Score:1

"Gave up waiting for root file system device" after an upgrade to Ubuntu 22

cn flag

This issue started when I upgraded to Ubuntu version 22. I've followed various methods and solutions given on this platform, including adjusting the BIOS settings, but the issue persists. Furthermore, it alerts;

After some boot messages have appeared, the process stops at this point:

Gave up waiting for root file system device.  Common problems:
 - Boot args (cat /proc/cmdline)
  - Check rootdelay= (did the system wait long enough?)
 - Missing modules (cat /proc/modules; ls /dev
ALERT!  UUID:  ba785887-2695-4e94-bc0c-8f266a4bc46c does not exist.  Dropping to a shell.

BusyBox v1.30.1 (Ubuntu 1:1.30.1-7ubuntu3) built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands.

(initramfs)_ 

My hardware is Del Core i5 with 256GB storage. I do not know if it has got anything to do with the space but there is 65GB available space.

Please, anyone who has gone through the same issue recently, help me out. I am stuck and have no way out. Thanks

photo of the screen with boot process and above text

Organic Marble avatar
us flag
There is likely a problem with a partition referenced in /etc/fstab. The UUID of the missing partition is shown at the bottom of the screen. Boot the system to a live session and fix the problem in fstab. You must determine what the correct UUID to enter into fstab is.
Karim avatar
cn flag
Thanks for the comment. What could be the correct UUID? I have no idea of it.
Organic Marble avatar
us flag
I will write an answer - too long for a comment.
Score:0
us flag

The file /etc/fstab is a simple but critical text file that associates partitions with mount points when your system boots. The association is usually done by specifying the UUID of the partition.

If a UUID listed in the partition becomes unavailable, the system will likely not boot.

To fix this kind of problem, you must first determine what are the UUIDs of the partitions that do exist on your system, and which one should be listed where in the fstab.

You would have to boot into a live session, but then you can list the UUIDs of all partitions by typing sudo blkid in a terminal.

To look at the fstab while in the live session, you must mount the relevant partition from the PC. The terminal command is sudo mount /dev/____ /mnt where you fill in the blanks with the designation of the root partition on your system - something like sda1. Then sudo nano /mnt/etc/fstab will show you the fstab. Look for the UUID shown on the screen in your post - that is the line with the problem - and replace it with the correct UUID.

If you cannot determine which is correct, you could edit your question to show the complete output of the sudo blkid command, and the complete contents of the /etc/fstab, and someone can probably point you to the exact fix needed.

Karim avatar
cn flag
Ok, I will follow, but before proceeding, I am afraid, is it possible to save my data? Because I have no access to my files in this mode and with a live session of booting I may lose everything inside the system.
Karim avatar
cn flag
I could not follow your answer. But I had to reinstall the OS while replacing the previous one. That erased all my data. However, I appreciate your answer which might be valuable for many others. Thanks.
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