CentOS - Dec 2013 - Virtual Machine converted from physical : Kernel Panic at boot .

Hi.

I used VMware Standalone converter 5.5 to convert a CentOS 5.3 machine from
a Physical server to a Virtaul Machine on ESXi 5.1 .  Thus far with every
attempt to convert this machine I get a "Kernel panic"

mount: could not find filesystem '/dev/root'
setuproot: moving /dev failed: No such file or directory
setuproot: error mounting /proc  failed: No such file or directory
setuproot: error mounting /sys failed: No such file or directory
switchroot: mount failed: No such file or directory
Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill init!-220000

I have follows the VMware provided solution for this situation but the
results are the same
http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1002402
http://blog.edgoad.com/2010/03/vmware-no-volume-groups-found.html

I have re-installed the CentOS kernel but that didn't make any difference.
I have tried installing disk labels but that didn't make any difference.
I have installed a clean install of 5.3 into a new vm  , I even did a
custom disk configuration to match that created by VMware Converter and
that worked fine with most of the configuration being the same with the
exception that it used disk labels.

I'm at a loss at this point , I'm open to suggestions.

Here are my configs as shown when using a rescue disk and chroot into
/mnt/sysimage

[root at localhost /]# cat /boot/grub/grub.conf
# grub.conf generated by anaconda
#
# Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
# NOTICE:  You have a /boot partition.  This means that
#          all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.
#          root (hd0,0)
#          kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00
console=ttyS0,9600n8 console=tty0
#          initrd /initrd-version.img
#boot=/dev/sda
default=0
timeout=5
#splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
hiddenmenu
# (removed by Converter) title Memtest86+ (1.65)
# (removed by Converter)        root (hd0,0)
# (removed by Converter)        kernel /memtest86+-1.65 ro
root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00 rhgb quiet

title CentOS (2.6.18-128.7.1.el5)
        root (hd0,0)
        kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.18-128.7.1.el5 ro root=/dev/sdb1 rhgb quiet
#       kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.18-128.7.1.el5 ro root=LABEL=/
        initrd /initrd-2.6.18-128.7.1.el5.img


#title CustomKernel (2.6.18-128.7.1.el5)
#       root (hd0,0)
#       kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.18-128.7.1.el5 ro root=/dev/sdb1 rhgb quiet
#       initrd /initrd-2.6.18-128.7.1.el5.img
[root at localhost /]#

[root at localhost /]# cat /boot/grub/device.map
(hd0)   /dev/sda
(hd1)   /dev/sdb
[root at localhost /]#



[root at localhost /]# cat /etc/fstab
/dev/sdb1       /               ext3    defaults,noatime        1 2
#LABEL=/                /               ext3    defaults,noatime        1 2
LABEL=/boot             /boot                   ext3    defaults        1 2
tmpfs                   /dev/shm                tmpfs   defaults        0 0
devpts                  /dev/pts                devpts  gid=5,mode=620  0 0
sysfs                   /sys                    sysfs   defaults        0 0
proc                    /proc                   proc    defaults        0 0
[root at localhost /]#



[root at localhost /]# fdisk -l /dev/sda

Disk /dev/sda: 108 MB, 108134400 bytes
4 heads, 32 sectors/track, 1650 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 128 * 512 = 65536 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           2        1633      104448   83  Linux
[root at localhost /]# fdisk -l /dev/sdb

Disk /dev/sdb: 159.9 GB, 159921602560 bytes
143 heads, 28 sectors/track, 78008 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 4004 * 512 = 2050048 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1               1       78009   156172288   83  Linux
[root at localhost /]#


[root at localhost /]# mount
/dev/sdb1 on / type ext3 (rw,noatime)
/dev/sda1 on /boot type ext3 (rw)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw)
tmpfs on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)
proc on /proc type proc (rw)
sysfs on /sys type sysfs (rw)
[root at localhost /]#

Thank you.
G

On Tue, 17 Dec 2013, Gregory Machin wrote:
> Hi.
>
> I used VMware Standalone converter 5.5 to convert a CentOS 5.3 machine from
> a Physical server to a Virtaul Machine on ESXi 5.1 .  Thus far with every
> attempt to convert this machine I get a "Kernel panic"
>
> mount: could not find filesystem '/dev/root'
> setuproot: moving /dev failed: No such file or directory
> setuproot: error mounting /proc  failed: No such file or directory
> setuproot: error mounting /sys failed: No such file or directory
> switchroot: mount failed: No such file or directory
> Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill init!-220000
I'm not following all of what is on the machine here, but here are some 
general things to try:

1. From what I can tell, your grub.conf expects /boot to be on its own 
partition, which appears to be sda1 .. is that the case?

2. Verify your /etc/fstab looks right for the new virtual HW you set up.

3. If that is correct, try using "grub-install /dev/sda"  to reinstall
your bootloader.

4. You might trying using the older/compatible versions of hardware, 
specifically the SCSI controller in case that is an issue.

5.  In the event that it really can't find /proc or /sys mount in a 
chrooted rescue environment run "mkdir /proc /sys ; chmod 555 /proc ; 
chmod 755 /sys"

Good luck!
Barry