Hello, completely new to linux. Just build my first computer and am trying to install openSUSE 11.4. While it's installing the boot manager, a dialogue box pops up that says "An error occurred during initrd creation." The following are the details:

Kernel image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.37.1-1.1-desktop
Initrd image: /boot/initrd-2.6.37.1-1.1-desktop
KMS drivers: nouveau
Root device: /dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST1000DM003-9YN162_S1D32X2S-part4 (/dev/sda4)(mounted on / as ext4)
Kernel Modules: thermal_sys thermal processor fan crc16 jbd2 ext4 button video i2c-algo-bit drm drm_kms_helper ttm nouveau
Features: kms block usb resume.userspace resume.kernel
Bootsplash: openSUSE (800x600)
50227 blocks
Perl-Bootloader: 2012-11-06 20:40:07 WARNING: Bootloader::Library::SetLoaderType: Missing arch for elilo
Perl-Bootloader: 2012-11-06 20:40:07 ERROR: Command'/sbin/elilo-v>/var/log/YaST2/y2log_bootloader 2>&1' failed with code 32512 and output: sh: /sbin/elilo: No such file or directory

There was an error generating the initrd(1)


I just watched a coworker install openSUSE 11.4 on a computer at work using the exact same disk. Can anyone explain what this error means? Is it a problem with my hardware? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

opensuse 11.4 is NOW unsupported it is what is called " end of life"

it died and was "put to rest" yesterday

please stay current and install OpenSUSE 12.2
see the suse wiki
http://en.opensuse.org/Lifetime


R.I.P.--- 11.4

Wow, what are the odds? Thanks so much for the reply. Just to clarify, why was my coworker able to install it about 4 hours earlier. Did the support literally expire within that exact time period? Thanks again.

you "can " install it and use it
BUT there will
NEVER be any security updates
NO software updates
NO new programs
NO support
NO bug fixes
NO new hardware support
NO new anything
and no critical security fixes


basically DEAD
and unsupported

slight differences in hardware maybe ?

or in the type of install
there are many many options

you might want to have a look through the suse documentation and manuals
http://doc.opensuse.org/



though if you MUST use a now unsupported version a( 11.4 ) and CAN NOT use the current 12.2
there is a program called "evergreen"
that offers partial support to "End OF Life" 11 versions of opensuse
http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Evergreen