Date: Fri, 7 Apr 1995 07:39:49 -0700 From: pascal@netcom.com (Richard A Childers) To: questions@FreeBSD.org, skoch@ais.net Subject: Re: can't mount root after install ( was 'help' ) Message-ID: <199504071439.HAA16093@netcom7.netcom.com>
next in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
Steven Koch <skoch@ais.net> describes :
"After I run fdisk and disklabel and the machine attempts to boot off the
hard drive it tells me it can't mount root. After that it just keeps
rebooting itself."
I ran into this when I was installing the OS on a SCSI disk #1, where I
had a Western Digital controller and a WD #0 already installed, running
MS-DOS.
Not sure where the conflict came from but in retrospect I think it was the
/etc/fstab, which probably had entries for "sd0" instead of "sd1".
( This problem is discussed in the FAQs somewhere proximate to references
to the necessity of having to use the boot string hd(1,a)/kernel, under
certain circumstances. Note that this may not be the same problem you're
having. )
Summary : don't know if you have more than one disk in your system or on the
controller in question ( people often leave out these seemingly irrelevant
details, understandably, so I'm extrapolating, a little, here ). But, if you
can get the system into single-user with a boot diskette, try using fsck on
'a' partitions ( wd0a, wd1a ), mounting them on a /mnt directory, and taking
a look at what's been installed in your /etc/fstab ( /mnt/etc/fstab ).
It's possible that judiciously editing this might be sufficient to fix your
installation and make it usable.
( And, is 'ed' on the fixit diskette ? I think not. dump(8) and tar(1) would
also be useful ... )
Almost certainly, the message you are seeing is caused by the kernel trying
to mount a device that does not exist on your bus ( FreeBSD installation is
lacking robustness where installing in anything but a vanilla system is con-
-cerned ; this is fairly common in the industry, however, and not unique to
FreeBSD in any way, shape or form. )
-- richard
Truth : the most deadly weapon known to civilization. Possession
forbidden by employers, governments, and authorities, across the
known universe. Violation of this regulation punishable by death.
richard childers pascal@netcom.com
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?199504071439.HAA16093>