Red Hat Bugzilla – Bug 160269
kernel panic vfs: cannot open a root device "<NULL>"
Last modified: 2007-11-30 17:11:07 EST
From Bugzilla Helper: User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.7.8) Gecko/20050511 Firefox/1.0.4 Description of problem: I am trying to install FC4 on my Intel D865GLC motherboard. I have an ide hard drive, zip drive, cd-rom, and dvd/cd-rw drive. The bios is the latest bios version available. The sha1sums match and the mediacheck (on a different motherboard) passess. When I try to boot FC4 disc1 in a D865GLC system I get the following kernel panic: VFS: cannot open a root device "<NULL>" or unknown-block(8,3) Please append a correct root= boot option I have tried the following: linux acpi=disabled linux acpi=ht linux nofb linux text nofb Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): fc4 disc 1 iso How reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: 1. boot a FC4 disc1 2. on a D865GLC 3. Actual Results: kernel panic Expected Results: I should be able to install Additional info:
I confirm that this occurs for me on a similar Intel mainboard D865GVHZ http://intel.com/design/motherbd/hz/index.htm It also occurs on an Intel mainboard D915GUX http://intel.com/design/motherbd/ux/index.htm I am using the boot.iso CD found in the /images directory of FC4 disc1 for use with a network HTTP install. I gat the same results as above.
In my case it is an Intel D865GB, interestingly enough, I am running vmWare on FC3 at the moment and I can install FC4 to a virtual m/c on the same hardware.
This also happens to me with an Intel D865PERL motherboard, when trying to boot the Fedora Core 4 installation DVD. Fedora Core 3 worked on the same hardware.
Having the same problem on a Tyan 2880 and 2882 but only with Fedora 64. The Fedora 32 loads and operates fine. VFS: Cannot open root device "<NULL>" or unknown-block(3,2)"
same thing for me described at bug 160385, however I reported in this report more than one flaw I experience with 2.6.11 series kernels. FC4 x86_64 DVD Bi-Opteron system (SMP) on Tyan Tiger K8W motherboard Kernel Panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(3,2)
Please try the workaround in Bug 159026, most likely it solves your problem. If not then please open a new bug that contains detailed hardware information and what you see on the screen when it crashes. *** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 159026 ***
Works ! This is the WEIRDEST thing I've ever seen in a Linux install ! just to make easy for other people reading this report : 1- at boot: prompt just type in some random crap 2- validate, the system will just give an error 3- at the boot: prompt again, just press enter Still, explonation appreciate here too