• From: Finland
  • Registered: 2010-03-22
  • Posts: 4

Topic: Statler on encrypted LVM fails first boot

I installed Statler onto an encrypted LVM (guided partitioning, only change being jfs instead of ext3 on /), the result being an unbootable system. I get "Gave up waiting for root device" and "ALERT! /dev/mapper/flarn-root does not exist. Dropping to a shell!"

I installed #! 9.04 successfully in a similar manner (and Debian Lenny and Xubuntu Hardy and Xubuntu Karmic as well), so it seems to me that this time the installer did something wrong. Using the Statler CD I can enter my password and mount the root partition, but my Linux-fu is not strong enough to fix things by myself from there. Poking around in initramfs shell, I noticed that  /dev/mapper does not even exist.

Has anyone else run into this?

Last edited by Uncle Jakke (2010-03-24 21:15:52)

  • hkb2
  • Member
  • Offline
  • From: RTP, NC
  • Registered: 2009-07-24
  • Posts: 11

Re: Statler on encrypted LVM fails first boot

I ran into the exact same thing this afternoon when selecting guided partitioning with encrypted LVM.  I did not pursue it too hard at that time, and, instead, started over without choosing encrypted LVM.  The problem seems to be pretty reproducible, so, I'll be willing to help out in my spare time.

  • From: Finland
  • Registered: 2010-03-22
  • Posts: 4

Re: Statler on encrypted LVM fails first boot

I'll get back to this (much) later today after work. While working, I shall try googling if vanilla Debian has similar problems, the installer being essentially the same.

Last edited by Uncle Jakke (2010-03-23 04:35:33)

  • From: Finland
  • Registered: 2010-03-22
  • Posts: 4

Re: Statler on encrypted LVM fails first boot

I toyed with expert install with exactly the same result. Must try something new tomorrow.

Last edited by Uncle Jakke (2010-03-23 20:14:42)

  • benj1
  • Wiki Wizard
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  • From: Yorkshire, England
  • Registered: 2009-09-05
  • Posts: 1,084

Re: Statler on encrypted LVM fails first boot

how wide spread is this problem, has anyone had success with an LVM install ?

- - - - - - - - Wiki Pages - - - - - - -
#! install guide           *autostart programs, modify the menu & keybindings
configuring Conky       *installing scripts
  • From: Finland
  • Registered: 2010-03-22
  • Posts: 4

Re: Statler on encrypted LVM fails first boot

For future reference:
I get "Gave up waiting for boot device" if I try to install Statler using LVM with or without encryption. Without LVM everything seems to be fine (typing this from a successful install, sans LVM).

Athlon 64 x2 4450e
AMD 780G chipset, HDD in SATA port 1 and DVD in SATA port 3.
4 GB RAM

Install media AMD64 Openbox CD.

I am the viceroy of typos.

Last edited by Uncle Jakke (2010-03-24 21:13:34)

  • Registered: 2010-11-14
  • Posts: 33

Re: Statler on encrypted LVM fails first boot

Seems like I'm having the same problem, despite installing an encrypted system (Alpha 2) without LVM neutral

Here's my drive:
hda1 - Windows (Truecrypted)
hda2 - GRUB2
hda5 - /
hda6 - unused swap

And here's what I get at boot:

Loading initial ramdisk...
Loading, please wait...
Gave up waiting for root device
...
ALERT! /dev/mapper/hda5_crypt does not exist. Dropping to a shell!

I don't know how to use initramfs shell, or how to get any information from there neutral
How do I fix it?


P.S. Statler installer is dangerous. I don't know if this is Statler or Squeeze issue, but here's what happens:
I never confirmed anything to be written to my drive. I chose the manual mode in the partitioner, but then went back and chose the guide (with LVM), and apparently while I was staring at "Starting the partitioner" bar, the installer wrote the guide's default partition table to my HDD. Destroying my Windows partition. I wasn't being illiterate or careless. And this happened twice. So I kind of had a Windows installfest  smile

Last edited by Crunch3R (2010-11-14 16:32:12)

  • Registered: 2010-11-14
  • Posts: 33

Re: Statler on encrypted LVM fails first boot

Oh, and this is my entry in grub.cfg. Is there something wrong here?

### BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux ###
menuentry "CrunchBang Linux, with Linux 2.6.32-5-686" --class crunchbang --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
    insmod ext2
    set root='(hd0,2)'
    search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 6ccdfdca-f5d1-4830-946d-dbb8ce076069
    echo    Loading Linux 2.6.32-5-686 ...
    linux    /vmlinuz-2.6.32-5-686 root=/dev/mapper/hda5_crypt ro  quiet
    echo    Loading initial ramdisk ...
    initrd    /initrd.img-2.6.32-5-686
}
  • Registered: 2010-11-14
  • Posts: 33

Re: Statler on encrypted LVM fails first boot

No ideas? Will nobody help me? Why are you doing this to me?? yikes

Just kidding, I fixed it.
I still don't know for sure what exactly was the problem, but I hope this will prove helpful.

Here's what I did:
Chrooted from PartedMagic (cool thing, has cryptsetup on board) and used Synaptic to search for stuff related to cryptsetup/luks/dm-crypt and initramfs, and installed what seemed like it should have been on the drive but wasn't.

Then tried re-installing/configuring GRUB and updating initramfs.
And it booted like a charm, although I still get an error, which I'll post later.