[SWLUG] Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(3, 8)

[Julian Hall]

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Julian Hall wrote:

> Hi All,
>
> As you can tell from the subject this is a nasty problem. Can anyone
> advise please how to recover from this? Prior to this all I was doing
> was setting up Samba shares using Webmin. The laptop is where the
> error has come up on reboot, but I haven't even managed to share
> anything on that yet. All I've done so far is get the laptop to see
> the shares I've enabled on the desktop.
>
> The only other thing that could even possibly have any bearing is that
> the laptop dual-boots with Windows 2000. Sometimes it refuses to
> enable to touchpad and keyboard forcing a hardware shtdown. It had
> just done that, however it's done it many many times before and not
> once affected Linux in this way.
>
> Any ideas please?
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Julian

Bit more info if it helps:

Distro: Xandros 3.0 OCE
boot using LILO
selected menu item (Xandros)
then I get:

BIOS data check successful
Uncompressing Linux... OK, booting the kernel
audit(1143836280.4294966570.0): initialized
Using /modules/splashFXmod.ko
Using /modules/mbcache.ko
Using /modules/ide-disk.ko
Using /modules/ext2.ko
sh: error opening /proc/software_suspend/do_resume: No such file or
directory

Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: unable to mount root fs on
unknown-block(3, 8)

Please bear in mind I have no idea what most of that means, I've just
copied it off the screen of the laptop in the hope someone can explain
how the heck to get my system back (preferably without reinstalling as
the Cardbus config to get the wireless up and running is a total
*nightmare*

Kind regards,

Julian
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