error /dev/disk/by-label/device did not show up after 30 seconds SOLVED

Alexzee

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2019
Messages
3,679
Reaction score
1,962
Credits
21,883
I did a fresh install of Hefftor Linux KDE Plasma on a 64-bit Toshibia Satelite L755.
After the install I have Grub but when Hefftor Linux tries to boot I get this error:

error /dev/disk/by-label/device did not show up after 30 seconds
falling back to interactive prompt
you can try to fix the problem manually, log are when you are finished
sh: can't access tty job control turned off.
[rootfs ]#

Any idea's guys how I can fix this and get Heffort Linux to boot?
 


Alex, how did you burn the .iso to the USB stick - dd? Or other?

I hadn't even heard of Hefftor until you mentioned it elsewhere, but I now have Hefftor KDE on my rig.

You'll be catching zzz's by now, so I'll catch you tomorrow and we'll see what we can nut out.

Cheers

Wiz
 
I used USB Image Writer in Linux Mint to make the usb bootable.

Should I have used Ether instead?

In this article he got the same error message as I did.
 
Ta, Alex - I have a couple of errands to run soon (after more coffee), will take a further look when I get home.

I'll look at the Mint Image Writer option. I used dd successfully, but Etcher should be good too.

Wiz
 
I tried installing Hefftor Linux Plasma by DVD and the installation failed.
Than I tried using Etcher to make the usb bootable and I get Grub but it won't boot to desktop.
After Grub, I still have the same error message that I posted in my first post and haven't found a solution as to what to type at the [rootfs ]# prompt of the fallback shell I'm stuck in.
 
I ran a Google search

error /dev/disk/by-label/device did not show up after 30 seconds

and found quite a few articles, varying in method and cause. One of them suggested a dd mistype (using a number instead of just the device name) but that does not apply here.

There was one from Arcolinux

https://arcolinuxforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=840

don't know if that will help.

I have Hefftor on 2 sticks now, the one I installed, using dd and one I have since burned using your Linux Mint Image Writer. I have a Toshiba Satellite a bit newer than yours, I can try to install there and see if it gives me ideas, may take 24 hours.

Wiz

BTW have you put Linux on this rig before?
 
Yes I have put Linux on this rig before.

Linux Lite is on it now.
 
OK just an update while you are catching zzzz's

I have Hefftor KDE on the Satellite (it's an S70t-A released maybe 2015), and it seems to be working fine.

Now just doing a little brainstorming:

  • If the Linux Mint Image Writer, Etcher and the DVD method all failed, using the same .iso, is the .iso defective and did you check the hashsums?
Hashsums for hefftorlinux-plasma-v2021-01-3-x86_64.iso are as follows:

MD5 - 26ba52d01fb9eaa5584ba1fc8aa7f748
SHA1 - 315a12007b93a021e8745547f3554e41b0a498da
SHA256 - 879df0c33c135e39bd2a470779b8b8634db5342ddc09a4674b2ea4ec08e802d3

Other workarounds (not necessarily solutions) are to take your existing Hefftor Xfce, and using a Timeshift snapshot add it to the Toshiba Satellite. Then add the KDE desktop environment.

See what you think

Wizard
 
Yes I checked the md5sum and it was a go.

After messing with this for 3 days I'm done with the nonsense because it's not going anywhere and I can't fix it.

From this point on I don't think that I will install a distro that doesn't have a support forum for it or a person that I can contact for help.

I have downloaded Kubuntu KDE 20.04 and play to burn it to a DVD later and install it on the laptop alongside Linux Lite.

Thank you Wizard for your help. :)

I'll let you know how the Kubuntu installation goes.
 
On you Live USB installation you can install boot repair to and try that way
when the live usb is loaded open the terminal and type
Code:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:yannubuntu/boot-repair
Code:
sudo apt-get update
Code:
sudo apt-get install -y boot-repair && boot-repair

see also - https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair
 
On you Live USB installation you can install boot repair to and try that way
when the live usb is loaded open the terminal and type
Code:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:yannubuntu/boot-repair
Code:
sudo apt-get update
Code:
sudo apt-get install -y boot-repair && boot-repair

see also - https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair
Those commands as root on the live usb return:
command not found.

What else can I do?
 
Those commands as root on the live usb return:
command not found.

What else can I do?
Did Boot Repair install? boot-repair is not to be run in sudo
Code:
boot-repair
the && should have taken it out of root maybe it didn't?
If it did not install take the -y function out
Code:
sudo apt-get install boot-repair
Code:
boot-repair
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Did Boot Repair install? boot-repair is not to be run in sudo
Code:
boot-repair
the && should have taken it out of root maybe it didn't?
If it did not install take the -y function out
Code:
sudo apt-get install boot-repair
Code:
boot-repair
Hefftor Linux is an Arch based distro.
Arch uses pacman not apt.

Are you sure those cmd's are going to work?
 
With the Hefftor Linux installation I had Grub and after grub the kernel would load but the desktop just would not load and keep dumping me into the root fallback shell. I think there was something a miss with either the label or the initramfs that was generating the error message.
Running cmd's that were associated with dev/disk/by-label didn't exist yet when I checked on them in the rootfs from Linux Lite they were there. Any attempt to exit and reboot into the system only blacked out the screen of the fallback shell for a few minutes and returned me to the error message again.

Nothing I tried worked and I tried a lot of things:-:)

Anyway; the fresh installation of Kubuntu 20.04 went well.
My Toshibia laptop is now in a dual boot Kubuntu and Linux Lite and it runs great!

This is my first time seeing Kubuntu and it's very well polished and looks good on the laptop.
Thanks to the Kubuntu Team! Great job!

If I have time I'll post screenshot's of the fresh install.

Everyone, have a good week ahead.
 
I solve this problem.
You have to move on /dev/disk/by-label/ and show the list of directories using ls.

Take the name of the directory shown on tour error and rename the directory of your distro using the name shown in the error.

Good Luck !!!! ;););)
 
I solve this problem.
You have to move on /dev/disk/by-label/ and show the list of directories using ls.

Take the name of the directory shown on tour error and rename the directory of your distro using the name shown in the error.

Good Luck !!!! ;););)
I'm not running that distro anymore.

Thanks for letting me know how to fix it!
 

Members online


Latest posts

Top