[plug] root filesystem problem on Debian testing/unstable system

[Bret Busby]

Hello, everyone.

The computer to which this relates, has been running Debian testing/unstable, and was set up as testing/unstable, by Anne, when sarge was testing, so that Anne could run packages that required a testing or unstable distribution.

I encountered a problem with my desktop computer, when I tried unsuccessfully to print a web page. I tried to check the printer status using the Printers facility from the System menu. I got an error message relating to a child process, and being unable to access the printers facility as root. So, I tried to shut the system down and reboot it. I shut down the open applications, but when I got to Firefox, I was unable to access any browser window, and right clicking on the task in the task bar, did not bring up the menu to close the application. So, I went to a console (using <CTRL ALT F1>) to do a ps -ax to kill the application.

When I got to the console, text started scrolling with an error message that started with "Ext 3 file system", and ended with something about the journalling failing.

I logged in as root, blind, as each console to which I went, started the same scrolling, and I did a "shutdown -r now".

When the system rebooted, it came up with filesystem errors in the root partition, requiring me to manually run fsck. I did that and, after many fixes, and it telling me that the system needed to be rebooted, I rebooted the system.

The system rebooted, and then I ran fsck again, to recheck the file sysem. The console then started scrolling with the same Ext3 filesystem error again, so again, I had to log in on another console, and do another "shutdown -r now".

But what the system did then, is, when rebooting, failed to mount the root filesystem, and came up with a kernel panic, saying something like the root filesystem was not found.

That failure to boot is now consistent, when trying to boot from the hard drive.

I tried to boot from an existing boot floppy that had previously been created for the particular computer, and that also fails, with the same error.

I booted the computer, using a Knoppix 3.1 CD, and tried to mount the root partition, to run fsck on it, to fix it, but the partition could not be mounted, as the filesystem was unrecognised. Using Knoppix, I was able to view the contents of other partistions on both the physical hard drive that conatins the root partition, and another hard drive in the same computer.

Can this problem with the root partition, be fixed, to get the system running again? If so, is it possible to be fixed using advice via emails, or would the computer need to go to a workshop meeting?

Thanks in anticipation.

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Bret Busby
Armadale
Western Australia
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