Target filesystem doesn't have requested /sbin/init

Solution 1:

Suggested fix can be found here: http://pinoy-computing-tips.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-to-fix-ubuntu-error-no-init-found.html

Quoting:

This morning, a friend came to me with his laptop that won't boot. At every boot attempt, his Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx system outputs the following error messages:

mount: mounting /dev/disk/by-uuid/***************************** on /root
failed: Invalid argument
mount: mounting /sys on /root/sys failed: No such file or directory
mount: mounting /dev on /root/dev failed: No such file or directory
mount: mounting /sys on /root/sys failed: No such file or directory
mount: mounting /proc on /root/proc failed: No such file or directory

Target file system doesn't have /sbin/init
No init found. Try passing init= bootarg

Busybox v1.13.3 (Ubuntu 1:1.13.3-1ubuntu7) built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands
(initramfs) _

Booting into "Recovery Mode" as well as choosing the other kernels listed in grub didn't help at all.

Solution:

1. Boot from the Ubuntu Live CD;

2. Open/Run Terminal;

3. Type: sudo fdisk -l (to get the device name) then press ENTER;

   Disk /dev/sda: 250.1 GB, 250059350016 bytes 
   255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
   Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
   Disk identifier: **********
   
   Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
   /dev/sda1 * 1 30238 242886703+ 83 Linux
   /dev/sda2 30239 30401 1309297+ 5 Extended
   /dev/sda5 30239 30401 1309266 82 Linux swap / Solaris
   

   The device name for my friend's system based on the above: /dev/sda1

4. Type: sudo fsck /dev/sda1 then press ENTER;

5. Restart the system and boot normally.