USB boot; Could not find kernel

dwives · 09-15-2009, 09:55 AM

Hello. I'm not quite a newbie, but it's been a while since I've worked with linux consistently.

I'm working on a Billix install to a 16gb Crucial Survivor. I used a gparted bootable USB to set the boot flag(I run CentOS on my dual boot, and could not find a install-mbr repo for it), gunzipped, untarred, and ran syslinux(I've run it both the windows version and the version distributed with CentOS 5.x).

On boot, BIOS recognizes the hardware, and boots to a syslinux CBIOS screen, giving me the error, "Could not find kernel: linux", followed by a boot prompt. Manually entering any of the many kernels on the USB stick still returns a kernel not found error.

I have seen this problem before, and overcome, but I'm not really sure how. I have the same issue with my gparted stick, but after 10-15 seconds gparted loads.

I have checked kernel and initrd paths in syslinux.cfg.

So my question is not necessarily how do I fix it, but why does it happen? I'd like a fix, but I'd prefer if someone could teach me to fish in this case, as the saying goes.

Thanks

DWI

p.s. semi-related question. When editing cfg files in windows, (using notepad or wordpad), what is the ideal encoding to save with?

dwives · 09-15-2009, 11:42 AM

I noticed that there is no vesamenu.c32 or menu.lst at all, just a boot.msg. Unsure if this is related, or just the way the developer set up the boot.

dwives · 09-15-2009, 02:36 PM

I'll toss this one bump before I give up.

linus72 · 09-15-2009, 04:05 PM

Ok
that error usually means that the paths to the kernel/initrd are missing
did you give full path?

Can you post the syslinux.cfg for me?

I used Billix alot, and created my portable-qemu from billix/dsl-embedded

Also, what version of syslinux are you using?
it should say when booting

I'm with you though so dont give up!

hoes · 09-15-2009, 05:12 PM

Ok, weird problem.
I don't know a lot about CBIOS or gparted but i did boot a USB stick once.

Is used grub for booting and created an initial ramdisk (initrd).
An initrd gets loaded in the memory before the root filesystem is started.
That way I bought time to find out where the USB was mounted on the system.

Could it be that you have some problem mounting or otherwise reaching the location of the kernels?

dwives · 09-16-2009, 07:40 AM

Awesome! I saw the post getting pushed down without many views and got discouraged.

Syslinux version 3.81. Well the windows version anyway. I'm running CentOS 5.2.x. I'll post the syslinux, but they are not fully pathed, as they are sitting at root. I did try adding / to all the DSL entries to see if it would pick that up.

I'm not sure why a bad path would prevent the menu from even coming up. Hoes brings up an interesting question, I'm pretty sure the APPEND tries to mount init to /etc/init, and from what I saw researching this before I posted, that can cause problems as it needs to get loaded in memory, and this may not happen before the kernel not found error.

Linus72, I think you may be the poster who inspired me to work on this, once I get my head around it I plan on customizing it, pulling out some of the netinstalls, adding ophCrack, gparted, kapersky rescue, and a few others. (One at a time

)

I had to changed the syslinux file to .cfg.txt to upload it. It is properly saved on the stick.

linus72 · 09-16-2009, 08:16 AM

Its as I thought
though with syslinux 3.81 it should've worked...

However, it will now
I always give the absolute paths, unless it causes an issue

Code:

DEFAULT 1

APPEND ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off vga=791 initrd=minirt24.gz nomce noapic qemu quiet frugal BOOT_IMAGE=KNOPPIX knoppix_dir=DSL KNOPPIX_DIR=DSL

TIMEOUT 300

so, heres the "fixed" syslinux.cfg
ASSUMING the path to syslinux.cfg is /syslinux folder
not /boot/syslinux
AND, assuming kernel/initrd are in /syslinux folder too
OR are they simply on the usb as / ??

Code:

PROMPT 1

DISPLAY /syslinux/boot.msg

F1 /syslinux/boot.msg

F2 /syslinux/f2

F3 /syslinux/f3

F4 /syslinux/f4



DEFAULT 1

APPEND ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off vga=791 initrd=/syslinux/minirt24.gz nomce noapic qemu quiet frugal BOOT_IMAGE=KNOPPIX knoppix_dir=DSL KNOPPIX_DIR=DSL

TIMEOUT 300



LABEL 1

KERNEL /syslinux/linux24

APPEND ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off vga=791 initrd=/syslinux/minirt24.gz nomce noapic qemu quiet frugal BOOT_IMAGE=KNOPPIX knoppix_dir=DSL KNOPPIX_DIR=DSL



LABEL dsl

KERNEL /syslinux/linux24

APPEND ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off vga=791 initrd=/syslinux/minirt24.gz nomce noapic qemu quiet frugal BOOT_IMAGE=KNOPPIX knoppix_dir=DSL KNOPPIX_DIR=DSL



LABEL knoppix-txt

KERNEL /syslinux/linux24

APPEND ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off vga=normal initrd=/syslinux/minirt24.gz nomce noapic qemu quiet frugal BOOT_IMAGE=KNOPPIX knoppix_dir=DSL KNOPPIX_DIR=DSL



LABEL dslexpert

KERNEL /syslinux/linux24

APPEND ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off vga=791 initrd=/syslinux/minirt24.gz nomce noapic frugal BOOT_IMAGE=expert knoppix_dir=DSL KNOPPIX_DIR=DSL



LABEL fb1024x768

KERNEL /syslinux/linux24

APPEND ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off vga=791 xmodule=fbdev initrd=/syslinux/minirt24.gz nomce noapic qemu quiet BOOT_IMAGE=KNOPPIX knoppix_dir=DSL KNOPPIX_DIR=DSL



LABEL fb800x600

KERNEL /syslinux/linux24

APPEND ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off vga=788 xmodule=fbdev initrd=/syslinux/minirt24.gz nomce noapic qemu quiet frugal BOOT_IMAGE=KNOPPIX knoppix_dir=DSL KNOPPIX_DIR=DSL



LABEL failsafe

KERNEL /syslinux/linux24

APPEND ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us vga=normal atapicd nosound noapic noacpi acpi=off noscsi noapm nousb nopcmcia nofirewire noagp nomce nodhcp xmodule=vesa initrd=/syslinux/minirt24.gz BOOT_IMAGE=KNOPPIX knoppix_dir=DSL KNOPPIX_DIR=DSL



LABEL 2

KERNEL /syslinux/jaunty

APPEND vga=normal initrd=/syslinux/jaunty.gz --



LABEL jaunty

KERNEL /syslinux/jaunty

APPEND vga=normal initrd=/syslinux/jaunty.gz --



LABEL 3

KERNEL /syslinux/intrepid

APPEND vga=normal initrd=/syslinux/intrepid.gz --



LABEL 3a

KERNEL /syslinux/intrepid

APPEND vga=normal initrd=/syslinux/intrepid.gz --



LABEL 4

KERNEL /syslinux/hardy

APPEND vga=normal initrd=/syslinux/hardy.gz  --



LABEL 4a

KERNEL /syslinux/hardy

APPEND base-installer/kernel/linux/extra-packages-2.6= tasks=standard pkgsel/language-pack-patterns= pkgsel/install-language-support=false vga=normal initrd=/syslinux/hardy.gz  -- 



LABEL 5

KERNEL /syslinux/fedora

APPEND initrd=/syslinux/initrdf.img method=http://mirrors.kernel.org/fedora/releases/10/Fedora/i386/os/ text



LABEL fedora

KERNEL /syslinux/fedora

APPEND initrd=/syslinux/initrdf.img method=http://mirrors.kernel.org/fedora/releases/10/Fedora/i386/os/ text



LABEL 6

KERNEL /syslinux/centos5

APPEND initrd=/syslinux/centos5.img method=http://mirrors.kernel.org/centos/5.2/os/i386/ text



LABEL centos5

KERNEL /syslinux/centos

APPEND initrd=/syslinux/centos5.img method=http://mirrors.kernel.org/centos/5.2/os/i386/ text



LABEL 7

KERNEL /syslinux/centos

APPEND initrd=/syslinux/centos.img method=http://mirrors.kernel.org/centos/4.7/os/i386/ text



LABEL centos

KERNEL /syslinux/centos

APPEND initrd=/syslinux/centos.img method=http://mirrors.kernel.org/centos/4.7/os/i386/ text



LABEL 8

KERNEL /syslinux/lenny

APPEND vga=normal initrd=/syslinux/lenny.img --



LABEL lenny

KERNEL /syslinux/lenny

APPEND vga=normal initrd=/syslinux/lenny.img --



LABEL 9

KERNEL /syslinux/etch

APPEND vga=normal initrd=/syslinux/etch.gz --



LABEL etch

KERNEL /syslinux/etch

APPEND vga=normal initrd=/syslinux/etch.gz --



LABEL 10

KERNEL /syslinux/memtest

APPEND -



LABEL memtest

KERNEL /syslinux/memtest

APPEND -



LABEL 11

KERNEL /syslinux/ntpwd

APPEND rw vga=1 init=/linuxrc initrd=/syslinux/initrdnt.gz,scsi.cgz



LABEL ntpwd

KERNEL /syslinux/ntpwd

APPEND rw vga=1 init=/linuxrc initrd=/syslinux/initrdnt.gz /syslinux/scsi.cgz



LABEL 12

KERNEL /syslinux/dban.bzi

APPEND nuke="dwipe" silent



LABEL dban

KERNEL /syslinux/dban.bzi

APPEND nuke="dwipe" silent



LABEL feistyserver

KERNEL /syslinux/feisty

APPEND base-installer/kernel/linux/extra-packages-2.6= pkgsel/install-pattern=~t^ubuntu-standard$ pkgsel/language-pack-patterns= pkgsel/install-language-support=false vga=normal initrd=/syslinux/feisty.gz ramdisk_size=16417 root=/dev/ram rw  --

Thats assuming everything is in syslinux folder...

NOTE
change fed's entry from 10 to 11 by editing the append

Code:

APPEND initrd=/syslinux/initrdf.img method=http://mirrors.kernel.org/fedora/releases/11/Fedora/i386/os/ 
text

see if that works
then you can make a graphical bootmenu too
http://multidistro.com/hammer/fluxboxp.html

you can get thorshammer here and add dsl to it on usb
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...remble-751227/

linux01 · 09-17-2009, 07:02 AM

I noticed that under the DEFAULT label you have no kernel entry. syslinux needs to know which kernel to use.

BTW
What filesystem is the 16Gb USB formated to? It must be a FAT file system. If it is NTFS or ext3 syslinux will not work!

linux01 · 09-17-2009, 07:33 AM

This is the file structure and the syslinux.cfg that is working for me.
The USB is formated FAT. The OS is MoonOS based on Ubuntu. The only problem that I have with this arrangement is that I ran out of space in the casper-rw file. I'll have to do this on a larger stick.

dwives · 09-17-2009, 07:33 AM

@linus72 There is no syslinux folder, almost everything is at root, except a DSL folder and a qemu folder.

@linux01 It is formatted with FAT, FAT32 specifically.

I'm going to try tossing in the /'s to designate they are at root, even though they are in the same folder. I also hadn't noticed that the default entry was void of a kernel.

I have work to do in between my...well...real work.

Thanks!

linus72 · 09-17-2009, 04:15 PM

Um
is there a boot folder?
is there at least a syslinux.cfg?

OH
I remember, its all at the root huh
/linux24
etc

and, actually the first entry is OK

Code:

DEFAULT 1
APPEND ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off vga=791 initrd=minirt24.gz nomce noapic qemu quiet frugal BOOT_IMAGE=KNOPPIX knoppix_dir=DSL KNOPPIX_DIR=DSL
TIMEOUT 300

it knows to boot #1, and its just got the append
its ok

so, is it working?

linux01 · 09-18-2009, 02:02 PM

Well, here is my DSL syslinux.cfg and a snapshot of the file structure.
I know it is a mess, but it works and I never bothered to clean it out.

dwives · 09-22-2009, 07:46 AM

I appreciate the help and haven't given up, I found out Thursday that my grandma is very sick, and went to see her over the weekend.