kernel Panic slackware 10.1 (sata) after upgrading to 2.6.10 pkg in /testing
 

Hi

Im currently having a problem booting into slackware after upgrading
to the 2.6.10 kernel pkg in /testing/

I had no problem booting into default 2.4 kernel but only encountered this
problem after upgrading.

This what i did from to my freshly installed 10.1 (2.4)
- mount /mnt/cdrom
- cd /testing/packages/linux-2.6.10/
- installpkg *.tgz
- cd /boot
- mkinitrd -c -k 2.6.10 -m reiserfs


This is the error i get from both slackware and slackware2610 (see my
lilo.conf below)

- /boot/initrd.gz: loading kernel modules form initrd image
- using /lib/modules/2.6.10/reserfs.ko
- VFS: Cannot open root device "85" or unkown-block (8,21)
- Please append a correct "root=" boot option
- Kernel panic - Not syncing VFS: Unable to mount root fd on unkown-block
- (8,21)

I can still load my 2.4 Slackware by booting from the cd with the folloing
command
- sata.i root=/dev/sdb5 noinitrd ro

Could some one please have a look at info provided and help me out

Thanking you very much


my du would look something like this
/music /dev/hda1
/dump /dev/sda1
/winblows /dev/sdb1
/ /dev/sdb5
/swap /dev/sdb6


Then i edited this to suit my needs then added it to lilo.conf

# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz-generic-2.6.10
initrd = /boot/initrd.gz
root = /dev/hda6
label = Linux2610
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends


Here is my lilo.conf

# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda
message = /boot/boot_message.txt
prompt
timeout = 1200
# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
reset
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
vga = 773
# Windows bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/sdb1
label = Winblows
table = /dev/hda
# Windows bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/sdb5
label = Slackware
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz-generic-2.6.10
initrd = /boot/initrd.gz
root = /dev/sdb5
label = Slackware2610
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config

Welcome to LQ!

Does your /etc/lilo.conf look like the lower one in your post?
Your / filesystem must be /dev/sdb5

I suspect that the new kernel you installed has no support
for your SATA drive. Did you check?

You must have these options in the kernel. I am only listing
the section headers and not all the entries.
I do not think those generic kernels include SATA support.

Yes the posted lilo.conf is my lilo.conf and yes my file system is /dev/sdb5 as i stated in my df -h

Thanks for the info, i think your right and that the included kernel in /testing does not include sata support. So i understand y i cannot boot to my Slackware 2.6.10 kernel but y cannot i boot in2 my defult 2.4 kernel via lilo ??

I didnt make any changes to that kernel ?

so if i boot back into my 2.4 kernel by booting from cd and "#make menuconfig" this will edit my defult 2.4 rather then the 2.6.10 kernel right ?

If so, how can i boot into the 2.6.10 kernel (even via cd) so that i can customize the kernel and add SATA support ?


Thanking you

- Sund00bie

Chinaman!

Thanks so much for that! I've been having huge trouble recompiling my default slack kernel from the CD (2.4.29), and that must be a reason. I don't mean to thread-hijack, but I've been through the 2.4.29 menu a jillion times and I can't find what you've mentioned.

I ran this command:
It seems like it should be under SCSI Support ---> SCSI Low Level Drivers, but I can't find Promise support anywhere, it just looks like a bunch of actual SCSI hardware. I'll keep looking, but if you have any hints it would be much appreciated. For now I'll move my current .config to a backup and make that change in the .config file, but I would hate to make a change like that and not know where it is in menuconfig.

Thanks alot.

I could be wrong, but by the sounds of it since theres no SATA support in the default kernel, you'd need to download your own and compile it from source. I just set up my Slack system with SATA RAID 0 on 2 disks with a Promise SATA controller, and I know I need SATA support just to be able to see my disks. Personally I would save myself the headache, and use your 2.4 system to download the 2.6 kernel and required updates (I heard you should update udev and a few other things, see the kernel recompile sticky) and basically use your working 2.4 kernel as your environment.

I could be wrong and maybe theres a way to customize the kernel on the CD, I dont know much at all about the Slackware package management stuff. But if you cant somehow customize the kernel to add SATA support you'll probably need to do what I listed above, which really shouldnt be too bad anyways.

Good luck!

Thanks for all the prompt responses.

As stated i think ill go back to to the 2.4 kernel (reinstall) then do a fresh install of the latest kernel with Promise Sata inlcuded.

Thanks again

Pce

If you haven't reinstalled yet, post back and tell us. We'll tell you how to do it easier.

I don't know what you're referring to reinstalling. If it's the kernel, okay ... maybe. If it's the OS, post back afterwards and we'll teach you the *nix way (shucks, it's broken, let's find out what broke and fix it), rather than the Windoze way (shucks, it's broken, let's reinstall the OS).

No matter what, we'll get you going with Slackware.

Had a similar issue:

You just have to recompile the kernel with modules for your sata-controller integrated ( scsi low level driver ) and to be sure the support for the filesystem.

finally make
make modules_install
make install

lilo

And it should work.