[gentoo-amd64] can't boot, "block device is not a valid root device"

[gentoo-amd64] can't boot, "block device is not a valid root device"

[Tamer Higazi]

Hi people,
I have installed the latest gentoo linux distribution and I don't know
what I am missing in my installation, specially the last gentoo
installation worked for me fine.

At booting I recive the error message:

"Block device /dev/sda5 is not a valid root device."

Hard disk is a SATA one, with a Core2Duo machine.


What am I doing wrong?

for any help solving my problem, I would thank you kindly.


Tamer


content of my 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/sda1               /boot           ext2            noauto,noatime  1 2
/dev/sda5               /               ext3            noatime         0 1
/dev/sda6               /opt            ext3            noatime         0 1
/dev/sda7               /usr/local      ext3            noatime         0 1
/dev/sda8               /home           ext3            noatime         0 1
/dev/sda9               none            swap            sw              0 0
/dev/cdrom              /mnt/cdrom      audo            noauto,ro       0 0
#/dev/fd0               /mnt/floppy     auto            noauto          0 0

# glibc 2.2 and above expects tmpfs to be mounted at /dev/shm for
# POSIX shared memory (shm_open, shm_unlink).
# (tmpfs is a dynamically expandable/shrinkable ramdisk, and will
#  use almost no memory if not populated with files)
shm                     /dev/shm        tmpfs
nodev,nosuid,noexec     0 0

and grub.conf:

grub.conf:

# This is a sample grub.conf for use with Genkernel, per the Gentoo 
handbook
#
http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=1&chap=10#doc_chap2 

# If you are not using Genkernel and you need help creating this file, you
# should consult the handbook. Alternatively, consult the
grub.conf.sample that
# is included with the Grub documentation.

default 0
timeout 30

title Gentoo Linux 2.6.25-r7
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/kernel-genkernel-x86_64-2.6.25-gentoo-r7 root=/dev/ram0
init=/linuxrc ramdisk=8192 real_root=/dev/sda5
initrd /boot/initramfs-genkernel-x86_64-2.6.25-gentoo-r7

Re: [gentoo-amd64] can't boot, "block device is not a valid root device"

[ert256]

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[ 06.09.2008 18:04 ], Tamer Higazi :
> Hi people,
> I have installed the latest gentoo linux distribution and I don't know
> what I am missing in my installation, specially the last gentoo
> installation worked for me fine.
> 
> At booting I recive the error message:
> 
> "Block device /dev/sda5 is not a valid root device."
> 
> Hard disk is a SATA one, with a Core2Duo machine.
I had similar problem when i haven't compiled in the kernel drivers for
my HD controller (Sata controller).
Are You sure, Your kernel is configure correctly ?
> 
> 
> What am I doing wrong?
> 
> for any help solving my problem, I would thank you kindly.
> 
> 
> Tamer
> 
> 
> content of my 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/sda1               /boot           ext2            noauto,noatime  1 2
> /dev/sda5               /               ext3            noatime         0 1
> /dev/sda6               /opt            ext3            noatime         0 1
> /dev/sda7               /usr/local      ext3            noatime         0 1
> /dev/sda8               /home           ext3            noatime         0 1
> /dev/sda9               none            swap            sw              0 0
> /dev/cdrom              /mnt/cdrom      audo            noauto,ro       0 0
> #/dev/fd0               /mnt/floppy     auto            noauto          0 0
> 
> # glibc 2.2 and above expects tmpfs to be mounted at /dev/shm for
> # POSIX shared memory (shm_open, shm_unlink).
> # (tmpfs is a dynamically expandable/shrinkable ramdisk, and will
> #  use almost no memory if not populated with files)
> shm                     /dev/shm        tmpfs
> nodev,nosuid,noexec     0 0
> 
> and grub.conf:
> 
> grub.conf:
> 
> # This is a sample grub.conf for use with Genkernel, per the Gentoo
> handbook
> #
> http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=1&chap=10#doc_chap2
> 
> # If you are not using Genkernel and you need help creating this file, you
> # should consult the handbook. Alternatively, consult the
> grub.conf.sample that
> # is included with the Grub documentation.
> 
> default 0
> timeout 30
> 
> title Gentoo Linux 2.6.25-r7
> root (hd0,0)
> kernel /boot/kernel-genkernel-x86_64-2.6.25-gentoo-r7 root=/dev/ram0
> init=/linuxrc ramdisk=8192 real_root=/dev/sda5
> initrd /boot/initramfs-genkernel-x86_64-2.6.25-gentoo-r7
> 
> 

-- 
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m@il : ert256@gmail.com
Jid : ert256@gmail.com ert16@chrome.pl
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Re: [gentoo-amd64] can't boot, "block device is not a valid root device"

[Beso]

2008/9/6 ert256 <ert256@gmail.com>:
> [ 06.09.2008 18:04 ], Tamer Higazi :
>> Hi people,
>> I have installed the latest gentoo linux distribution and I don't know
>> what I am missing in my installation, specially the last gentoo
>> installation worked for me fine.
>>
>> At booting I recive the error message:
>>
>> "Block device /dev/sda5 is not a valid root device."
>>
>> Hard disk is a SATA one, with a Core2Duo machine.
> I had similar problem when i haven't compiled in the kernel drivers for
> my HD controller (Sata controller).
> Are You sure, Your kernel is configure correctly ?
>>
>>
>> What am I doing wrong?
>>
>> for any help solving my problem, I would thank you kindly.
>>
>>
>> Tamer
>>
>>
>> content of my 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/sda1               /boot           ext2            noauto,noatime  1 2
>> /dev/sda5               /               ext3            noatime         0 1
>> /dev/sda6               /opt            ext3            noatime         0 1
>> /dev/sda7               /usr/local      ext3            noatime         0 1
>> /dev/sda8               /home           ext3            noatime         0 1
>> /dev/sda9               none            swap            sw              0 0
>> /dev/cdrom              /mnt/cdrom      audo            noauto,ro       0 0
>> #/dev/fd0               /mnt/floppy     auto            noauto          0 0
>>
>> # glibc 2.2 and above expects tmpfs to be mounted at /dev/shm for
>> # POSIX shared memory (shm_open, shm_unlink).
>> # (tmpfs is a dynamically expandable/shrinkable ramdisk, and will
>> #  use almost no memory if not populated with files)
>> shm                     /dev/shm        tmpfs
>> nodev,nosuid,noexec     0 0
>>
>> and grub.conf:
>>
>> grub.conf:
>>
>> # This is a sample grub.conf for use with Genkernel, per the Gentoo
>> handbook
>> #
>> http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=1&chap=10#doc_chap2
>>
>> # If you are not using Genkernel and you need help creating this file, you
>> # should consult the handbook. Alternatively, consult the
>> grub.conf.sample that
>> # is included with the Grub documentation.
>>
>> default 0
>> timeout 30
>>
>> title Gentoo Linux 2.6.25-r7
>> root (hd0,0)
>> kernel /boot/kernel-genkernel-x86_64-2.6.25-gentoo-r7 root=/dev/ram0
>> init=/linuxrc ramdisk=8192 real_root=/dev/sda5
>> initrd /boot/initramfs-genkernel-x86_64-2.6.25-gentoo-r7
>>
>>

if you've compiled your sata driver as a module you'd have to have it
in the initrd file or else it won't be able to load it and read data
from the disk. i've found out that some modules like the sata driver
are best compiled as integrated into the kernel.

-- 
dott. ing. beso