Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs

[Nikolay Turpitko]

I've recently updated to the kernel 3.13.0-37 from the main repository and got this issue again (I had similar issue before with 3.11.0-15, see Bug #1265971). I tried to update to 3.13.0-38 from ppa:canonical-kernel-team/ppa, but the issue remains.

I'm not sure, but suspect that it's related to my SanDisk SSD U100 drive, another my notebook upgraded without any problem.

I'm reportin this bug booting from the previous kernel, so automatically gathered kernel version info isn't actual.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: linux-image-3.13.0-36-generic 3.13.0-36.63
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-36.63-generic 3.13.11.6
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-36-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.5
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: nick 1961 F.... pulseaudio
Date: Tue Oct 14 10:19:38 2014
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-04-27 (534 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.04 "Raring Ringtail" - Release amd64 (20130424)
MachineType: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. N76VJ
ProcFB:
 0 inteldrmfb
 1 nouveaufb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-36-generic root=UUID=6aa7ef52-c41f-4856-950a-bef3ba7b78e5 ro quiet splash
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.13.0-36-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.13.0-36-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.127.7
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2014-04-19 (177 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 07/09/2013
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: N76VJ.203
dmi.board.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.board.name: N76VJ
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
dmi.chassis.version: 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrN76VJ.203:bd07/09/2013:svnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:pnN76VJ:pvr1.0:rvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:rnN76VJ:rvr1.0:cvnASUSTeKCOMPUTERINC.:ct10:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.name: N76VJ
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Nikolay Turpitko (nikolay-w)]

This kernel works: /~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.13.11.9-trusty

$ uname -a
$ Linux tnl-N76VJ 3.13.11-03131109-generic #201410141735 SMP Tue Oct 14 21:37:14 UTC 2014 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

It's good that 3.13.11.9 fixes the issue. That version will make it into Trusty through the normal stable update process. Can you also test the latest kernel in -proposed, which is -38? It currently has the 3.13.11.8 upstream kernel.

See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation how to enable and use -proposed.

[Nikolay Turpitko (nikolay-w)]

Strangely for me, when I re-installed kernel packages from -proposed above the same versions from ppa:canonical-kernel-team/ppa, they do work (I rebooted system several times hot and cold):

$ uname -a
Linux tnl-N76VJ 3.13.0-38-generic #65-Ubuntu SMP Thu Oct 9 11:36:50 UTC 2014 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Results from ppa were BSOD screenshots attached in comments #2 and #3.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

That may indicate that the fix for this has already made it's way into the -proposed repository.

[Nikolay Turpitko (nikolay-w)]

The same issue again with new kernel from repository (3.13.0-39-generic #66-Ubuntu). See attachment above.

[Nikolay Turpitko (nikolay-w)]

This one works: http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.18-rc2-vivid/

uname -a
Linux tnl-N76VJ 3.18.0-031800rc2-generic #201410281737 SMP Tue Oct 28 21:38:57 UTC 2014 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Please provide me with a list of kernels I should try, if you think it may help.

[Kevin Zhang (whitehat2k9)]

Just encountered this bug for the first time on latest kernel 3.13.0-45-generic; booting 3.13.0-44-generic works. System is running as a guest inside VMWare Workstation 11.

[Nikolay Turpitko (nikolay-w)]

Well, just for information, 3.13.0-45-generic works fine for me (and 3.13.0-44 wasn't):
uname -a
Linux tnl-N76VJ 3.13.0-45-generic #74-Ubuntu SMP Tue Jan 13 19:36:28 UTC 2015 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

[Fibonacci (fibonacci-prower)]

Does this bug still affect any of you?

If so, what happens if you remove the quiet option from GRUB?

[Nikolay Turpitko (nikolay-w)]

No, I've updated several times since then, all updates went smooth.
I'm on 3.13.0-57-generic now and it also works fine.
Probably, it's safe to close this bug.