# Root filesystem could not be mounted read/write [SOLVED]

## ranger719

Hi,

I rebooted my hardened server (2.6.24/25) yesterday and got hit by this:

* Waiting for uevents to be processed ... [ ok ]

* Mounting devpts at /dev/pts ... [ ok ]

* Checking root filesystem ... [ ok ]

/dev/mapper/data-rootfs has been mounted ... check forced.

.. checking ... [ ok ]

* Remounting root filesystem read/write ...

* Root filesystem could not be mounted read/write :( [ !! ]

Give root password for maintenance

( or type Control-D to continue):

I have nothing changed with my drive-setup.  '/boot'   and  '/'  are both on LVM2 on top of a Raid-Mirror.

I think a coreutils- and/or baselayout-update did this. But downgrading does not solve it.. If I do it, the error messages I get is that the system cannot even find a ext3-filesystem. I have not further tested this issue and did a upgrade to this versions again:  coreutils-6.10-r2  and   baselayout-1.12.11.1. However:

Logging in with root works and  'cat /proc/mounts'  yields:

```
 rootfs / rootfs rw 0 0

/dev/data/rootfs / ext3 ro,errors=continue,data=ordered 0 0

...
```

The root-partition is mounted ro, a  'touch /x'  fails with "Read-only file system".

A  'mount -o remount,rw /dev/data/rootfs'  fails with: "mount: / not mounted already, or bad option"

'cat /etc/mtab':

```
 rootfs / rootfs rw 0 0

/dev/data/rootfs / ext3 rw,errors=continue,data=ordered 0 0

...
```

(Now / is mounted rw, previous it was ro)

My lilo.conf:

```
...

image = /boot/bzImage

        label = Gentoo

        root = /dev/ram0

        initrd = /boot/initramfs-genkernel-x86-2.6.24-hardened-r1

        append = "dodmraid dolvm lvmraid=/dev/md0 real_root=/dev/data/rootfs init=/linuxrc"

        read-only

        restricted

...

```

My fstab:

```
...

#/dev/mapper/data-rootfs        /               ext3    noatime,erros=remount-ro        0 1

#rootfs         /               ext3    noatime,erros=remount-ro        0 1

...

```

Even if I change  '/dev/mapper/data-rootfs'  to  '/dev/data/rootfs'  nothing changes (and it should not, only symlinks, right?). If I substitude it with /dev/root or rootfs: same or different problem.

The only way to boot into my system is to remove any  '/'  line in my /etc/fstab. It still shows up in /proc/mounts though because the initrd still mounts it. Something with the start-scripts seems to be awkward.

'cat /proc/mounts'  after removing any  '/'-line from my fstab:

```
rootfs / rootfs rw 0 0

/dev/data/rootfs / ext3 rw,errors=continue,data=ordered 0 0

...
```

...and the corresponding /etc/mtab (after removing any '/'-line from fstab) shows no mounted  '/'  or even rootfs.

And I have the same problem as many people seem to have. 3 machines now mount  '/'  twice. And one of them is a stable-gentoo without baselayout2 and openrc (the one I write about in this thread). Is this rootfs-mount a bad thing? Was it only hidden until recent days? Seems not to hurt, but looks stupid in  'mount'  :) Or does this even have something to do with my problem here? AFAIK, until yesterday this machine did not show up the rootfs-mount.

Thanks in advance.Last edited by ranger719 on Sat Jun 28, 2008 5:52 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## Nerevar

You have typos in your fstab erros should be errors.

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## ranger719

Erm.. Yes.. You are right and that did it. Although the error message could provide a little more information  :Smile:  Must have changed that option since the last reboot and forgot it. I'm getting old...

Btw, rootfs is not mounted/shown anymore. Only  '/dev/mapper/data-rootfs on / type ext3 (rw,noatime,errors=remount-ro)'  shows up after a  'mount'. It is, however, still visible in /proc/mounts. And I assume this is ok and was so since... uhm... a long time  :Smile: 

Thank you for poiting that out!

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