Ubuntu Linux Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(0,0)
Hi all,
I have a problem with my Ubuntu system. Last week I was installing available updates. I left my computer alone and my wife turned it off while the updates were still being installed. Now I can't boot into Ubuntu. This is the error that I get:
[ 1.072000] Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(0,0)
I don't really want to reinstall Ubuntu since I will take me days to customize it like I had it. Can someone please help me recover Ubuntu on my machine?
Details:
Ubuntu 8.04 / dual boot with Windows XP Home Edition. (GRUB loader works fine and allows me to choose an OS; XP loads, but not Ubuntu)
I have a problem with my Ubuntu system. Last week I was installing available updates. I left my computer alone and my wife turned it off while the updates were still being installed. Now I can't boot into Ubuntu. This is the error that I get:
[ 1.072000] Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(0,0)
I don't really want to reinstall Ubuntu since I will take me days to customize it like I had it. Can someone please help me recover Ubuntu on my machine?
Details:
Ubuntu 8.04 / dual boot with Windows XP Home Edition. (GRUB loader works fine and allows me to choose an OS; XP loads, but not Ubuntu)
ASKER
Thanks Iarsga,
I mounted the partition in which Ubuntu is. The name is "41.9 GB Media". The problem is that I don't get an option to mount as RW. I can mounted, but I don't get an option for read/write. When I go to properties and click on permissions, it says "the permissions of disk could not be determined". Under properties-> Volume-> Settings, I get the following options.
Mount Point:
File System:
Mount Options:
Should I choose Mount Point = "/", File System = Ext2, Mount Options = RW? or something similar?
I mounted the partition in which Ubuntu is. The name is "41.9 GB Media". The problem is that I don't get an option to mount as RW. I can mounted, but I don't get an option for read/write. When I go to properties and click on permissions, it says "the permissions of disk could not be determined". Under properties-> Volume-> Settings, I get the following options.
Mount Point:
File System:
Mount Options:
Should I choose Mount Point = "/", File System = Ext2, Mount Options = RW? or something similar?
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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ASKER
Great!!! Thanks Iarsga. I got past the GRUB menu. Ubuntu wouldn't boot at first. Went into recovery mode and it fixed itself. It drags a bit now after logging in, but I got my system running again.
Thanks a lot again.
Thanks a lot again.
No problem. Doing recovery on a Linux system that fails to boot is really surprisingly easy once you know how to go about it, and is a skill that I wish more Linux users had.
The basic steps (boot from external media. mount the partitions(s) below some directory (example /mnt/recovery), chroot to this directory, do the commands needed to fix the system, exit chroot, reboot) are valid for pretty much any Linux system and lots of other Unix systems too.
The basic steps (boot from external media. mount the partitions(s) below some directory (example /mnt/recovery), chroot to this directory, do the commands needed to fix the system, exit chroot, reboot) are valid for pretty much any Linux system and lots of other Unix systems too.
- Boot from a Live-CD (the normal Ubuntu Desktop install cd will do the job nicely)
- Mount the HD partition that Ubuntu is on as rw.
- chroot to the ubuntu partition
- Run whatever commands you need to repair your system (in your case, a "sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade" should probably be sufficient)
- Exit from chroot
- Unmount the partition
- Reboot
A bit more details can be found at http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=157250
If you get stuck at one of the points in my list above, please don't hesitate to ask (the exact commands / what you need to click depends a bit on what live-cd you use, the steps I listed above are generic instructions that should work no matter which Linux you have).