Can't Boot After Install?

[Israel213]

Ok, I just installed BT3 for the first time and got this error trying to boot:

Kernel panic - not syncing = VFS = Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(0,0)

Don't know what it means, but after just wiping out a different version of Linux that I had tweaked and perfected, I'm pretty sad to see BT3 not work.

[Re@lity]

If you didn't want to risk losing your original OS you should have just gone for a dual boot........

Is BT3 now the only OS on your drive?

It sounds like it's perhaps just a simple Lilo issue - pointing to the wrong place for root/boot, etc?

[Archangel-Amael]

Ok, I just installed BT3 for the first time and got this error trying to boot:

Kernel panic - not syncing = VFS = Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(0,0)

Don't know what it means, but after just wiping out a different version of Linux that I had tweaked and perfected, I'm pretty sad to see BT3 not work.

Maybe you could re-install BT. Might be the easiest route.
Maybe do a cut and paste of your lilo.conf here?

[Israel213]

If you didn't want to risk losing your original OS you should have just gone for a dual boot........

I still have a dual boot, the other partition is Windoze. (I hate it, but I need it for school)

My lilo.conf:

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
lba32 # Allow booting past 1024th cylinder with a recent BIOS
boot = /dev/sda
prompt
timeout = 12
# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
reset
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
vga = 0x317
# Normal VGA console
# vga = normal
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
# vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
# vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
# vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
# vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
# vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
# vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
# vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
# vga=769
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/sda1
label = Linux
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

[Archangel-Amael]

I still have a dual boot, the other partition is Windoze. (I hate it, but I need it for school)

So you have 2 partitons? one with back|track and the other windows?
but in your lilo posting there is no windows partition.
What guide did you use for your install?

And when you wrote the lilo.conf are you sure that you "chroot"ed into the actual installed bt partition?

[Israel213]

To be honest I did not use a guide to install. I clicked through the installer like I had with other versions of Linux thinking that would be fine. After I began having problems I googled my error and noticed there were guides to install, but all I could seem to find were for BT2. Where can I find a good guide?

Yep, just saw that Windoze is not in there after you pointed it out. I'm used to editing GRUB, not lilo. I also noticed this line is wrong:

root = /dev/sda1

The partition I installed BT to is sda4.

[Israel213]

I'm sorry to double post, but the mod's haven't checked my last one so I can edit it yet. I discovered I posted the wrong lilo file earlier. I accidentally posted the one from the live cd! This is my real lilo.conf file:

boot=/dev/hda
prompt
timeout=40
lba32
compact
vga=769
change-rules
reset
install=text
image=/mnt/hda4/boot/vmlinuz
initrd=/mnt/hda4/boot/initrd.gz
label=Slax
root=/dev/ram0
read-write
append = "ramdisk_size=6666 changes=slaxchanges from=/dev/hda4"

[Re@lity]

The simplest method is probably just to boot your livecd and chroot into your BT partition and run liloconfig from there.
Choose expert mode, choose to write a new Lilo install. Add a Linux entry, select correct partition - give it a name. Add a Windows entry, select correct partition - give it a name. Write to MBR.

[Israel213]

Well, I finally found a guide (I cannot post the url because I haven't been here long enough...lame!) and re-installed using it. I got farther when I rebooted but then I got a new error:

Fatal Error: cannot setup union (aufs)

I googled around and found that I needed to set up a "changes" folder. I wrote it to " / " in the BT partition (like I understood I was supposed to be done) but I still get the same exact error?

[Re@lity]

Sorry you think it's lame that you cannot post URL's as a new member.
With a forum of this size we need to try to keep spam down as much as possible.
A few minor restrictions on new members can be extremely preferable to people joining to spam links everywhere.........

Anyway, you've moved the goal posts!
Without knowing which guide you followed, or which steps you took, it's difficult to help

I would say off-hand that it's likely you'll be needing to start again anyway.