kernel panic while booting

telepuzikk · 07-29-2006, 07:20 AM

Hi all. I need your help!
Some days ago I tried to compile new 2.6.17 kernel. But I can`t boot it. There is a message while booting: "Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown block (3,3)".
I`ve started to search for help in google and discovered that in that cases people tell to turn on Reiserfs in the kernel. I don't have any Reiserfs partition, but I did it. My problem was not solved, but I`ve got a new message before kernel panic: "No filesystem could mount root, tried: reiserfs, ext3, ext2, ntfs".
Then I`ve discovered that IDE support was configured as a module. I`ve recompiled a kermel with normal IDE support, but the problem wasn`t solved. The errors are the same.
Lilo.conf is ok (I think), because old kernel boots fine.
I hope somebody would help me. Thanks and sorry for my English if I`ve made some errors.

konsolebox · 07-29-2006, 08:11 AM

perhaps you need to update your initrd. on your linux source directory, e.g. /usr/src/linux, do 'mkinitrd -o /boot/initrd kernelversion'. where kernelversion is the version of the new kernel you compiled. only do this after you compiled the kernel or if you haven't yet done 'make clean'.

you must also check that initrd in the boot config points to the new initrd file. e.g initrd = /boot/initrd

telepuzikk · 07-29-2006, 10:40 AM

I`ve already done mkinitrd -o /boot/initrd.img-2.6.17my and added the following string in /etc/lilo.conf. But there`s no result.

konsolebox · 07-29-2006, 11:09 AM

you should run lilo after the configuration.

telepuzikk · 07-29-2006, 12:33 PM

That`s ok now. The problem was in initrd. I`ve tried to boot without it and now the kernel loads fine. But now I don`t know, how to load modules. As I understand, mkinitrc have made initrd with errors. So, what should I do now to make it properly?

konsolebox · 07-29-2006, 05:02 PM

i don't know what went wrong with your setup but i'll just give you a list of commands to redo the installation of the new kernel.

Code:

cd /usr/src/linux-2.6.17
make clean
make oldconfig OR zcat /proc/config.gz > .config
make menuconfig  # make sure that no drivers are missing
make
make modules_install
cp arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.17
cp .config /boot/config-2.6.17
cp System.map /boot/System.map-2.6.17
cd /boot
ln vmlinuz-2.6.17 vmlinuz -sf
ln System.map-2.6.17 System.map -sf
ln config-2.6.17 config -sf
depmod -ae

<modify lilo>
image = /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.17
   label = Linux
   root = /dev/hda1
   append = 
   read-only

lilo

if you need to run an initrd:

Code:

cd /usr/src/linux-2.6.17
make clean
make oldconfig OR zcat /proc/config.gz > .config
make menuconfig  # make sure that no drivers are missing
make
make modules_install
cp arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.17
mkinitrd -o /boot/initrd.img-2.6.17 2.6.17
ln vmlinuz-2.6.17 vmlinuz -sf
ln System.map-2.6.17 System.map -sf
ln config-2.6.17 config -sf
depmod -ae

<modify lilo>
image = /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.17
   label = Linux
   initrd = /boot/initrd.img-2.6.17
   root = /dev/ram0
   append = 
   read-only

lilo

Edit: added "append = "

The only problem you have is that the kernel can't find its proper modules. If you're not using initrd before, perhaps you just forgot to do 'make modules_install'.

telepuzikk · 07-30-2006, 05:50 AM

Yes. I made kernel in the way that you described. I can boot without a string about initrd in lilo.conf. But there are no modules, so I need to use initrd. To make it I used mkinitrd -o /boot/initrd.img-2.6.17.6 2.6.17.6. Then I`ve added the string in lilo.conf: initrd=/boot/initrd.img-2.6.17.6. Then I`ve entered "lilo" in command line. And as the result I see the error about kernel panic while booting and it doesn`t boot!!!!!!!!!! I don`t know, what to do. The command "make modules_install" was entered while kernel compilation. May be one of the modules conflicts with something and doesn`t let booting the system???????

konsolebox · 07-30-2006, 06:04 AM

the problem's far too complicated though it just seems to be a simple error.

ok now i guess you have no other choice but to compile most of the modules (mostly with the ide and fs drivers) as built-in. sorry but i guess that's the only best solution i can tell.

so then you must recompile the kerel with lesser modules then repeat the process again. i don't know but i guess that should solve your problem now.

telepuzikk · 07-30-2006, 08:54 AM

Thanks! The problem was solved!!! I`ve just turned on the cramfs support!