Kernel Panic

lazylogic · 04-16-2008, 10:03 AM

Had installed Slackware 12 into a usb thumbdrive.
Installed normally and rebooted into a kernel panic, message below

Quote:

...
...
md: ... autorun DONE.
VFS: Cannot open root device "sdb2" or unknown-block (0,0)
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unkknown-block (0,0)

Had tried to use different ways to boot into Slackware, for example:
- through Debian's grub (on the same thumbdrive)
- through usb stick
- through Slackware CD 1
but all resulting in the same error message.

Had tried reinstalling Slackware multiple times into the usb thumbdrive's different partition, sdb1, sdb2 and even using the entire thumbdrive space.
Still booted into the same error.

Had confirmed that the thumbdrive is working properly by installing and getting it working with Debian and Arch.

Appreciate if anyone know what else I can try
and a copy of your Slackware's grub stanza, for testing.

THANKS in advance for the help.

duryodhan · 04-16-2008, 10:36 AM

Hi
welcome to lq
see the similar threads part below .. there are more than enough threads on the same problem .. did you go through them? they would probably give you answer faster

anyways ... short answer is .. you need to mkinitrd for a generic kernel or use the hugesmp.s kernel to boot. I don't know how well it will work for a USB install . Search on lq , there are quite a few threads on how to install slackware on USB drives.

mcnalu · 04-16-2008, 11:15 AM

Here's the thread:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...-drive-566697/

You might not need the initrd, try the rootdelay=10 method, that is supposed to delay the mounting of the root file system and let the USB flash drive initialise.

duryodhan · 04-16-2008, 12:10 PM

Quote:

You might not need the initrd, try the rootdelay=10 method

Thats for the usb driver part ... but for the kernel to recognise the fs, he WILL need a initrd or the fs compiled in (instead of M)

afaik

lazylogic · 04-16-2008, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcnalu

Here's the thread:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...-drive-566697/

You might not need the initrd, try the rootdelay=10 method, that is supposed to delay the mounting of the root file system and let the USB flash drive initialise.

HI mcnalu,

thanks for the link.
Will read through them

think you can share Slackware's grub stanza?
wanted to add it back into grub.

lazylogic · 04-16-2008, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by duryodhan

Hi
there are more than enough threads on the same problem .. did you go through them? they would probably give you answer faster

frankly, I did not read through them,
was die tired after reinstalling Debian to get online, and .. (add more excuses) .... I AM EMBARASSED

!

thinking that the problem is due to something wrong that I've done during installation, was reinstalling over and over and over again for the past few days and was a little disorientated.

will read through the links and get it working

anyway, can you share the grub stanza for Slackware?
would want to add it back into grub.

THANKS

T3slider · 04-16-2008, 09:59 PM

lazylogic, you may get a slow response for the GRUB stanza since Slackware ships with LILO, and only a minority of users use GRUB to boot it. My LILO stanza is as follows:

Code:

image = /boot/vmlinuz-generic-smp-2.6.21.5-smp
  initrd = /boot/initrd.gz
  root = /dev/sda1
  label = Linux
  read-only

That is assuming you use a generic kernel, which requires an initrd -- if you compile your own (or use one of the unrecommended huge kernels), you can omit the initrd line. Also note that you would have to change the "root =" line to point to your hard drive (sd?# or hd?#, where ? is a letter and # is the partition number). Of course, for GRUB this is quite different (eg. hd#,# where # points to your hard drive and partition, which is usually one less than the /dev/hd?# equivalent). An example GRUB stanza is shown below (using hd0,1, which represents hda2 -- modify it to point to your Slackware hard drive and partition):

Code:

title Slackware
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-generic-smp-2.6.21.5-smp root=/dev/hda2
initrd /boot/initrd.gz

This may not be correct (my experience with GRUB is very limited), but compare it to your other entries and try and set it up. Hopefully someone with more experience with GRUB will come along and correct any mistakes I have made.

lazylogic · 04-16-2008, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by T3slider

lazylogic, you may get a slow response for the GRUB stanza since Slackware ships with LILO, and only a minority of users use GRUB to boot it.

Hi T3slider, noted and THANKS for sharing !!

lazylogic · 04-17-2008, 09:40 PM

Hi all, managed to get into Slackware .. finally

What I've done is adding this into grub

Quote:

title Slackware
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sdb2 ro rootdelay=10

# hope this stanza is useful to future users :-)

THANKS again to all, for the help

Now comes the difficult (but interesting) part ... finding time to read the slackbook

mcnalu · 04-18-2008, 03:12 AM

Lazylogic - good to hear you're up and running. What kernel did you use?

lazylogic · 04-18-2008, 04:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcnalu

Lazylogic - good to hear you're up and running. What kernel did you use?

hi mcnalu

vmlinuz is linked to vmlinuz-huge-smp-2.6.21.5-smp

still trying to get time to do some reading.
Slackware 12 is installed, that's all.

yet to setup the wireless connection and so on.

so will take some (or maybe many many some) time