[NBLUG/talk] Kernel Panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block (0, 0)

[Robert Hayes]

On Wednesday 28 January 2009 10:36, William Tracy wrote:
> On Wed, Jan 28, 2009 at 8:15 AM, Kyle Rankin <kyle at nblug.org> wrote:
> > In re-reading the error, it almost sounds like the initrd file is
> > corrupt. Does your system have more than one kernel available in the grub
> > prompt? If so what happens when you boot an alternative kernel?
>
> On the same note, does your kernel setup actually require you to have
> an initrd to boot? You could try just removing the initrd from the
> boot command.

Kyle and William,

Thank you so much!

I tried Williams' suggestion first as it was the path of least resistance.
The same error occurred, just sooner.

That suggestion, combined with Kyles' that a single file might be the problem 
got me to thinking. Now we know what it takes to get me thinking...

I booted a Tom's rtbt floppy and mounted /hda1 to /mnt.

Grub was looking for initrd.img in /boot.

It wasn't there. Apparently when DamnSmallLinux created it's SD boot image, it 
created an initrd.img in /.

I looked around in /boot and found what appeared to be a viable initrd.img.bak 
file. I copied it in /boot to initrd.img.

She lives! Booted up just like it used to, with the exception of wanting to 
run fsck on both partitions. Not an unreasonable request.

I have an extra initrd.img that DSL created sitting in the / directory. I 
renamed it initrd.img.dsl. 

Now that I have a feeling for how things are placed and executed, I can rename 
and play with that initrd.img.dsl, along with the grub menu.lst to find a way 
to boot to the USB SD chip install of DSL. 

My laptop is a 1999/2000 year model Compaq Presario 1200XL-106. AMD K-6 475 
Mhz. The BIOS  doesn't support direct boot to the USB, but I've read that 
there are ways around it.  I'm tinkering with the laptop because I've only 
used it perhaps 50 times since purchase. It was one of those 
dot-com-riding-high-in-the-long-green purchases. "I may need a laptop for 
something one day, I'd better get one now..." 

I'm beginning a new project, mostly wordprocessing, for which this little 
portable computer and the ability to write anywhere will be nicely paired.

Thank you again so very much guys.

Robert