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Old 05-16-2008, 03:41 PM   #1
atheist
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Registered: Sep 2003
Location: Iceland
Distribution: Debian Lenny - Kernel 2.6.22.8
Posts: 331

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Waiting for root file system... ...


I have a problem... I'm trying to boot into my system. I get to choose my kernel and the normal boot messages start flowing down on the screen, but then this happens:
Code:
Begin: Mounting root file system... ...
Begin: Running /scripts/local-top ...
Done.
Begin: Waiting for root file system... ...
Done.
ALERT!  /dev/sda2 does not exist.  Dropping to a shell!
        Check your root= boot argument (cat /proc/cmdline)
Check for missing modules (cat /proc/modules), or device files (ls /dev)


BusyBox v1.1.3 (Debian 1:1.1.3-5) Built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands.

/bin/sh: can't access tty; job control turned off
(initramfs)
And there I have a command line interface.

What's going on? And please don't tell me my hard drive crashed.

/dev/sda1 is my /boot partition by the way, which seems to be fine...
 
Old 05-16-2008, 04:17 PM   #2
jailbait
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Registered: Feb 2003
Location: Virginia, USA
Distribution: Debian 12
Posts: 8,334

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Check to see what is missing. Use this command to list the partitions on all your drives:

fdisk -l

Use this command to show your devices:

ls -l /dev | less

List /etc/fstab to see what partitions you are trying to mount at boot:

less /etc/fstab

---------------
Steve Stites
 
Old 06-15-2008, 05:42 PM   #3
atheist
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Registered: Sep 2003
Location: Iceland
Distribution: Debian Lenny - Kernel 2.6.22.8
Posts: 331

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 30
Quote:
Originally Posted by jailbait View Post
Check to see what is missing. Use this command to list the partitions on all your drives:

fdisk -l

Use this command to show your devices:

ls -l /dev | less

List /etc/fstab to see what partitions you are trying to mount at boot:

less /etc/fstab

---------------
Steve Stites
Thanks for the reply.

However, I decided to just boot into Windows and use that for a while since I couldn't be bothered with trying to fix this. Busy with school and work and all...

So, I just unplugged the hard drive and plugged my Windows in and used that for a while. Then I decided I was going to see what I could do about this problem, plugged the Linux drive backed in and everything seemed to be working and has been working great since then.

So, yay.
 
Old 06-15-2008, 05:58 PM   #4
lazlow
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Registered: Jan 2006
Posts: 4,363

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Sounds like you had a loose physical connection.
 
  


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