Post install mount issues.

VisionIncision · 05-15-2016, 06:04 AM

Hi all,
I am having some issues installing Slackware64 14.1 on one of my old laptops. Following the install I am receiving the following during the boot process:-

Code:

EXT3-fs (sda7): error: couldn't mount because of unsupported optional features (240)
EXT2-fs (sda7): error: couldn't mount because of unsupported optional features (240)
EXT4-fs (sda7): mounted filesystem with ordered data mode. Opts: (null)

It appears that as a result my inittab file cannot be found.

The laptop previously had Debian, but I have since wiped the partition table and removed GPT.

EDIT:- It appears that this is not the issue causing my system to not boot, so there must be another reason why my inittab file isn't found. I have done multiple reinstalls and it is the same issue. Are there any common, known causes for such behaviour on a new install?

Upon booting I receive the following error:-

Code:

INIT: No inittab file found
Enter runlevel:

When I enter a runlevel(single user mode for example), I receive the following:-

Code:

INIT: Entering runlevel: 1
INIT: no more processes left in this runlevel

If I bypass INIT as suggested below I get a bash shell, so the kernel boots ok.

EDIT 2:- The plot thickens. If I install to one partition, I can boot up just fine.

If anybody has any insight, or suggestions it would be greatly appreciated

GazL · 05-15-2016, 06:12 AM

That's just the kernel trying to mount the filesystem as ext2/3 before using ext4, and should be non-fatal. You can avoid the messages by adding rootfstype=ext4 to your kernel options (e.g. append= in lilo.conf).

If your system is failing to boot, then it's unlikely to be because of these and you need to look for other clues.

VisionIncision · 05-15-2016, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GazL

That's just the kernel trying to mount the filesystem as ext2/3 before using ext4, and should be non-fatal. You can avoid the messages by adding rootfstype=ext4 to your kernel options (e.g. append= in lilo.conf).

If your system is failing to boot, then it's unlikely to be because of these and you need to look for other clues.

Hmm, that's interesting, thanks.

hazel · 05-15-2016, 10:52 AM

It would be useful if you posted the end of your boot messages, i.e. the bit where the fatal error occurs. You say that init can't find the inittab file but you haven't shown us the message which tells you that.

You might also like to try bypassing init by using the the kernel option "init=/bin/bash". If you really have an init problem and not a kernel panic, that should boot you straight into a shell.

VisionIncision · 05-15-2016, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hazel

It would be useful if you posted the end of your boot messages, i.e. the bit where the fatal error occurs. You say that init can't find the inittab file but you haven't shown us the message which tells you that.

You might also like to try bypassing init by using the the kernel option "init=/bin/bash". If you really have an init problem and not a kernel panic, that should boot you straight into a shell.

My apologies, I have updated the original post to be a little more useful. May I ask, when bypassing INIT as you suggested, should I expect none of my partitions to be mounted at this point?

Thanks.

hazel · 05-15-2016, 12:38 PM

Definitely an init problem then. Probably your inittab file is corrupt. That's been known to happen after updates. Google the error message and you'll see some cases where that's precisely what happened.

Next step is to post the file here so we can all have a look at it.

As far as mounting is concerned: after booting the kernel, you have access to the root partition (probably read only) because the kernel was told to mount it on /. The other partitions will not be mounted because that's done by the init scripts.

Gerard Lally · 05-15-2016, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VisionIncision

The laptop previously had Debian, but I have since wiped the partition table and removed GPT.

Are you sure you removed all traces of the GPT partition setup? Please note that GPT stores partition information at end of disk as well. Before partitioning I usually wipe beginning and end of disk with dd:

Code:

# WARNING for those new to Linux: do not use the following commands on a disk where
# you have stored important data
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda bs=512 count=8192
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda seek=<number of sectors minus a few thousand>

(Yes I do wipe far more than I need to but it doesn't take long.)