Update Fails: No Root Partition Found
Support knowledgebase (fhassel_no_root_partition)
Applies to
SuSE Linux: Versions since 8.0
Symptom
The attempt to update fails with the following error message:
No Linux root partition found.
Subsequent attempts in expert mode to reload the partition table or to load the mount points
from the existing file /etc/fstab fail with error messages.
Attention: These error messages and their causes should not be mistaken for those
described in
the article "Update Fails: Partitions Cannot Be Mounted" (http://sdb.suse.de/en/sdb/html/fhassel_update_not_possible.html).
Cause
The cause is a faulty partition table, usually as a result of using certain partitioning
tools.
Thus, the partitioning program used by YaST, parted, cannot read the partition tables.
This can be verified by executing the following command in the rescue system:
parted /dev/hda p
(replacing /dev/hda with the device name of your Linux hard disk). If parted is not
able to read the partition table, a more informative error message will be displayed:
Warning: Unable to align partition table properly. This probably means
that another partitioning tool generated an incorrect partition table,
because it did not have the correct BIOS geometry.
Solution
There are two possibilities:
- Create a backup of the most important data and reinstall the system. Avoid using any partitioning programs
other than Linux fdisk and parted (or YaST2).
- The second (and more complex) approach consists of making a backup of all important data (all partitions on
the affected hard disk) and using Linux fdisk to recreate the partition table. If
this works, you have good chances of
- not losing any data (i.e., there is a risk of losing your data, but that
is why you have
made a backup)
- being able to access all partitions with YaST2 to perform the
update
Proceed as follows:
- First, make a backup of all partitions or at least of all relevant data in the
partitions and operating
systems located in the computer.
- Boot the Linux system and print out the partition table by executing the following command in a
root shell:
fdisk -l | lpr
- Boot the rescue system and run the program fdisk:
fdisk /dev/hda
Replace /dev/hda with the device name of your Linux hard disk. In fdisk create
a new empty partition table with o and a new partition with n. On the basis of the
the original partition table (see printout), create a partition of the same type and with
identical
start and end cylinders. The option p displays the partition table, m
provides
further help, and w enables saving the partition table and exiting fdisk.
Use q
to exit the program WITHOUT saving changes.
- Restart the Linux installation.
See also:
Update Fails: Partitions Cannot Be Mounted
Keywords: UPDATE, ROOT, PARTITION, TABLE
Categories:
Installation
SDB-fhassel_no_root_partition, Copyright SuSE Linux AG, Nürnberg, Germany
- Version: 07. Apr 2003
SuSE Linux AG - Last generated: 25. Jun 2003 by ip (sdb_gen 1.40.0)