kernel

tsitras · 10-23-2003, 10:04 PM

Hi there. I tried to install anew kernel in Woody, but i have done something thing and i get errors. Still i can boot in the old linux. How can i get rid of the new configuration, and try again?

Bruce Hill · 10-24-2003, 07:05 AM

Could you explain what you mean by "I get errors?" When do you get the errors, and what do they say?

When you say "I tried to install a new kernel in Woody," which kernel did you get, and how did you install it? In a console as root type
# uname -r
and it will tell you the kernel version.

What do you mean by "I can boot into the old linux?" Which kernel did you use when you installed Woody? Did you use the bf2.4, or vanilla, or linux, or which one?

Are you still using lilo as your boot loader? If so, post the contents of your /etc/lilo.conf file here.

No one can help you very much until you provide some more information.

tsitras · 10-24-2003, 07:39 AM

Hello there.After installing kernel 2.4.22 in woody, when it reboots i get a screen with the following messages:
"The superblock could not be read or does not describe a correct ext2 filesystem.
fsck failed. Please repair manually and reboot. Please note that the root filesystem is currently mounted read-only. To remount it read-write:
#mount -n -o remount,rw/
Give root password for maintenance, or press CONTROL+D for normal startup."

As i did not what else to do i typed CONTROL+D for normal startup, BUT it just reboot and the same screen came up.
I am still using lilo for boot loader. Lilo gives me two options for linux:
LINUX
LINUX OLD
When i press Linux in lilo, then it tries to boot with the new kernel, and i get the above errors.
When i press Linux Old in lilo, then it is the previous kernel.
Could someone help? When i installed the new kernel i was as user, and then su. The kernel i tried to install was the latest stable 2.4.22.
Any thoughts of how could i remove or correct that kernel?

hw-tph · 10-24-2003, 09:04 AM

What file system do you use on your hard drive? It sounds like it could be a filesystem type not supported by the new kernel (I don't know...jfs, reiserfs, ext3fs, whatever). If you have built your kernel by yourself you should go back to kernel configuration and verify the fs types you use are supported by the new kernel.

Also, an incorrect root= line in /etc/lilo.conf could cause similar problems.

Code:

default=Linux
image=/vmlinuz
        label=Linux
        read-only
        root=/dev/hda2
image=/vmlinuz.old
        label=LinuxOLD
        read-only
        optional
        root=/dev/hde2

You could try replacing the root= line in the image section for the new kernel with the root line from the old (working) kernel. Rerun /sbin/lilo and try again.

Be warned - create a boot floppy before you start fooling around with lilo.conf!

Bruce Hill · 10-24-2003, 09:50 AM

Check what hw-tph said. Perhaps in the new kernel, you did not include support for the type of filesystem you are using. That's what he's saying. Compile your kernel again, and be sure to include support for ext2, ext3, and reiserfs. I don't think from the Woody base install you would have had any other choice. I know the bf24 doesn't give you anything else. It looks like if you get the correct filesystems installed, then you can boot that new kernel. You lilo is okay. Don't mess with it. Unless you changed something in it before, it's still got the correct partition. Check what he said, though. And post your /etc/lilo.conf contents in here. You can get them by opening a terminal and as root type
# nano /etc/lilo.conf
Just post the part after where it says
Boot up Linux by default.

You're getting good advice. Definitely make a boot floppy if you didn't already do that.