External USB HDD Could not find the root block device

[DannyMcG[HOBO]]

Hey there i installed Sabayon 4.0-r1 on my USB Hard Drive and installed the bootloaded on the USB hard drive aswell and when i try to boot up i get a error

'could not find the root block device in....'

Here is a copy of my Grub.conf

# grub.conf generated by the Sabayon Linux Installer
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE: You have a /boot partition. This means that
# all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.
# root (hd0,0)
# kernel /kernel-genkernel real_root=UUID=f1232b74-c009-46fb-b16f-e4af3c7d3deb
# initrd /initramfs-genkernel
#boot=sdb
default=0
timeout=6
splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz

title Sabayon Linux x86 (genkernel-x86-2.6.27-sabayon)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /kernel-genkernel-x86-2.6.27-sabayon root=/dev/ram0 ramdisk=8192 real_root=UUID=f1232b74-c009-46fb-b16f-e4af3c7d3deb dolvm quiet init=/linuxrc splash=silent,theme:sabayon vga=791 CONSOLE=/dev/tty1 resume=swap:/dev/sdb3
initrd /initramfs-genkernel-x86-2.6.27-sabayon

title Sabayon Linux x86 (genkernel-x86-2.6.27-sabayon) (safe mode)
root (hd0,0)
kernel /kernel-genkernel-x86-2.6.27-sabayon root=/dev/ram0 ramdisk=8192 real_root=UUID=f1232b74-c009-46fb-b16f-e4af3c7d3deb dolvm init=/linuxrc CONSOLE=/dev/tty1 resume=swap:/dev/sdb3 nox acpi=off ide=nodma vga=normal
initrd /initramfs-genkernel-x86-2.6.27-sabayon

title Other Operating System - Microsoft Windows
rootnoverify (hd1,0)
chainloader +1

Any Ideas?

[Thev00d00]

fdisk -l please

[DannyMcG[HOBO]]

Disk /dev/sdb: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x63a50528

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 1 13 104391 83 Linux
/dev/sdb2 14 4105 32868990 83 Linux
/dev/sdb3 4106 4372 2144677+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdb4 4373 30402 209078272 f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sdb5 4373 30402 209077248 7 HPFS/NTFS

There ya go

[dannii2]

Greetings!

I'm a noob... Well at least it's been many many years since I've had the chance to play with Linux so please be gentle!

I'm having the same problem. I've installed (6 times now) to an external USB HDD and each time I get the same problem as the OP. I'm pretty sure it's something I'm missing as the distro seems fairly solid.

When it arrives at the block device error I have to manually enter "/dev/sda1" then it will boot up and seems to function normally (not had much of a chance to play with everything yet).

I guess the question is; why do I have to tell it to do this manually every time? What have I missed out on telling it during the install? I'd post the grub.conf, fdisk -l, and fstab but I'm mid-way through another attempt at installing it. If it fails again I'll add those files.

I'm accepting pretty much all defaults and allowing the installer to set the partitions up as it sees fit.

Any insight would be appreciated!
D2

[WarraWarra]

Okay your bios changes the default say in install it is /dev/sdb during install but during boot it is seen as first hd or /dev/sda.

So on error try /dev/sda3 where /dev/sdb3 was previsouly your root partition and vice versa.

The if working or even /dev/sdc3 if working edit /boot/grub/grub.conf and replace the real_root=kjgbnkfnb with real_root=/dev/sdc3
or what ever partition is correct and problem solved.

No more errors.
Live dvd has fallback so on error hit enter and it will start searching thru all drives until correct one is found, not sure if installed will do the same.

Hope this helps.

[arjay]

I have a very similar problem that I've been struggling with that seems to be related to kernels > 2.6.28 from others I've spoken with in the Gentoo forum, although I can only speak for 2.6.29. It's a minor niggle, but frustrating nonetheless. I've even rebuilt the kernel manually, but with the same result. I've used UUID's as well as physical ID's without any improvement. If I go back to kernel 2.6.27, it works fine. I'd hoped there was something in the latest .config file for 4.1, but I used it, and rebuilt the kernel with it, but still no luck.
Now I've installed 4.1 (wonderful btw!!) on two different external HD's with the same results! In my case, I simply enter /dev/sda3 or on the other drive /dev/sda2 and it boots up without a problem.

fstab:

Code: Select all

UUID=d9146560-d830-4f19-b207-effd9e3ce588 /                       ext4    user_xattr,noatime 1 1
UUID=a479a044-7c97-41ef-bf48-d3826fbf1454 /boot                   ext2    defaults        1 2
/dev/shm                /dev/shm                tmpfs   defaults        0 0
UUID=3da67503-e746-4acb-ad47-5fe2a9201a69 swap                    swap    defaults        0 0

GRUB:

Code: Select all

title Sabayon Linux x86 (genkernel-x86-2.6.29-sabayon)
        root (hd0,1)
        kernel /kernel-genkernel-x86-2.6.29-sabayon  root=/dev/ram0 ramdisk=8192 real_root=UUID=d9146560-d830-4f19-b207-effd9e3ce588 dolvm init=/linuxrc splash=silent,theme:sabayon vga=791 CONSOLE=/dev/tty1 quiet resume=swap:/dev/sda5
        initrd /initramfs-genkernel-x86-2.6.29-sabayon
        savedefault


The only error I get in dmesg seems unrelated, but:

Code: Select all

[ 3105.813303] [fglrx:firegl_find_any_map] *ERROR* Invalid map handle!<3>[fglrx:drm_vm_close] *ERROR* map not found -> inconsistent kernel data!!! vma_start:0xa691f000,handle:0xd2800000


Oops!...forgot to add my fdisk info!

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 3647 29294496 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 3648 3712 522112+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 3713 7536 30716280 83 Linux
/dev/sda4 * 7537 30401 183663112+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 7537 7667 1052226 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 7668 8049 3068383+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 8050 10660 20972826 83 Linux
/dev/sda8 10661 30401 158569551 83 Linux


If anyone has any ideas, they're certainly appreciated. I've actually heard it suggested that it may be related to my ThinkPad T42p and how it handles the USB ports. There is another user with the same problem/machine on the Gentoo forums, but I don't know. I'll go to the IBM (Lenovo) site and see if there are any driver upgrades. Curious about the bios, since I thought the use of a blkid would alleviate that problem?

[WarraWarra]

It is a bug since 2.6.27 + genkernel somewhere, might be earlier only rcently had multi hd's and noticed it.

Having the same issues here on usb in 4.1 Gnome and before since 2.6.27

Removed all other drives except usb and manually re-did grub as I know mine will be /dev/sda or /dev/sdg and still get this.

I have found with 2.6.30 git-sources + genkernel that it is worse as you have to add on error /dev/hda3 instead of /dev/sda3 but once inside booted 2.6.30 it has changed this back to /dev/sda "genkernel"
Weard that it changes form /dev/sda to /dev/hda to /dev/sda.

Also it seems to messup the hd's order where booting the usb device it is 1st where in the past now the same under same settings shows up as /dev/sdb or 2nd and causing a lot of boot errors.

If the bios has not changed the order should be the same yet it changes.

Can it be something to do with a grub version update or a bug in grub ? as UUID should be able to find correct disk irrespective of /dev/sd* ordering.

[arjay]

Thanks for the information. It could very well be a GRUB issue. I'd seen mention of that here, but I did a manual install of GRUB just in case with no positive results. I have two installations of Sabayon 2.6.29 on separate external HD's, so I think I'll try to install lilo on one to see what happens. Or, I think I have super grub on a CD. I may be able to boot with that and then choose the Sabayon installation and see if it makes a difference.

I'll post the results.

[arjay]

Well, GRUB didn't make a difference and I was going to try lilo when I decided I'd see if there was a bios update at lenovo. I found an update, updated and it's now booting fine! The only other thing I did in the bios settings was change the boot order where the internal HD booted before the external USB. I'm not sure whether it is just the bios or the boot order at this point and I should have isolated it (I know better darn it) but at any rate; I'm good!

Thanks for mentioning the bios in your post WarraWarra as it led me in the right direction!

[Quacktop]

I have the same problem with kernel-genkernel-x86-2.6.31-sabayon (Sabayon 5.0), but with kernel-genkernel-x86-2.6.29-sabayon (Sabayon 4.2) i had no problem.
For me there is no BIOS update, neither can I change the boot order, because that would cause trouble booting from my USB HDD. Any other suggestions?