Can you boot RHEL 5.3 from a floppy drive?

ash_zz_00 · 01-14-2010, 11:24 AM

Hi,
I've installed RHEL 5.3 on a Dell Desktop. I don't want to install GRUB to the MBR. Is there a way to boot up RHEL from a floppy?

I've installed GRUB on to a floppy but not having much luck starting up RHEL. In the past Slackware has allowed me to startup the kernel from a floppy using LILO. I was hoping that there is way for RHEL too.

Thanks in advance,

Regards,

Ash.

tredegar · 01-14-2010, 12:36 PM

I think you can probably solve this sort of problem with an internet search, but here are some links I have pulled for you to get you started:

http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/lin...d-edition.html
http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/4622
http://www.linuxselfhelp.com/gnu/gru...er/grub_4.html

They are old, but they work ( I assume you are using "grub-legacy" not grub2 )

Search terms? grub boot command

ash_zz_00 · 01-14-2010, 02:43 PM

I went over a number of the GRUB instructions. The kernel starts loading and stops with kernel panic.

Code:

VFS: Cannot open root device "sdb2" or unknown-block(0,0)
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(0,0)

I am quite certain that the root is sdb2 which is the Linux partition. I verified it using fdisk.

What could be going wrong?

Thanks,

Ash

ash_zz_00 · 01-14-2010, 03:31 PM

An update. Found the following on RedHat site.

Quote:

initrd </path/to/initrd> — Enables users to specify an initial RAM disk to use when booting. An initrd is necessary when the kernel needs certain modules in order to boot properly, such as when the root partition is formatted with the ext3 file system.

I wasn't using the initrd, so I suppose the kernel couldn't read sdb2 as the file system is ext3. However, when I do use it in GRUB I get a memory error.

Quote:

Error 28: Selected item cannot fit into memory

I have 3GB RAM. Shouldn't that be sufficient?

Ash.

tredegar · 01-14-2010, 04:30 PM

Quote:

VFS: Cannot open root device "sdb2" or unknown-block(0,0)
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(0,0)
...
What could be going wrong?

root=/dev/sdb2

Perhaps.

ash_zz_00 · 01-14-2010, 09:41 PM

I did put the full path /dev/sdb2.

itsbrad212 · 01-14-2010, 09:58 PM

From what I read here it looks like you can. It has instructions:

http://tinyurl.com/ygge3u6