I am having problems with a kernel upgrade to 2.6.12.2 on my Inpsion 6000d. I have WinXP and Slackware dual boot on a 40 gig HD. I compiled the kernel many times selecting different combinations of options and every single time I get a kernel panic:

VFS: Cannot open root device "303" or unknown-block(3,3)

Please append a corrrect "root=" boot option

Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown block(3,3)

 

I have read on other forums and miscellaneous pages that the Inspiron 6000 has SATA type setup for the hard drive and that changing lilo to point to /dev/sda3 instead of the current /dev/hda3 solves it, along with many other ways of getting it to work. However, I am not so sure I have a SATA drive because using 2.4.29 my root filesystem points to /dev/hda3. Please, any help is appreciated.

boot into the old kernel, and paste the output in here from

 

mount

df -h

fdisk -l

 

 

 

as well, if you like, paste the kernel .config file at [/url][url=http://paste.linux-noob.com]http://paste.linux-noob.com and we can see your config file to see if theres any errors in it (like forgetting to compile in FS support. i've done it before, dont laugh)

mount

 

/dev/hda3 on / type reiserfs (rw)

proc on /proc type proc (rw)

devpts on /devpts type devpts (rw,gid=5,mode=620)

usbfs on /proc/bus/usb type usbfs (rw)

 

df -h

 

/dev/hda3 4.1G 1.6G 2.5G 39% /

 

fdisk -l

 

/dev/hda1 * 1 4210 33816793+ 7 HPFS/NTFS

/dev/hda2 4211 4334 996030 82 Linux Swap

/dev/hda3 4335 4864 4257225 83 Linux

 

I pasted my .config also as suggested.

 

Thanks.

You have to give us the link to the file as well eh :P

 

and paste a copy here of grub.conf so we can see it.

Yep, I know...just didn't right away. Sorry.

 

[/url][url=http://paste.linux-noob.com/index.php?query=408]http://paste.linux-noob.com/index.php?query=408

 

I use lilo so here is a copy of lilo.conf.

 

# LILO configuration file

# generated by 'liloconfig'

#

# Start LILO global section

boot = /dev/hda

#compact # faster, but won't work on all systems.

prompt

timeout = 300

# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256

vga = 773

# 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

# ramdisk = 0 # paranoia setting

# End LILO global section

# Linux bootable partition config begins

image = /boot/vmlinuz

root = /dev/hda3

label = Slack

read-only

# Non-UMSDOS filesystems should be mounted read-only for checking

# Linux bootable partition config ends

# Windows bootable partition config begins

other = /dev/hda1

label = WinXP

table = /dev/hda

# Windows bootable partition config ends

I figured it out myself. Applying the correct options while reconfiguring the kernel helps, but the biggest help was when I changed fstab to look at sda for swap and the root fs instead of hda. Duhh!!!

 

Thanks anyway.

post your fstab here so that others may learn

 

cheers

 

anyweb