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

[Mark Phillips]

On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 12:52 PM, Mark Phillips
<mark at phillipsmarketing.biz>wrote:

>
>
> 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
>>
>> ---
>> Secure Reply (option enabled):
>>
>> http://www.CryptoHeaven.com/ch/web-mail.jsp?uId=3537572&subject=Re%3A+Upgraded+from+Debian+Lenny+to+Squeeze%2C+and+my+machine+won%27t+++++boot
>> ---------------------------------------------------
>> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss at lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings:
>> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
>>    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?
>

I mean I mistyped it in the email, not on the grub command line.

Mark

>
> 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
>>
>>
>>   ---
>> Secure Reply (option enabled):
>> http://www.CryptoHeaven.com/ch/web-mail.jsp?uId=3537572<http://www.CryptoHeaven.com/ch/web-mail.jsp?uId=3537572&subject=Re%3A+Re%3A+Upgraded+from+Debian+Lenny+to+Squeeze%2C+and+my+machine+won%27t+boot>
>>
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/pipermail/plug-discuss/attachments/20110328/a20b826b/attachment.html>