error

[paulmedic555]

Hi all sorry for the silly question but when i boot to gentoo i get that :
VFS :cannot open root device "<NULL>" or unknown-block (8,2)
please append a correct "root="boot option
kernel panic :VFS unable to mount root fs on unknown-block (8,2)

I have a serial ata hard drive as /dev/sda i install 2.6.5 kernel from the livecd
and create a ext3 type partition in /dev/sda2
Any suggestions?

[kkubasik]

It seems to be an issue of pointing the bootloaderor /etc/fstab to the correct partition and having devfs enabled in the kernel or emerging it from a recovery CD.

[variant]

there are several reasons that this might happen, either way you will need to boot to the live cd to repair the problem. Here is a list of things to check:

1. support for the filesystem you use on the / partition of your disk MUST be compiled into the kernel _NOT_ as a module.

2. make sure the fstab includes the line containing mount info about the / filesystem and that the first part (the bit that reads /dev/hd*) points to the correct location.

3. make sure that your /boot/grub/grub.conf has the correct syntax as the error sugests.


From the error messege you posted and considering that you say /dev/sda2 is the root device then in grub it should be (0,1) not (8,2) which is what you have

[paulmedic555]

i start install from the begining and here are my partitions:
/dev/sda1 ntfs winxp
/dev/sda2 /boot ext2 defaults 0 0 (added in mine gentoo fstab)
/dev/sda4 swap (added in mine gentoo fstab)
/dev/sda5 yoper /
/dev/sda6 / ext3 defaults 0 0 (added in mine gentoo fstab)
After in grub i had tried as root : root (hd0,1)
and setup (fd0)
I boot ok but the kernel say it can't find my root device and /dev/sda6 or /dev/sda2 can't accepted what can i do?I know i am near

[res0r9lm]

shouldn't that be
setup (hd0) to install in mbr or (hd0,1) for installing into /boot

[robak]

what about root (hd0,5) in grub config
have you compiled the s-ata driver into the kernel? not as modules.

have you another hd in your computer?

[paulmedic555]

The sata driver is compiled as module and i have only one sata drive.Tomorrow i will try to compile the kernel with the drive as build in.When i boot the kernel says me that root device not found and then it gives me a prompt and when i type /dev/sda6 it says that it isn't a valid block device.I hope it only needs a recompile with build in the sata driver in the kernel.I will try it and see

[paulmedic555]

I recompiled the kernel and successfully i entered my gentoo system emerge kde and all is ok.Now i must optimize my system