Ubuntu
xorg package

Updates to 12.10 give boot failure

Asked by Rosengeek

Hullo, I've been running 12.10 very successfully on my Asus Netbook for about 6 weeks. (OK - there was a system error "Sorry Ubuntu has experienced an internal error etc" on startup -but I was able to inhibit this). Yesterday, I (foolishly) accepted the package update - which ran & terminated normally. However, now, I can't boot!
On default boot (Linux 3.5.0-17-generic), we go into the (traditional) plain purple screen - but stay there ! On recovery mode, I get:

[ 1.001512] Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS unable to mount root fs on unknown_block (0.0 [ 1.001572] Pid: 1, comm: swapper/0 Not tainted 3.5.0-17-generic 28-Ubuntu [ 1.001619] Call Trace: [ 1.001666] [] panic +0x81/0x17b [ 1.001666] [] mount_block_root +0x1aa/0r23d [ 1.001763 [] ? sys_mknod +0x2d/0x30 [ 1.001807] [] mount_root +0x5a/0x64 [ 1.001852] [] prepare_namespace +0+15e/0x192 [ 1.001901] [<114da05>] ? sys_access+0x25x0x30 [ 1.001946] [] kernel_init+0x1b1x0x1b6 [ 1.001991] [] ? log_level+0x2b/0x2b [ 1.002035] [] ? start_kernel+0x363/0x363 [ 1.002083] [] kernel_thread_helper+0x6/0x10

(this was typed - there may be errors)

When I try the Linux 3.5.0_15_generic from the Grub advanced options, I get to log in and it shows the Linux environment. But I have no cursor control at all & it's stuck

I have had this sort of problem before on previous Ubuntu versions, following an upgrade (both when the upgrade worked & when it failed) eventually had to re-install. Is there a simple way out?

thanks RGeek

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#1

Does the system have a make and model?
Have you fsck'd the partition/s?

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Rosengeek (ravmenahem) said : 		#2

Thanks for the response
The M/C is an Asus netbook, 900MHz, 2G & 16G SSD. Ubuntu came from the official site & was loaded via a USB stick.

fsck can be run from the Grub menu (Advanced options: ) On the 3.5.0_17_generic recovery, I get:

fsck from util-linux 2.20.1
268/124496 files (1.9% not-contiguous) 52526/248832 blocks
mountall: fsck /boot [472] terminated with status 1
/dev/mapper/ubuntu-root: 169565/838832 files 10.3% contiguous 982794/3354624 blocks

Does this help? I can now get to the components of 12.10 on the SSD via booting from the USB stick. Where to proceed?

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#3

What video chip does the system use please

Thanks

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Rosengeek (ravmenahem) said : 		#4

Hullo - thanks for the support.
Eventually, I realised that the 12.10 I was using was a Beta - the full-blown one came out a few days ago.
I tried that from the USB & eventually installed it, leaving my personal data in place.
It refused to boot as before.
I re-installed again, blowing away all the previous files. It still refused to boot.

Finally, I've gone thru' the boot-sequence, changing the priority (to HDD) etc.

We now have lift off & I'm happy