Ubuntu can't mount the root filesystem

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sh_ithe_ad
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Ubuntu can't mount the root filesystem

Post by sh_ithe_ad » Tue Jan 12, 2010 7:58 am

I shutdown my laptop improperly when it crashed and now when GRUB loads Ubuntu I end up at a prompt screen telling me that it failed to mount the filesystem and repairs have to be done manually. I have no idea how to repair something like this especially not with the command line. I'm on a live Ubuntu CD right now and I can mount the filesystem. I can't remember the exact words it said but this has happened before. It tells me to press CTRL and D to reboot or something but when I do it that way it doesn't reboot it I have to either type CTRL ALT DEL or type reboot into the command line.

Anyone have any idea what the problem here is and how I would go about fixing it\?

EDIT: Heres what it says
mount of filesystem failed.
A maintenance shell will now be started.
CONTROL-D will terminate this shell and re-try.
root@comp:~#
Heres what happens when I type CTRL + D.
fsck from util-linux-ng 2.16
swapon: /dev/disk/by-uuid/(LONG NUMBER I DIDN'T WRITE DOWN): swapon failed: Device of resource busy
mountall: swapon /dev/disk/by-uuid/(LONG NUMBER I DIDN'T WRITE DOWN) [979] terminated with status 255
mountall: problem activating swap: /dev/disk/by-uuid/(LONG NUMBER I DIDN'T WRITE DOWN)
/dev/sda1 contains a file system with errors, check forced
/dev/sda1: inodes that were part of a corrupted orphan linked list found.
/dev/sda1: UNEXPECTED INCONSISTENCY: RUN fsck MANUALLY (i.e, without -a or -p options)
mountall: fsck / [977] terminated with status 4
mountall: filesystem has errors: /
init: mountall main process (929) terminated with status 3

mount of filesystem failed.
A maintenance shell will now be started.
CONTROL-D will terminate this shell and re-try.
root@comp:~#
Last edited by sh_ithe_ad on Wed Jan 13, 2010 11:04 am, edited 1 time in total.

19bab79
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Re: Ubuntu can't mount the root filesystem

Post by 19bab79 » Tue Jan 12, 2010 2:47 pm

reboot and give us the exact error message.

sh_ithe_ad
Sargeant at Arms
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Re: Ubuntu can't mount the root filesystem

Post by sh_ithe_ad » Wed Jan 13, 2010 11:06 am

Alright I edited the OP and put it in. Took me ages to write all that down is there a way to dump that kinda thing onto a text file on a USB drive?

Dark Nova
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Re: Ubuntu can't mount the root filesystem

Post by Dark Nova » Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:35 pm

my first port of call would be to try a foced mount and run fsck.

sudo mount /dev/"name of device to mount" /mnt/"mountpoint" -o force

if one remembers correctly

NOVA
Sometimes insanity is the only sanity left

sh_ithe_ad
Sargeant at Arms
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Re: Ubuntu can't mount the root filesystem

Post by sh_ithe_ad » Fri Jan 15, 2010 4:39 pm

When I ran fsck it kept asking me did I want to repair various things and I kept typing y and when it completed I rebooted and the problem was solved.

Dark Nova
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Re: Ubuntu can't mount the root filesystem

Post by Dark Nova » Sat Jan 16, 2010 8:26 am

cool

did you have to force mount?

NOVA
Sometimes insanity is the only sanity left

sh_ithe_ad
Sargeant at Arms
Posts: 244
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Re: Ubuntu can't mount the root filesystem

Post by sh_ithe_ad » Tue Jan 19, 2010 10:18 am

No I didn't even try force mounting fsck alone did the trick.

jpandmcg
n00b
Posts: 1
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Re: Ubuntu can't mount the root filesystem

Post by jpandmcg » Thu Mar 18, 2010 10:49 am

God bless you guys; I was so frustrated until I read this page!

hack4crack
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Posts: 18
Joined: Sat Jan 15, 2011 12:39 am

Re: Ubuntu can't mount the root filesystem

Post by hack4crack » Sat Jan 15, 2011 12:53 am

In the future, you should backup before saying yes to all of those FSCK questions as they can seriously mangle your filesystem beyond repair.

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Cool_Fire
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Re: Ubuntu can't mount the root filesystem

Post by Cool_Fire » Sun Mar 06, 2011 5:08 am

Well, normally if there's a chance of filesystem damage, it'll say "Are you really sure, may cause massive filesystem damange" Or something along those line. And as far as I know, the -y doesn't auto-answer potentially dangerous ones either.
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Da_Devil
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Re: Ubuntu can't mount the root filesystem

Post by Da_Devil » Wed Dec 21, 2011 1:16 pm

sh_ithe_ad wrote:I shutdown my laptop improperly when it crashed and now when GRUB loads Ubuntu I end up at a prompt screen telling me that it failed to mount the filesystem and repairs have to be done manually. I have no idea how to repair something like this especially not with the command line. I'm on a live Ubuntu CD right now and I can mount the filesystem. I can't remember the exact words it said but this has happened before. It tells me to press CTRL and D to reboot or something but when I do it that way it doesn't reboot it I have to either type CTRL ALT DEL or type reboot into the command line.

Anyone have any idea what the problem here is and how I would go about fixing it\?

EDIT: Heres what it says
mount of filesystem failed.
A maintenance shell will now be started.
CONTROL-D will terminate this shell and re-try.
root@comp:~#
Heres what happens when I type CTRL + D.
fsck from util-linux-ng 2.16
swapon: /dev/disk/by-uuid/(LONG NUMBER I DIDN'T WRITE DOWN): swapon failed: Device of resource busy
mountall: swapon /dev/disk/by-uuid/(LONG NUMBER I DIDN'T WRITE DOWN) [979] terminated with status 255
mountall: problem activating swap: /dev/disk/by-uuid/(LONG NUMBER I DIDN'T WRITE DOWN)
/dev/sda1 contains a file system with errors, check forced
/dev/sda1: inodes that were part of a corrupted orphan linked list found.
/dev/sda1: UNEXPECTED INCONSISTENCY: RUN fsck MANUALLY (i.e, without -a or -p options)
mountall: fsck / [977] terminated with status 4
mountall: filesystem has errors: /
init: mountall main process (929) terminated with status 3

mount of filesystem failed.
A maintenance shell will now be started.
CONTROL-D will terminate this shell and re-try.
root@comp:~#
AFAIK fsck was your only option.

However that was replied long time ago.

I guess this thread can be locked now :)

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