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I was trying to do updates and it only let me do partially. The next time I turned on my computer, it had refused to load and I got this error after a long page of info. I'm a pretty basic user, so I don't know what this is or how to fix it.

The last line of my screen says: 

[1.146512] --- [end Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(8,1)

How do I fix this?

zx485
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Priscilla
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  • More details about the 'partial' or what happened on the session before the panic would help. However in your case I'd boot a 'live' system (such as Ubuntu install media and using the "*Try Ubuntu*" option) and file system check (`fsck`) or your partition looking for errors & fixing them if found. If errors were found & fixed, I'd expect next boot to proceed, but the problem I suspect is from your last session (*only let me do partial*) and is a consequence of unfixed issues; without details of this I'm only guessing though. – guiverc Jan 20 '20 at 02:29
  • FYI: In last comment I used `fsck` which is a command; you can use `gparted`, KDE Partition Manager or whatever is provided in your 'live' system to do the `fsck` from your GUI & needn't use commands if you don't want to. – guiverc Jan 20 '20 at 02:32
  • Yes, I would guess that is the problem. I didn't realize when it asked abiut proceeding ti make only partial updates that it would keep menfdom getting back in. I will make a USB to boot from and try that. – Priscilla Jan 21 '20 at 13:05
  • Status please... – heynnema Jan 22 '20 at 16:06
  • I haven't had time to get back to this yet. I will post a status as soon as I can, which will probably be the weekend due to my work schedule. – Priscilla Jan 23 '20 at 18:44
  • Status please... – heynnema Jan 31 '20 at 01:25

1 Answers1

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Note: Never do partial updates. Come back to Software Updater at a later time.

Note: Your error message indicates a blown or missing /etc/initrd.img-* file.

First, we check your file system...

For 18.04 or newer...

  • boot to a Ubuntu Live DVD/USB
  • open a terminal window by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T
  • type sudo fdisk -l
  • identify the /dev/sdXX device name for your "Linux Filesystem"
  • type sudo fsck -f /dev/sdXX, replacing sdXX with the number you found earlier
  • repeat the fsck command if there were errors
  • type reboot

Then we try and finish updates...

At the GRUB menu, choose Additional Options, then choose a kernel that's one less than the newest one... ie: if you show kernels -24, -23, and -22, choose -23. Boot and see if you can restart Software Updater and finish doing updates.

heynnema
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  • Are you sure is `-f`? It isn't [on man page](https://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/bionic/man8/fsck.8.html#options) – Pablo Bianchi Jan 20 '20 at 03:46
  • It is correct. `fsck --help` shows "-f Force checking even if filesystem is marked clean" – Rinzwind Jan 20 '20 at 08:39
  • @PabloBianchi see `man e2fsck` – heynnema Jan 20 '20 at 13:27
  • @Rinzwind on 18.04.3, `fsck from util-linux 2.31.1`, `fsck --help` doesn't show a `-f` option. [`e2fsck`](http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/bionic/man8/e2fsck.8.html) does, I didn't know that [_**fsck** is a wrapper for the filesystem-specific **fsck.*** family of tools_](https://superuser.com/a/19984/500826) – Pablo Bianchi Jan 20 '20 at 14:42
  • mine does. I copied it straight from `fsck --help`. and mine is lower: `util-linux 2.27.1` – Rinzwind Jan 20 '20 at 14:44