[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > I run a dual-boot Debian system -- one partition is sarge; the other is > etch. The idea was that users would have a stable platform available if > they wished, for mission-critical work, but have access to (relatively) > recent software for the proce of a reboot. > > This etch had been ailing for quite a long while now. The xfree -> > xorg upgrade went flawlessly, but a few weeks after that, after a > routine general upgrade (which upgraded xorg) X ceased to function > properly. It would crash when switching virtual consoles, > unpredictably. Everything fine as long as no one switched virtual > consoles, of course. Switching to a text console would work (before the > crash) but switching between X consoles or from text to an X console was > fraught with peril. There was a suspicion that the problem was set > up by logging out from X and switching to another console before the > original one had manages to present a new login screen -- then switching > back to the original X later would present you with a dead machine. > This suspicion, however, was nevre tested consistently. > > The system was still somewhat usable. I occasionally upgraded it in > case this was a bug that would be fixed. IN any case, we still had > sarge as a fall-back in case of real trouble. > > sometime later, etch could no longer start X successfully -- it ould > fail, unable to access the AGP device. The X log made it look as if > it was the actual AGP interface on the motherboard that was > inaccessible, not the ATI card I had plugged into it. > > Upgradein udev seemed to cure this problem, but now X would > crash during startup. > > Last Friday I performed another upgrade. Now etch won't boot at > all: > > RAMDISK: Conplressed image found at block 0 > input: AT Translated Set 2 keyboard as /calss/input/input0 > invalid argument format (err=1) > VFS: Cannot open root device "304" or unknown-block(3, 4) > Pleas append a correct "root=" boot option > Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on > unknown-block(3, 4)
what is your boot manager? did its configuration get corrupted? or maybe you've got a bad block? I've seen this before on my system and can't remember what it was. does it hang there or drop you to busybox? > > > I am tempted to pronounce this etch installation dead and reinstall from > scratch. I'm also reluctant to do this, becase of Debian's reputation > as being the system that never needs to be reinstalled. Sarge, of > course, continues to soldier on without any problems at all (except for > application obsolescence -- but that's spec) > > Or should I do something radical to get current software, such as > installing gentoo on the former etch partition? ack! bite your tongue! ;-0 A -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
