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View Full Version : Grub problems after Knoppix 4.0.2 HD install



bloomingeek
11-15-2005, 06:07 PM
Hello all, after looking at version 4.0.2 a few times in the live mode, I decided to install it to my HD. Here's what I did and the problems I'm having.
-- created a linux partition using Partition Magic (I'm dual booting with Winblows XP)
-- booted to Knoppix 4.0.2 and typed at a terminal, "sudo knoppix-installer"
-- knoppix found the created partition and allowed me to install to it
-- after about an hour, knoppix said everything went fine and to reboot
-- after reboot, message comes to screen: "Kernal panic-not syncing:VFS:Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block (3,17)"

I'm somewhat a noob to Linux, but love it just the same. I think I need to restore Grub but am not really sure how. I'm at a total lose as to why there is a kernal panic. Thanks for any help.

bloomingeek
11-23-2005, 03:01 PM
Hello all again, after making my first and only post at this site, while I was waiting for some helpful answers, I continued to search for the solution. And thanks to some other people who have had similar problems, I was able to come up with an answer! All this was done by reading posts, since mine wasn't answered. So here it is:

1. Boot up with Knoppix liveCD
2. At a terminal screen type: su -
3. Then type: sudo mount -o dev,rw /mnt/hda2 or whatever HD and partition you are using.
3. Type su
4. Type passwd
5. Choose a new password
6. Click on the "K" button
7. Choose "System"
8. "More Applications"
9. "File Manager Super User Mode"
10. Use your new password
11. Open the file, menu.lst (/boot/grub/menu.lst)
12. Edit the line that reads: "kernel /boot/vmlinuz root= /dev/hda2 ro ### isk_size=100000 init=/etc/init apm=power-off nomce" Change the "###" to form the word "ramdisk". (your "hda2" may be different, mine was hda17)
13. Save the file
14. Reboot

This did the trick on my machine. Being a noob to Linux I would have never figured this out on my own. Although I spent several hours over several days on this, it was worth it because of what I learned.

RoyalMail
11-25-2005, 03:23 PM
Thanks for posting the summary of the solution - too many people leave topics hanging without an explanation of how a problem was solved. Useful for future searches!

Regds, RM.

darkx
11-30-2005, 04:17 PM
hi, im currently having the same problem after installing knoppix 4.0.2, i try to follow your instruction on getting it to work, only problem is when i get to step 11. there is no file called menu.lst, and also there is no sub-folder called grub under the /boot directory. please help.

darkx
11-30-2005, 04:20 PM
nvm i found it, :D silly me, i didnt know i had to cd to the /mnt/hda2 to find the /boot/grub/menu.lst

lp
12-09-2005, 09:51 AM
i have gotten that far as well

but

when it boots i get a brub prompt


i have no idea what to do next

very new to this

lp