You start up your trusty Linux Mint computer and you get a BusyBox initramfs error on a black screen.
It happened to me recently and it was a little unnerving.
Now what?
Do you have to reinstall your operating system? Will you lose your files?
In most cases, the answer is no to both questions. There are obviously no guarantees, but you're probably OK.
You just have to know what to do when this happens.
In this tutorial, first I'll get into why the BusyBox initramfs error happens, then I'll show you 2 ways to fix it.
Although Linux Mint is used in this example because it is my favorite privacy-focused operating system, this process will probably work for Ubuntu, Debian and similar derivatives of Linux.
Why the BusyBox Initramfs Error Happens
Here's the short version.
BusyBox is a tiny software suite that allows you to execute basic commands to manage your computer.
Initramfs is a file system that runs in RAM (temporary memory) and is based on tmpfs. It has the commands that are used to load the primary operating system, Linux in this case. This initramfs is run by BusyBox.
When you get the BusyBox initramfs error, that means that your computer was able to load BusyBox and initramfs, but it was not able to load Linux Mint.
That's what the error message means when it uses the terms “built-in shell” or “dropping to a shell”.
There's something related to your primary drive that is preventing Linux from loading and that is why it has to use BusyBox as an alternative.
In my experience, there are 2 potential reasons for this:
- Your BIOS settings have changed due to battery failure
- Corrupted files on your drive
Do This Next
After you get the error, type exit on the initramfs command line and hit Enter on your keyboard.
This will tell you what the issue is.
The error message you get will determine the fix you use.
Reference the error messages below to find the solution to your problem.
The Fixes
Update Your BIOS Settings
If you get an error message like this, then here is the solution.
In an older computer, the little watch battery that is connected to your motherboard (CMOS battery) may be getting weak or it might be totally dead.
When this happens, your computer won't store changes to your BIOS settings and will revert to the default settings when your computer starts.
If you aren't familiar with the BIOS, it's a set of instructions that tells your computer what to do when it first starts up. These instructions can include which drive to use as the primary drive, security settings and more.
It's stored on the motherboard, so it will always get loaded, even without a primary hard or SSD drive.
One setting that can change is the RAID setting in your BIOS.
Without getting too technical, RAID is a way of setting up your primary drive so that your data can be easily recovered in the case of a drive failure.
Since this involves telling your computer where to find the operating system, a change in this setting can break loading of the operating system and thus give you the BusyBox initramfs error.
To fix this, first go into your BIOS. This process will vary between computer brands, but generally you can press F12 on your keyboard when your computer is starting up and that will take you into the BIOS Setup.
If this is not the case for your computer, then search for the instructions for your brand of computer.
Once you're in the BIOS, go to:
System Configuration > SATA Operation > select AHCI
Click the Apply (or Save) button and exit the BIOS.
When you reboot, your computer should now boot into Linux Mint.
If that worked for you then you should replace your CMOS battery to prevent this from happening in the future.
Use fsck to Repair Your Disk
If you got an error message that mentions fsck or corrupt files, then you have to use the fsck utility to repair your drive.
Type in this command at the initramfs prompt and hit Enter on your keyboard:
(initramfs) fsck /dev/sda1 -y
The /dev/sda1 part tells initramfs the drive that you want to repair. Your drive name may be different.
In order to find the name of your drive, enter this command at the prompt and hit Enter on your keyboard.
(initramfs) blkid
Replace the name of your drive, if it is not the same as /dev/sda1.
Hit Enter on your keyboard and the utility will do its thing.
Once it's done, use the reboot command to restart your computer.
(initramfs) reboot
You can also type the exit command and hit Enter on your keyboard to restart, or simply hold down the power button on your computer until it turns off.
When your computer starts up again, it should boot into Linux Mint.
After it's fixed, consider buying a new primary drive.
This is potentially the sign of a failing drive.
You might not be as lucky the next time it fails.
Final Tips
So that's how to solve the BusyBox initramfs error in Linux.
If you're getting this error, it's probably time to replace your drive or the battery attached to your motherboard, depending on which solution worked for you.
Luckily this is not a difficult error to fix and your data should be safe.
The first time I came across this error, I freaked out and reloaded Linux Mint on my laptop. Luckily, I was just trying out Linux Mint at the time and didn't have any important data on the drive.
After this happened a second time, I did have some data on the drive that I didn't want to lose, so I took the time to figure out if I could fix it without erasing everything and starting over.
Reinstalling all of the programs you need and setting up your preferences again takes a lot of time, so I hope that this tutorial will save you from reloading your computer from scratch again.
