Not identified a root partition (/)

Discussions about using Linux guests in VirtualBox.
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Stu255
Posts: 6
Joined: 12. Mar 2019, 15:03

Not identified a root partition (/)

Post by Stu255 »

I am trying to set up a cluster using rolling rocks.

I am using the Jumbo DVD option from rockscluster.

My VM boots up with Sidewinder and Anaconda as I begin the build to install the front end, but I can only get as far as this...
capture
capture
Capture.PNG (17.37 KiB) Viewed 2402 times

What am I doing wrong?

I have tried adding storage devices as SATA and IDE and VDI, VDM and VDMK and all lead me back to the same error.
Any help greatly appreciated.
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: Not identified a root partition (/)

Post by mpack »

On the face of it, it's telling you that you need to partition and format the (virtual) hard drive first. That would be done with a disk preparation tool of some kind - and it has nothing to do with the disk hardware or what controller type the disk is attached to. That's as much as I can say, knowing nothing about the guest OS.
andyp73
Volunteer
Posts: 1631
Joined: 25. May 2010, 23:48
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Assorted Linux, Windows Server 2012, DOS, Windows 10, BIOS/UEFI emulation

Re: Not identified a root partition (/)

Post by andyp73 »

Rocks Clusters is based on the 64bit version of CentOS 7.4 so you would want to use the RedHat 64 template.

If it behaves like every other Linux installer then one of the options should have been to partition any disk that it found. Typically you get a default option and an expert mode that allows you to manually partition it. Three things spring to mind...

1. Your guest doesn't actually have a virtual disk attached to it
2. You somehow managed to skip the partitioning stage of the installer
3. You did expert mode partitioning and didn't create a partition to be mounted as /

If you post the VBox.log file for the guest we can validate that there is a virtual disk attached. The other steps you will need to do yourself.

-Andy.
My crystal ball is currently broken. If you want assistance you are going to have to give me all of the necessary information.
Please don't ask me to do your homework for you, I have more than enough of my own things to do.
Stu255
Posts: 6
Joined: 12. Mar 2019, 15:03

Re: Not identified a root partition (/)

Post by Stu255 »

Thanks for the speedy reply.

The guest OS is:

Rocks 6.2 (Sidewinder) x86_64 is based upon CentOS 6.6 with all updates available as of 10 May 2015.

Alternative options include:

Rocks 7.0 Manzanita (CentOS 7.4)


The file system for CentOS is XFS. So how would I format the VMDK for an XFS filesystem? Something like PartedMagic?

Thanks again,
Stu255
Posts: 6
Joined: 12. Mar 2019, 15:03

Re: Not identified a root partition (/)

Post by Stu255 »

Hi Andy,

My logs are 151KB to 167KB and there is a 128KB limit on uploads.
Happy to upload them elsewhere if you provide a link, as I don't yet have U R L rights on the forum? :D

First time using VirtualBox and first time building a cluster (hardware build is completed, have 32 nodes in the back end), so all help greatly appreciated!

Just trying to get the front end up.
andyp73
Volunteer
Posts: 1631
Joined: 25. May 2010, 23:48
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Assorted Linux, Windows Server 2012, DOS, Windows 10, BIOS/UEFI emulation

Re: Not identified a root partition (/)

Post by andyp73 »

Stu255 wrote:My logs are 151KB to 167KB and there is a 128KB limit on uploads.
You should be able to zip the logs in order to get them under the 128KB limit.

-Andy.
My crystal ball is currently broken. If you want assistance you are going to have to give me all of the necessary information.
Please don't ask me to do your homework for you, I have more than enough of my own things to do.
Stu255
Posts: 6
Joined: 12. Mar 2019, 15:03

Re: Not identified a root partition (/)

Post by Stu255 »

See attached...
VM Logs.zip
(60.34 KiB) Downloaded 19 times
Cheers,
Stu
andyp73
Volunteer
Posts: 1631
Joined: 25. May 2010, 23:48
Primary OS: Mac OS X other
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Assorted Linux, Windows Server 2012, DOS, Windows 10, BIOS/UEFI emulation

Re: Not identified a root partition (/)

Post by andyp73 »

PantaRhei-2019-03-12-12-45-04.log wrote:
00:00:02.692333 File system of 'C:\Users\Stu\Downloads\area51+base+bio+fingerprint+ganglia+hpc+htcondor+idpl-config+java+kernel+kvm+os+perfSONAR+perl+
python+sge+web-server+zfs-linux-6.2.x86_64.disk1.iso' (DVD) is ntfs
00:00:02.693716 File system of 'C:\Users\Stu\VirtualBox VMs\PantaRhei\Snapshots' (snapshots) is unknown
00:00:02.693729 File system of 'K:\NewVirtualDisk25.vmdk' is ntfs
I think these folks win the prize for the most ridiculous name for an installer .iso image! :D

By the looks of things, the guest has a .vmdk file attached to it which it will be using as a virtual disk. Is drive K: an internal drive/partition or is it an external USB drive? Looking like option 2 or 3 from my original list. Let me download the base parts of the installer and see what gives.

-Andy.
My crystal ball is currently broken. If you want assistance you are going to have to give me all of the necessary information.
Please don't ask me to do your homework for you, I have more than enough of my own things to do.
Stu255
Posts: 6
Joined: 12. Mar 2019, 15:03

Re: Not identified a root partition (/)

Post by Stu255 »

Haha, I thought exactly the same thing.

I'm not wedded to this .iso by the way, just looking for an easy way to get an OS installed across my cluster nodes and rocks seems like the easiest way (if I can get past the Front End).

Drive K is a virtual partition (Primary partition, NTFS) from my bootable hard disk(C:), I created K using windows disk management.

Have tried a few other things with the disk and different locations for the virtual disks including C:\ and K:\ but always get the same error, so now thinking it's another issue.
Not sure if it was formatting have tried FAT32 and NTFS with K: I know CentOS is XFS but doesn't XFS come with the front end OS installation?


Didn't see a partition option on installing the front end. It boots the Sidewinder screen *Rocks Version 6.2 (Sidewinder)* <- google this to see the screen and from here I am just entering "build" to install the front end... maybe this is the point I whould be defining the partitions?
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: Not identified a root partition (/)

Post by mpack »

The generic name of the VMDK implies that it wasn't created along with the VM, so my interpretation is that it has been added after the event, but I don't know when.

p.s. If the host's K: volume was created on the physical drive using Disk Management then it isn't a "virtual partition", it's just a partition. I don't know why you did this? The virtual drives of a VM are just files on the host. The VM doesn't need host partitions to be reserved for it, in fact doing so just limits flexibility.
Stu255
Posts: 6
Joined: 12. Mar 2019, 15:03

Re: Not identified a root partition (/)

Post by Stu255 »

Hi mpack,

I tried all combinations of creating storage in VirtualBox and kept getting the same error, so I tried creating a partition outside of VirtualBox and attaching it to see if that would help... same error.

I’m now wondering if I should try a different image.
mpack
Site Moderator
Posts: 39156
Joined: 4. Sep 2008, 17:09
Primary OS: MS Windows 10
VBox Version: PUEL
Guest OSses: Mostly XP

Re: Not identified a root partition (/)

Post by mpack »

Frankly, I suggest that you just start again, and follow the instructions given in section 1.8 of the user manual, "Creating your first VM". Do nothing unless that section tells you to - except, you are free to choose RAM and disk sizes for the VM based on the expectations of the guest and the available host resources. Do not create any external drive images or host partitions - just follow the instructions on the screen.

You should also read the instructions for whatever thing you are trying to install. If it's a stand alone OS then it should behave like one, including giving you an opportunity to prepare the (virtual) hard drive. If it assumes that you already installed an OS then of course you need to do that first.
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