[SOLVED] Getting into slackware via USB?

Eerie · 04-05-2012, 03:47 PM

solution for googlers:
linux root=/dev/hdX
at lilo prompt, even though I specified it already during the slackware install, it didn't seem to take effect.

Previous, unanswered thread:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ckware-934299/

I have a new dvd drive now from which I created a new slackware and GParted dvd. Still upon choosing slackware from the lilo menu it comes up with

Code:

Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: unable to mount root fs on unknown block (8,4)
pid: 1, comm: swapper not tainted 2.6.3x.6-smp #2

I have created a usb stick during slackware installation this time so I can bypass the bootloader. But I can't quite figure out how to do it. I set usb as first boot device in BIOS and removed any other external HDs/USB sticks. But it still drives me to lilo.

Can anyone help with this?

Eerie · 04-05-2012, 04:50 PM

It's quite sad to see no one responding, neither here nor in my other thread.

I have another pc up now, so I have the error messages right next to me.
Thist time I installed lilo manually in the slackware install and the error message changed, to something similar as here:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...-found-624297/
But his solution doesn't work for me as I don't have a seperate /boot partition.

Code:

If you don't use raid, use raid=noautodetect
Autodetecting RAID arrays.
Scanned 0 and added 0 devices.
autorun...
...autorun DONE.
NTFS volume version 3.1.
VFS: Mounted root (ntfs filesystem) readonly on device 8:4
devtmpfs: error mounting -2
Freeing unused kernel memory: 612k freed
Write protecting the kernel text: 10108k
Write protecting the kernel read-only data: 2540k
Kernel panic - not syncing: No init found. Try passing init= option to kernel.

I'm looking now for init options and other boot options I could try, feel free to help.

m.knives · 04-05-2012, 07:02 PM

If your problem isn't solved, then why did you mark it as [SOLVED]? People with knowledge might not even open your thread if they see it as solved.

Anyway, I have the same problem with one of my old PCs. Even though I select a USB stick as 1st boot device, it still boots the LILO from my HDD. I solved it by disabling in BIOS the HDD which has LILO on it. It's usually in the first section of BIOS options, I just set my HDD from [auto] to [none]. With this setting, PC boots from USB and the HDD is visible to the Slackware installer.

Looking at your previous thread, it seems to me that you have Parallel ATA drives (due to master/slave issues). However, how can you set "IDE channel 4 master: [DVD]"? I've never seen more than 2 IDE channels. Or is that DVD drive Serial ATA?

Murdock-Slacker · 04-18-2012, 01:19 PM

New at this posting but Use Slackware for over 18 years.
The problem trying to use USB stick or sd card on booting from a hard drive
is that the order of booting. Hard drives are very high in the kernel loading
routine while USB stick and sd card are very low. The USB stick and sd card
are not loaded by the time it is needed by the kernel. Sd card based computers has this problem for quite awhile. As long as the computer uses the hard drive for LILO the kernel will never see the root file system. The solution has to be put into the kernel. The solution at present is to use the computer key (ESC on mine) to boot the USB or sd card with the operating system on it. You can GOOGLE sd ram computers to read more on this problem.

Murdock-Slacker