Kernel panic booting CentOS 5 image in VirtualBox

virtualbox centos-5 kernel-panic

9,907

The problem is the layout of the hard disks changed. This is probably because the .vdi hard disk is now attached to the sata controller instead of the ide controller. just disconnect from the sata controller in the settings and reconnect to the ide controller then reboot.

9,907

Andy

Updated on September 17, 2022

Comments

Andy almost 2 years
I'm using VirtualBox, and have a vdi. It works fine on the virtual machine I originally configured for it, but if I clone it (with VBoxManage clonehd) or just copy it, create a new VM and boot it, I always get the same errors:
```
mount: could not find filesystem '/dev/root'
...
Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill init!
```
Anyone know how I can fix this?

The VDI is an image of a clean system that I want to keep reusing to save me having to keep installing the OS into a new empty VDI.
- CarlF almost 14 years
  
  Confirm that you are using EXACTLY the same settings in your new VM as in the old one. One missed checkbox on one screen can cause this.
- Andy almost 14 years
  
  I don't think so. I can't even mount the VDI - surely nothing to do with how the machine is configured in terms of RAM, CPU, networking, etc. I can't even get GRUB to enter single user mode
- CarlF almost 14 years
  
  What you're saying here is not consistent. Is it refusing to mount, or is GRUB loading but not booting an OS? Try mounting your new VDI as a second hard drive on a known good VM. Can you access it?
- Andy almost 14 years
  
  GRUB is loading but not booting the OS - it's during the init process CentOS can't mount /dev/root...
CarlF almost 14 years

Probably not, since you also created VDI dupes using filesystem copies. This would cause other problems (duplicate UUID) but wouldn't invoke that bug.
Andy almost 14 years

The disk I copied wasn't associated with a VM, so no UUID dupes occurred.
Admin over 13 years

Wow Peter McNeil's comment definitely worked for me: Go to the Oracle VM VirtualBox Manager, right-click your CentOs Machine and click on "Settings". Go to Storage -> Right-click the vdi in SATA Controller and click on "Remove attachment. Go to the IDE Controller and click on Add Hard Disk. Retrieve your vdi file from your hard drive and boot your CentOS machine :)
Eduard Luca about 11 years

It happens to me too after leaving them open for 1-2 days. I've applied this fix and waiting to see if the panic still happens. Thanks!
twobeers over 7 years

I had the same problem when using vmdk imags in virtual box, your solution helped me too.