Can't find root device

[ronmaroria]

I upgraded from 9.04 to 9.10 using the upgrade manager. When i try to reboot, i consistently get the message:

"gave up waiting for root device. Common problems:
-boot args (cat /proc/cmdline)
-check root delay =
-check root
-missing modules (cat /proc/modules; ls /dev)
ALERT! /dev/disk/by-uuid/ef370d05-5064-4306-9539-2f714b7840b does not exist"

then it drops back to the initramfs prompt.
Note that i have edited my /etc/menu.lst timeout to 120 as suggested else where, also the menu.lst lists the same uuid as the one that does not exist, supposedly. If it helps, i am running a 64-bit system.

[AndreLeComte]

I have the same issue although I can boot using the 2.6.28 kernel. Does that help?

[usaar33]

I upgraded from 9.04 to 9.10 using the upgrade manager. When i try to reboot, i consistently get the message:

"gave up waiting for root device. Common problems:
-boot args (cat /proc/cmdline)
-check root delay =
-check root
-missing modules (cat /proc/modules; ls /dev)
ALERT! /dev/disk/by-uuid/ef370d05-5064-4306-9539-2f714b7840b does not exist"

then it drops back to the initramfs prompt.
Note that i have edited my /etc/menu.lst timeout to 120 as suggested else where, also the menu.lst lists the same uuid as the one that does not exist, supposedly. If it helps, i am running a 64-bit system.

32-bit here and same issue.
Do you have anything in /dev/disk/by-uuid? (or does that directory even exist?)

[ronmaroria]

The directory " /dev/disk/by-uuid " does not exist in my system.

[arekku]

Hey I might be able to help you.
Or rather this guy.

My theory is someone botched up and didn't include SATA drivers, and you have a SATA drive.

By using a old initramfs-something image it should detect SATA drives. I can't attach my 32 bit (working) files due to size constraints, but if you need them I can mail them to you.

[AndreLeComte]

arekku basically solved the issue for me, thanks!!:

Here

Replace your nonworking initrd file with a previous version. For you Andre all you need to do is (just in case you are new)

cd /boot
sudo mv initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic backup
sudo cp initrd.img-2.6.28-16-generic initrd.img-2.6.31-14-generic

[usaar33]

I have the same issue as ronmario where by-uuid doesn't show.

There is no /boot in the busybox terminal.

None of my kernels work, so I can't boot up to access such commands (I unfortunately also have a broken cdrom drive, so I can't use a live cd).

[ronmaroria]

tried that and it did not work!

[cpttripzz]

Solved*

I had the same issue. I fixed this issue by chrooting into the old root directory

see this article http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1156240

and then running sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

Hope this helps everybody else with this problem.