# grub help, unknown block(0,0)

## Wizumwalt

I'm trying to get a new install to boot and having issues, here is the error msg.

```

VFS: Cannot open root device "sda3" or unknown block(0,0)

Please append a correct "root=" boot option; here are the available partitions:

Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(0,0)

```

/boot/grub/grub.conf

```

default 0

timeout 30

title Gentoo Linux 2.6.29-r5

root (hd0,0)

kernel /boot/kernel-2.6.29-gentoo-r5 ro root=/dev/sda3 

#real_root=/dev/sda3

```

/boot

```

# ls -l /boot

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root       1 Jul 30 03:22 boot -> .

drwxr-xr-x 2 root root    1024 Jul 30 19:42 grub

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 3556432 Jul 30 18:45 kernel-2.6.29-gentoo-r5

drwx------ 2 root root   12288 Jul 30 03:13 lost+found

```

I have sda1 as ext2, and all others are ext3 type. Hitting tab inside grub produces ...

```

grub> root (hd0,

 Possible partitions are:

   Partition num: 0,  Filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 0x83

   Partition num: 1,  Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x82

   Partition num: 2,  Filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 0x83

   Partition num: 4,  Filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 0x83

   Partition num: 5,  Filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 0x83

   Partition num: 6,  Filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 0x83

   Partition num: 7,  Filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 0x83

   Partition num: 8,  Filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 0x83

```

Any help much appreciated.

----------

## Trotskey

Cach0rr0 says:

 *Quote:*   

> the 'unknown block (0,0)' basically means the drivers for your SATA controller couldn't be loaded 
> 
> so it couldn't even get so far as to scan and *SEE* what partitions are available 

 

These should help someone help you. (I'm currently having the same problem)

```
lspci -n 

cat /proc/cpuinfo 

cat /proc/mounts 

cat /etc/fstab 

```

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## skrapasor

If the problem is that the kernel tries to mount the root fs before it sees your partitions, this thread should help: https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-785234.html

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## bobspencer123

# fdisk -l

would be helpful too

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