slackware 14.1 - kernel panic - unable to mount root fs
 

Hi,

I'm getting kernel panic on boot after successful installation of slackware 14.1. current, it tells:

no fs could mount to, tried: romfs
kernel panic not syncing VFS: unable to mount fs on unknown block
CPU:0 PID: 1 Comm: swapper Not tainted 3.10.17 #1
HW name:ASUS All Series/Z87-K, BIOS 0903 10/25/2013

thanks for your help!

It boots the kernel, then wants to mount the root filesystem. It's stuck there.
Your kernel can only read romfs, which means it can't do ext4. It can't find a romfs file system. At a guess, that kernel needs an initrd. If you just boot the huge kernel, it should run with no initrd.

thanks for your hint, business_kid.

I looked at grub.cfg and noticed that: (I'm running a multiboot system!)

linux /boot/vmlinuz-generic-3.10.17 root=/dev/sda8 gives a kernel panic but ...

linux /boot/vmlinuz-huge-3.10.17 root=/dev/sda8 does'nt!

That's simply because -generic Sackware kernels do not have support for ext4 file system built-in, and at time access to your root partition is attempted, no kernel module is loaded yet, unless it be contained in the initrd.

So:

• either stay with a huge kernel
• or if you want to use a generic one, make an initrd including support for your root file system

See /boot/README.initrd for an how-to.

generic version has ext4 compiled as a modules, while in the huge version is builtin compiled. You may be missing kernel-modules package, but it's more obvious that kernel can't read an ext4 fs to load the ext4 module :) (initrd is strictly required)

As stated you need initrd. mkinitrd package includes a script (/usr/share/mkinitrd/mkinitrd_command_generator.sh) that will give you the required command to generate mkinitrd.

I'll keep 'huge' for the time being, thanks so much!

There is a trend of people using the 'huge' kernels for everyday work. But, this is not recommended. From "Changes & Hints.txt":
As noted above, using "/usr/share/mkinitrd/mkinitrd_command_generator.sh" makes creating an initrd a trivial exercise.
Regards,
Bill

For Information
 

I am posting this just in case anyone stumbles across this thread from a search engine.

I don't think this is the complete answer. I have exactly this problem with Slackware 14.1 but I am using a huge kernel. Despite that it cannot mount the root partition. I did try the initrd solution just to be sure but that results in a whole lot of errors about duplicate symbols and exec format errors. Since the modules are built into the huge kernel these errors are not surprising but it does mean there is something else wrong that prevents the kernel from mounting an ext4 partition when it boots. Sadly I don't know what it is:-(

@ccx004: welcome to LQ and this forum.

Unfortunately the information you give is too sparse to be helpful, and we don't know if you issue is similar to that of the original poster, or completely different.

So please tell us what you did exactly:

• did you try to install a 32-bit or 64-bit edition of Slackware 14.1?
• if you tried a 32-bit edition, which kernel did you use: huge.s or hugesmp.s?
• what media did you use use? was it a DVD that you bought, or an ISO file that you downloaded?
• in the latter case, did you check the integrity of the ISO before using it (e.g. with the md5sum command)?
• still in the latter case, did you make a DVD or USB installation? What command did you use to burn the DVD or write on the USB stick?
• how did you partition the hard disk? Did you make other partitions than / and maybe /home?
  Or did you re-use a former installation, without re-partitioning /? In that case what system was installed there before, and what filesystem was present on /?
• did you make a full installation?
• did you install lilo in the last part (CONFIGURE) of the installation? With what specific settings?
  
  Please answer, so we can help you and maybe others in a similar situation.

Update
 

As I said: "I have exactly this problem with Slackware 14.1 but I am using a huge kernel" as others described. I used an ISO image which I have used many times. It is the 32 bit version. I only posted so people would know that this is not the only issue that causes this problem. I wasn't asking for help I was just letting anyone that comes across this thread that there can be other issues. Sadly I don't know what the solution is. In fact I deleted the server a few minutes ago as it was just an experiment that I was trying and it was easier to start again.

Best wishes....
Colin

Yes, but we already know that... The huge/generic issue fitted the OP and related problems... There are a number of other issues that can happen at boot time and have the same simptoms, including (but not limited to) mount problem due to disk errors or file-system errors, using default naming scheme for partitions (e.g. /dev/sda1) and making hardware changes that would break the name, etc..

@Colin ccx004: Sorry, but there is nothing in your previous post that support your claim that your problem is exactly the same.

So I fail to see how this post can help other people to solve their problems. Of course there can be other issues, so what?

Oh well
 

Oh okay, sorry to have bothered you

Well.. Your intentions we're good :) So that counts :)