Upgraded from Debian Lenny to Squeeze, and my machine won't boot

[Mark Phillips]

On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 12:48 PM, gm5729 <gm5729 at cryptoheaven.com> wrote:

>
>    ----- Original Message -----
> *From: *Mark Phillips <mark at phillipsmarketing.biz><mark at phillipsmarketing.biz>
> *To: *Main PLUG discussion list <plug-discuss at lists.plug.phoenix.az.us><plug-discuss at lists.plug.phoenix.az.us>
> *Cc: *gm5729 <gm5729 at cryptoheaven.com> <gm5729 at cryptoheaven.com>
> *Sent: *Monday, March 28, 2011 2:36 PM
> *Subject: *Re: Upgraded from Debian Lenny to Squeeze, and my machine won't
> boot
> A few more observations....
>
> I tried using grub to attempt to boot. I set up the following based on (1)
> what I saw using the knoppix disk that the internal drives were mounted on
> /media/sda5 and /media/sdb1...../media/sda5 has the normal linux file system
> and sdb1 has my backup folders, and (2) grub's tab completion.
>
> grub> root (hd0,4)
> grub> kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.21-1-686 root =/dev/sda5
> grub> initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.26-1-686
> grub> boot
>
> I get as far as:
> Kernel panic: not syncing: VFS unable to mount rootfs on unknown block(0,0)
>
>
> If I back down to 2.6.21. or 2.6.18 I get this error:
> Begin: mounting root file system...
> Begin: running /scripts/local_top...done
> Begin: waiting for root file system...
>
> So, I guess my original hypothesis is wrong...the SI drive controller may
> be working....except for a small annoying kernel panic or inability to load
> the file system....
>
> Does this help anyone figure out what I should do?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mark
>
>
> On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 12:30 PM, gm5729 <gm5729 at cryptoheaven.com> wrote:
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: gm5729 <gm5729 at CryptoHeaven.com>
> To: plug-discuss at lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
> Sent: Monday, March 28, 2011 1:59 PM
> Subject: Re: PLUG-discuss Digest, Vol 69, Issue 28
>
> 6. Upgraded from Debian Lenny to Squeeze, and my machine won't
>      boot (Mark Phillips)
>
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 11:35:14 -0700
> From: Mark Phillips <mark at phillipsmarketing.biz>
> To: Phoenix Linux Users <plug-discuss at lists.plug.phoenix.az.us>
> Subject: Upgraded from Debian Lenny to Squeeze, and my machine won't
>        boot
> Message-ID:
>        <AANLkTinSSNigP9m+iao9UVUuLcUYNp8yLOOqUye0o3vH at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> I have an older Dell Optiplex GX260 running Debian lenny. It has worked for
> years as a desktop and a small web server. At one point one of the
> integrated IDE disk controller channels died, so I installed a new disk
> controller card, a Silicon Image 0680 ATA133 and it worked out of the box
> with the two drives for the past 3 months. Last weekend I tried a
> dist-upgrade to squeeze. The upgrade had no errors, so I rebooted the
> machine, and now all I get is a grub menu.
>
> When the machine boots, the Silicon Magic displays it's banner and
> recognizes the two drives installed in the machine (same as before the
> upgrade). I then get the message loading grub 1.5, and I then get dumped to
> a grub menu. It seems the boot process does not access the Silicon Image
> controller, although it did before I upgraded to squeeze. I tried accessing
> the drive from the grub prompt, but the disk access light does not seem to
> light up - only the cd light.
>
> I tried booting from a Knoppix 4.6.6 CD, and it worked. I am able to browse
> the internal hard drives with no problem and read files. So, at least
> Knoppix can use the controller card and the hardware is not dead. I noticed
> on the upgrade from lenny to squeeze I went from kernel 2.6.21 to 2.6.26.
>
> Any suggestions on how to get the machine to boot again?
>
> Thanks,
>
>
> Most likely you are going to have to check your hardware compatiblity
> lists. Yes, but why? Debian now has a TOTAL Libre Kernel. Any hardware that
> doesn't comply with FOSS standards has been yanked out.
>
> gk
>
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>    grub> initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.26-1-686 Why is your kernel line a 2.6.21
> and your ram disk 2.6.26?
>

Because I mistyped it....My email is on a machine in one room, and the dead
machine is in another......

The machine says it is using grub 1.5

How do I find, using grub, the right parameters for the kernel command?

Mark

> That's not right. Your original install should be using Grub1; however I do
> not know what Knoppix would currently be using. If it is Grub2 the whole
> layout and config files, not to mention the extra 1MB larger the MBR has to
> be is different. gk
>
>
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