> saying the kernel is trying to mount the filesystem "ON" this "block".
> Arnie


Arnie,

If I'm understanding this correctly, it is trying to find the root 
filesystem on the first partition of the fourth scsi drive, in other 
words /dev/sdd1.  I could be way off base here -- it's just a stab in 
the dark.  What does your /boot/grub/menu.lst file contain?  Have you 
tried passing a root= line to your kernel?

Example based on my system:

title linux
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/bzImage root=/dev/sdb1

Notice two things here.  first the root (hd0,0) this entry is for grub's 
benefit since the bios sees my drive that I'm booting from as the first 
hard drive -- hd0, -- and the partition -- 0 -- that contains my /boot 
(with the  files grub needs stage 1, the *stage1_5 files and stage2 and 
the menu.lst file)  Note grub starts counting from 0.

Then the second thing is the root=/dev/sdb1  When the kernel boots, it 
sees the same hard drive as /dev/sdb instead of /dev/sda, as one would 
normally expect.  (This actually has to do with the SCSI ID of the drive 
and this method is just how I chose to deal with it.)  With this line, 
the kernel is able to find the correct drive and partition where it's 
root filesystem is as it "takes over" the boot process from grub.

Worth a shot adding/verifying the root= anyway, IMO. And, as I said 
before, I could be way off base here.

Good luck,

Stan