How to Recover/Downgrade recently kernel?

i've try to downgrade from 2.6.20 to 2.6.17.13
and got the error kernel panic

then i run up the rescue disk and reconfig the lilo.conf to the vmimage (or whatever)
to vmimage.old (guessing this is the old kernel ) and reboot

the kernel panic message still appear
it said about to set "root" option correctly

what i have to do next?

(running slackware 11.0)


and anyone can tell me, how to "downgrade" kernel saftly
(i want to use the 2.6.17 or 2.6.18 instead of 2.6.20 to get 3d ati running)



thx for advancing

Simply recompile and reinstall whatever kernel version you want to use. If you have the source code for the kernel you want to use, then this is what I would do. After compiling the kernel and putting it into the /boot directory, fix up LILO and you'll be all set!

Alternately, if you have the installation/setup CD, you can run SETUP again, and select the 2.6.17.13 kernel from that, and manually install the modules for it from the CD.

If you already have the kernel you want to use installed, and it simply won't boot, carefully inspect the LILO configuration, and correct the ROOT option and BOOT drive. When done, run the command 'lilo' in a root console window and make sure it returns NO ERRORS before you reboot.

thx for reply, Grape
well i've compile the odler kernel (2.6.17) simply make defconfig & make & make install

*** The same solution that i've done , when upgrade 2.4.33 to 2.6.20 ***

and got the "Kernel Panic" Error

so, the problem is my lilo.conf ? not from reverting kernel?

After MAKE, you should be doing 'make modules_install'.
THEN, copy the new kernel image from /usr/src/source/arch/i386/boot/bzimage(the source folder where you compiled it) TO /boot.

Next, run the lilo config tool, or manually edit LILO.CONF. Save the edited lilo.conf file.
Finally, run lilo in the console as root, and you should see a small list of installed kernels, one of which will have a * beside it (meaning it is the default kernel).

well
i've boot the slackware dvd


***correct the mount command
and mount /mnt /dev/hda7 -t ext3 (hda7 is my slack partition)

so then i'm starting the compile
make defconfig seems to b work perfectly
but,after launch "make" they've come up with tons of error and failure

any solution? , thx

Are you running 'make' as root? If not, try it.

Also, why are you having to mount anything? IF you booted from the DVD, your root partition is already mounted..??

yes i'm running make as root (from the slackware-dvd booting)


well i didn't know that the root partition has been mounted or i didn't know where it is :P


and way i can now recover the oldkernel back in no problem now

i've just miss to update lilo by "lilo" command
i run the "lilo" and it said lilo cant find my /etc/lilo.conf since the root partition is now
/mnt not /
so i cp the lilo.conf from /mnt/etc/ to /etc/
and run lilo
hoorayyyyy by 2.6.17.13 comeback

then i decide to compile the 2.6.18.8 again

make oldconfig
make
make modules
make install
lilo
reboot

well the kernel panic shown up again


VFS - can'topenroot device "307" or unknow-block(3,7)
please append a correct "root=" boot option
kernel panic -not syncing vfs unable to mount root fs on unknow-block(3,7)


its the same one that i've faced when revert the kernel from 2.6.20 to 2.6.17 lastime and also this thread

Restart from step one of this thread, and re-read each post carefully.
You should be using "MAKE MODULES_INSTALL" after "MAKE" (see instructions above).

Also, you need to have booted the system somehow, NOT simply mounting the root partition. That won't work. You need to be running the system from the root partition to use the normal method I am describing to compile and install a kernel.

Ok i'll starting all over again.

thx for helping along, Grape

No problem Once you get it to work, you will learn how easy it actually is. I know it can seem frustrating for the first few times.
There are many much more complete tutorials here on LQ, and on many other sites too. Google should turn up some very good tutorials you can follow along with if you continue to have troubles.

ah one more thing,
before going further
lets c that we have the same understanding

1. i cant boot normally throught Lilo since the Kernel Panic will kick me off

2. so i boot the slackware-install-dvd and choose the huge26.s in the "boot:" question

3.then the slack ask me to login , i've logging in as "root" and be in the command prompt as "root@slackware"

*** repeated i've boot from Dvd NOT FROM LILO "root@slackware" is the default user in the slackware-install-dvd ***


****4.from this point i don't know how to enter my root partition to work on .****

5. from 4. my solution for now is to run the command "mount /dev/hda7 /mnt -t ext3" so i can enter the root partition from /mnt directory

6.restore the old kernel ( vmlinuz.old to vmlinuz ,etc.)

7.times to update lilo i've run the "lilo" command and get the "/etc/lilo.conf" not found

8.so i cp /mnt/etc/lilo.conf /etc/lilo.conf and run the "lilo" again , now with no problem

9. reboot and my recently kernel run up with no problem

(i can startx , compile the kernel normally)

problem SOLVED

VFS - can'topenroot device "307" or unknow-block(3,7)
please append a correct "root=" boot option
kernel panic -not syncing vfs unable to mount root fs on unknow-block(3,7)

just make menuconfig

and **BUILT-IN*** (not module)

the Ext3 in File System, and generic IDE in Device Driver


Grape it's my pleasure for ur helping , THX a LOT

Hey I am very happy that you got it fixed but honestly I don't really think I helped much; in fact I don't quite understand what you did there exactly to get it fixed
Regarding your Step 3 and Step 4 above: Once you boot your installed system, USING the DVD to boot it, and you log in as root, you are now, at that point, IN YOUR ROOT PARTITION. This is why I was asking why you needed to mount anything!?
Anyhow, again, happy to have helped a little bit, and glad for you that you got it working
Happy Slacking.

Originally Posted by GrapefruiTgirl Regarding your Step 3 and Step 4 above: Once you boot your installed system, USING the DVD to boot it, and you log in as root, you are now, at that point, IN YOUR ROOT PARTITION. This is why I was asking why you needed to mount anything!?

after logging as root from the DVD i cant find ANY file or directory that use to b on the "/"
so i thing i'm not on the root partition i'm just on the DVD's propmp

lol , hope this solution can help many guys stugging with kernel panic VFS error