VFS: unable to mount root fs on unknown block...

[thealphabeta]

Hey Guys

So I've repeatedly re-installed vortexbox to try and get back up and running again, I've been getting the subject error everytime though??

Any idea how to fix this?

[thealphabeta]

When installing or using recovery mode I also get 'dependancy failed. aborted start of shell on hvc1'

Thats when I do lvm lvs

[thealphabeta]

When running e2fsck -fy /dev/VolGroup/lv_swap I get...

Superblock invalid, trying backup blocks
Bad magic number in super-block while trying to open /dev/volgroup/lv_swap

The superblock could not be raed or does not describe a correct ext2 filesystem

So it looks like it's corrupt. How can I fix this? Every time I re-install i get the same problem, but maybe it's coming back to this each time?

[durks]

When running e2fsck -fy /dev/VolGroup/lv_swap I get...

Superblock invalid, trying backup blocks
Bad magic number in super-block while trying to open /dev/volgroup/lv_swap

The superblock could not be raed or does not describe a correct ext2 filesystem

That's the *swap* partition. It doesn't contain *any* filesystem (ext2 or otherwise) so that error message is what you'd expect.

Assuming this a follow-up from your previous thread, can you briefly confirm the exact time-line and sequence of events that lead up to this? Thanks.

[thealphabeta]

Hi Durks

My vortexbox just wouldn't boot, I'd get a kernel panic from each of the kernels available, so the only option was to do a fresh install.

When I did a fresh install I started to get the errors as shown in the subject, no matter how many times I try a fresh install

[durks]

All of this suggests you *might* have a hardware problem.

I'm assuming that you have your data safe on a backup somewhere, and that you can consider the contents of the hard disk in your Vortexbox to be trashable. Is that the situation?

If so - what happens when you boot the Vortexbox in 'rescue' mode and try to access the hard disc? Or, for that matter, what happens if you try to install, say, Ubuntu to the hard disc?

[thealphabeta]

Yes that was my fear. It is in warranty though if that's the case.

Yes I have it all backed up. I used UFS to get it all off successfully. So yeah it's all trashable.

When you say 'access the hard disc' what do you mean? Using commands?

I haven't tried installing Ubuntu

[durks]

Yes that was my fear. It is in warranty though if that's the case.

It could well be the hard disc playing up, in which case the test is to swap that out. This is easy to do but, since we're talking about something under warranty, then the right thing is probably to contact the suppliers and take the matter up with them.

Yes I have it all backed up.

Ok, great news: that's the most important thing. Computers break; hard discs die; etc. etc. You have to expect it every now and again; the crux is keeping your own data safe.

When you say 'access the hard disc' what do you mean? Using commands?

Yes. If you can get a running system by booting from CD (whether that's the VortexBox cd, or a Ubuntu Cd, or anything else), then you can try to run diagnostics against the system. You could use 'smartctl' to run a test on the disc; equally, you do you own tests by writing to and reading from the disc.

I haven't tried installing Ubuntu

I think it'd be interesting to try that!

[thealphabeta]

Im trying to install Ubuntu now but as soon as I hit 'install ubunutu' it goes to a black screen with a flashing cursor.

[durks]

In that case, this definitely sounds like a hardware problem to me.

If you want to investigate further, you could boot the system from a CD and start running diagnostics. 'man smartctl' for information on using that utility to run tests on the disc. But it sounds reasonable at this stage to contact the supplier of the box, unless that's impractical.