An error ocurred during the root filesystem check after a fresh install

guedellas · 02-05-2006, 04:45 PM

Hi all!!

I've just made a fresh install of slackware 10.2 in my old crappy computer:
Pentium 133MHz with 32 MB RAM
hda1 => swap, 64 MB
hda2 => reiserfs, 1GB
hdd => cdrom
floppy

I've installed slackware for two times (picking the packages through the menu driven option of the installation), the first I used ext2 filesystem, but that annoying error occurred (see below) and as it seemed to me that the filesystem was the guilty, I changed it to reiserfs. I was wrong, the same error is still here.
The only problem I had with the installation, came when writting lilo to the MBR (I can't, I can't), but it seemed to be written ok at the end. I used liloconf through the expert mode, and after all, executed lilo to apply changes.

The error occurs after rebooting for the first time the system, once the installation is finished. Before this point, the system seemed to run ok (the few things I could do).
Then, I rebooted the system. Lilo loads correctly but the following appears:
Error description:

Code:

Checking root filesystem
fsck 1.38
/sbin/e2fsck: Is a directory while trying to open /
/:
The superblock could not be read or does not describe the corrected ext2
filesystem. If the device is valid and it really contains an ext2
filesystem (and not swap or nfs or something else), then the superblock
is corrupted and you migth try e2fsck with an alternative superblock
	e2fsck -b 8193 <device>

An error ocurred during the root filesystem check.
You will now be given a chance to log into
the filesystem in single-user mode to fix the problem
If you are using the ext2 filesystem, runnnig
'e2fsck -v -y <partition>' might help.

Once you exit the single-user shell, the system will reboot.
Type control-d to proceed with the normal startup,
(or give root password for system maintenance):

If I type my root password, I got access (single-user, as said) but also read-only, so it seems to me that I cannot change anything

I also noticed that my lilo.conf was modified, don't know how, don't know why, but now it's like the following:
lilo.conf

Code:

#generated by lilo.conf
#Global section
lba32 #Allow booting pasr 1024th cylinder with a recent BIOS
boot = (IN
message = /boot/boot-message.txt
prompt
timeout= = 1200
#Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
reset
#Normal VGA console
vga = normal
#End of Global section

#Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = (IN          # should be /dev/hda2
label = Linux
read-only           # should be read-write??
#Linux bootable partition config ends

Device problem? I don't think so, I've overwritten a DSL install and it seemed to run ok.
lilo problem?
Any clue about what should be my next step?

I can always try a new installation, but it seems to me that this is not going to solve my problem.

what do you think, guys?

Thank you very much in advance!!

cwwilson721 · 02-06-2006, 11:21 AM

Looks like it did not really format as the new filesystem, so it has no idea how to handle it.

Try the new install, but repartion first with slightly different sizes for your / and swap (plus whatever other ones you have), then make sure to reformat the / partition (I use reiserfs, seems to be about best balance between speed/reliabilty)

guedellas · 02-07-2006, 02:36 AM

Hi!!

I made some integrity checks on my disk but all seemed to be ok. So I tried a fresh install with the essential packages again yesterday before you posted (meal break, you know...) and the problem seemed to be with lilo installation. I installed it in a floppy disk instead of on the disk and it worked flawlessly.
Does that make sense for you??
Maybe that was not the real problem, and it was something about corrupted package installation, but now it works, and that's the point

I'll try again the installation with reiserfs today and a whole bunch of packages (but I'll install lilo on floppy

)

Thanks for your input, cwwilson772

Je720 · 04-21-2009, 03:05 PM

I had the same error when I installed Slackware for the first time. To fix it I ran cfdisk and got it to make my primary partition bootable before running setup again. Hope this helps.

hitest · 04-21-2009, 08:33 PM

If you're booting from a lilo floppy also make sure that you set the root partition as bootable (as Je720 said). Set swap partition as type 82.