[tlug] Kernel panic

[Brian Chandler <brian@example.com>]

Hmm, well, here I am, innocent (in all senses) user of Ubuntu, and it 
says "Click here to install updates". What a good idea, I think, and 
click.  Kersplut, crash.

Now booting produces the "kernel panic-not syncing: VFS: unable to 
mount..." message which I gather from googling is "common" and (perhaps) 
"something to do with the grub bootloader". I also find the opinion that 
it's better not to do updates (??)

I try to do what in the olden days was called "reinstalling Windows", 
and insert the Ubuntu CD - there doesn't seem to be anything called 
"reinstall", only a completely new install, or something called "recover 
damaged system". I tried this, but in the end all I can get is a shell, 
where I can see a file system, but have no idea what the problem is.

So I don't know what to do next. Suggestions please, on where to start.

Brian Chandler