I repeat what I said earlier. Most probably it is lacking your root filesystem module in the initrd. Is the initrd even loading? Also, you are usually told _why_ the root filesystem was not mounted. Error like 'no such device' or 'cannot mount filesystem' & 'tried these types' are cryptic but vital.Exactly what does your system say after the mount root error?

Thank you for your comment.

Yes, I do agree. My system cannot read file system. I need to figure out why.

Attached file, please check if these messages are concordant.

1. This screen shows with debian repo image with initrd.
2. This exact same disk drive works with old motherboard.
3. With my custom kernel, where ext4 driver is compiled in, the second line to end is slightly different, it reads "Kernel Offset: disabled"

So, my best guess is:
My system cannot read root file system.
Correct drivers do exist.
Bootloader cannot locate root file system for whatever reason. (uuid? or kernel parameter)

If I am on the right track.

Attached Thumbnails

 

For that kernel option, you will have a kernel line somewhere
The root= option is essential, and it is wrong, meaning it doesn't point to a disk partition.

Thank you for your comment.

Yes, I do agree.

I have tried
both
root=/dev/sda# (obsolete, outdated notation)
and
root="UUID..." (modern cutting edge notation)

Old motherboard boots, but new one chokes.

cheers

Sounds like the device controller changed...

Can you boot a live system to see what the disk is identified as?

One explanation for this is that the controller changed, and the initrd doesn't have the correct driver for it. That is why the suggestion for a live system boot to find out...

If that is the case, you will have to rebuild the initrd including the correct driver.

I had this problem with Slackware using a VM - though the boot disk initrd did support the virtio, (and went through the installation), the installed kernel initrd did not.

With the result that I had the same problem.

Stay here. root=/dev/sda2(or whatever) is still a valid way of addressing it. The kernel has to mount it over the initrd (which is mounted on / to give /lib/modules/some kernel). Check the contents of the initrd for motherboard chipset and file systems. What was the "root=801" option shown in your screen picture? That doesn't look kosher. Where did that come from?

It comes from the hardware tranlation of the root= option. The physical device specified doesn't exist.

I think you are missing a driver.

Thank you for your comments.

I have not tried live CD.

I tried rescue mode. Under this environment, UUID was correct (or same). I did run lilo, but did not rebuild initrd (update-initramfs).

Both ext4 and sata3 (ahci) modules exist (that's what debian repo config says). These are complied in with my custom kernel!!

By the way,
I have tried several other my old custom kernels. They all choke at the same step, but with slightly different panic messages.

May I point out here that there's 23 posts on this thread. Most threads don't go above 8 or 10. You're missing something obvious, or else not thoroughly trying the suggestions you're being given. This is a simple enough problem. Why not take a distro kernel, modules, and initrd and install that lot to boot your system? BTW, you still didn't address this one:

Thank you for your comment.

Yes, I do agree. It should be simple. No objection whatsoever.

As mentioned before in several posts (17, 15, 13, 8, 4 and 1), debian repo kernal image was used.

I rebuilt an initrd image on my old system. But new system chokes.

Both old and new system use ahci and libata as drivers. (not piix nor sata_sil)

About 801. My lilo.conf does not point anything to 801. I think that is something like physical location on the disk, (sector ??) Web search says that 801 looks like common one.
This 801 message does not show up, when root is pointed by "UUID...." It shows up when root is pointed by 'sd#'

cheers

Have you tried flashing the motherboard? I avoid doing this like the plague and only out of necessity, but I have an ASUS that would freeze recording video (i.e. from a digital video camera) and I finally tried it as a last resort. It took care of the freezes I was seeing. Just be careful, flashing the mobo is about the only way you can "brick" your system permanently without breaking the hardware.

Hya,

I have not flashed mobo yet. I checked that bios (or whatever) is the most updated version.

I will try and see how it goes.

cheers

++++ added on edit
I flashed bios. I regret to say, but the problem persists.

Hya,

Partially solved.

Following what I did.

Using another clean installed HD, (post #15), booted onto that system.
Tried to boot onto cloned HD again choked at the same step. Checked UUID and all correct.

Followed this wiki and found that my current system is legacy boot while new system is EFI boot. Entire HD is converted into EFI using gdisk, then EFI (boot/efi) partition was created.

Followed debian official installation manual, using "un*x or GNU system" as an installation media, then connect the cloned HD to chroot onto it.
Mounted /proc and MAKEDEV, then mount efivars (efivarfs)
Then installed grub, update-grub

Now I can boot into cloned HD, using boot menu.

I have not tried lilo yet. (It is somewhat long story. One reason is elilo is missing in debian stretch repo, as of Apr-Mar 2016)

I need to figure out where problem was, but one step ahead.

I will update.

Solved !?

I guess I probably have resuscitated the penguin.

I tried to boot into the new disk, which failed!! (Penguin went to lilo and choked.)
Problem was outside penguin world. I needed to go to boot menu, select EFT boot, not whole disk boot on bios.

I can get onto Debian on the now logic board, but still slight problem. Network is not working, no eth0. !!

Once the problem resolves, I will post the solution.

cheers

UUID is unique for filesystem, so it will not be same if you replace the HDD.
You said LiLo and UEFI, these two do not go together.
You can use PARTUUID instead of UUID, Linux kernel can find PARTUUID without initrd, while mounting by UUID needs proper initrd.