# No root device specified. Boot arguments must include a root= parameter

**URL:** <https://hub.mender.io/t/no-root-device-specified-boot-arguments-must-include-a-root-parameter/6778>\
**Category:** General Discussions\
**Tags:** mender-client\
**Created:** [April 30, 2024, 11:51am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/no-root-device-specified-boot-arguments-must-include-a-root-parameter/6778 "2024-04-30T11:51:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![zivkapl](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/zivkapl/32/2061_2.png) [@zivkapl](https://hub.mender.io/u/zivkapl)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 11:51am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/no-root-device-specified-boot-arguments-must-include-a-root-parameter/6778/1 "2024-04-30T11:51:03Z")

</div>

Hi,

I tried to do mender rootfs upgrade (from Ubuntu 18 to 22) and the VM was booted into the initramfs cli with the following error:

```bash
No root device specified. Boot arguments must include a root= parameter

```

Mender client looks configured as expected, which the right partition UUIDs.  
Also, I compared `/boot/grub/grub.cfg` and `/boot/grub-mender-grubenv.cfg` from this VM to another which was upgraded successfully and did not find any difference.

What could cause this error?  
How can I check during boot what parameters are passed?  
Any help/tips on debugging is appreciated!

Thank you!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TheYoctoJester](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/theyoctojester/32/1444_2.png) [@TheYoctoJester](https://hub.mender.io/u/TheYoctoJester)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 12:36pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/no-root-device-specified-boot-arguments-must-include-a-root-parameter/6778/2 "2024-04-30T12:36:06Z")

</div>

Hi @zivkapl,

You can see the passed arguments in `/proc/cmdline`. That should also be accessible in the recovery shell of the initramfs.

Greets,  
Josef