After a successful installation and testing of 10.3 I was encouraged to do an online update. Now 10.3 will not boot, returning the error...

root (/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_ST3160215A_9RA0445H-part2,1)
error 23: Error while parsing number
Press any key to continue

"No problem", you say? Just look at /boot/grub/menu.lst.old and make appropriate changes. Sorry! menu.lst.old has been over-written by the update. Brilliant programming!

My menu.lst is as follows:-

# Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Sun Feb 3 08:34:57 CST 2008
default 0
timeout 8
gfxmenu (hd0,1)/boot/message
##YaST - activate

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title openSUSE 10.3 - 2.6.22.16-0.1
root (/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_ST3160215A_9RA0445H-part2,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22.16-0.1-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_ST3160215A_9RA0445H-part2 vga=0x314 resume=/dev/sda1 splash=silent showopts
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.22.16-0.1-default

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe###
title Failsafe -- openSUSE 10.3 - 2.6.22.16-0.1
root (/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_ST3160215A_9RA0445H-part2,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22.16-0.1-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_ST3160215A_9RA0445H-part2 vga=normal showopts ide=nodma apm=off acpi=off noresume nosmp noapic maxcpus=0 edd=off 3
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.22.16-0.1-default

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux-2.6.22.5-31-default###
title openSUSE 10.3
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22.5-31-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_ST3160215A_9RA0445H-part2 vga=0x314 resume=/dev/sda1 splash=silent showopts
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.22.5-31-default

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: floppy###
title Floppy
rootnoverify (hd0,1)
chainloader (/dev/fd0)+1

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: failsafe-2.6.22.5-31-default###
title Failsafe -- openSUSE 10.3
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22.5-31-default root=/dev/disk/by-id/scsi-SATA_ST3160215A_9RA0445H-part2 vga=normal showopts ide=nodma apm=off acpi=off noresume nosmp noapic maxcpus=0 edd=off 3
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.22.5-31-default

I have two drives active, hdc and hdd. 10.3 is on hdd. I tried disconnecting hdc. Nothing changed. I think it must have some connection to the 10.3 change to sda devices. Does anyone know why SUSE changed from /dev/hd? to /dev/sd?. Seems to me like a move backwards.

Thanks for any help.

Yes suse 10.3 is moved to sda

But it works fine fore me although the online update using dsl
take rather a long time


all the best

Forget the disc-id reference in GRUB and fstab. Too confusing, and not sure why some distros do this now. Either stick with the typical /dev/hdx or /dev/sdx, or use e2label to give your drives an easy to remember name.

Thanks for the good advice, it got me started in the right direction. /dev/hdx did not work, but /dev/sdx did. My problem is that I have a removable IDE bay that is uppermost in the descriptor chain. Here's what works now, with one or two drives and with the boot drive in hdc position.

# Modified by YaST2. Last modification on Sun Feb 3 08:34:57 CST 2008
default 0
timeout 8
gfxmenu (hd0,1)/boot/message
##YaST - activate

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title ONLY HDC
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22.16-0.1-default root=/dev/sda2 vga=0x314 resume=/dev/sda2 splash=silent showopts
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.22.16-0.1-default

###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: linux###
title HDC and HDA
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22.16-0.1-default root=/dev/sdb2 vga=0x314 resume=/dev/sdb2 splash=silent showopts
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.22.16-0.1-default

I don't understand your new question, if it is a question. So you have a removable IDE drive? Just boot up your SuSE, and then mount it to some directory. You don't need GRUB to do that. Look in your /etc/fstab, or manually do it yourself. What is your question exactly?

There was no question.

I was merely pointing out that when there is an HDA drive in place the boot drive (HDC) is addressed as /dev/sdb and when there is no HDA the boot drive (HDC) is addressed as /dev/sda. This requires two boot options in the menu. With SUSE 10.2 the same option would apply to both conditions, as the reference to the boot drive was physical (i.e. /dev/hdc) and did not change when an HDA drive was present.