I have just upgraded the Slack 10.1 default kernel to 2.6.11.9.

all seemed to go well, but now when starting up i get the following message...

Kernel panic - Not Syncing VFS : Unable to mount root fs on unknown block (3,1)

Unfortunately I did not edit my existing lilo.conf entry to point to the old vmlinuz so am currently unable to go back to the old kernel to sort this out.

Any help for a noobie?

If you did not delete the old kernel, just boot with slackware CD 1 or 2,
mount your drive and rename the old kernel to the new one

Or chroot to /mnt/<mounted drive> and change lilo.conf,
run lilo to take change in account

[edit]
I don't know lilo well (I use grub) and I suspect the first option
will fail

On the lilo command line, enter:
linux root=/dev/XXXX
where XXXX is hda1, hda2, wherever you have the linux partition.
Otherwise, boot from the slackware disk.
Hope that helps.

Is your partition ReiserFS?

make config by default selects etx2 & ext3 support.

If you didn't enable support for reiser or whatever your drive is formatted to in your config that may be the problem.

I would boot from the installation cd's and reconfig and remake the kernel.

My fs is indeed ReiserFS.

When I made the .config I used make oldconfig, which would have had the ReiserFS in it. If I run make menuconfig, does it pick up whatever the config is so that all I have to do is change the inclusion of ReiserFS?

Also I built a boot floppy when I installed Slack. Can I use that to get to the point of running make menuconfig, or will it pick up the .config from the floppy.

Sorry for all the questions, but as mentioned before I am a noob.

Ok, first I am also an extreme noob myself, but I ran across this same problem myself. I had the same errors. It was because I didn't enable support for reiserFS when I configured my new kernel.

What you may have done wrong is this.

The default kernel in slack 10.1 is a 2.4.xx kernel.

You are now going to a 2.6.xx kernel.

Using that old config from 2.4.xxx may be what is scrweing you up. It is better to make a newconfig file using make xconfig.

all you really have to do is make sure the right processor family and the right harddrive format is enabled, easy as pie.

There are three files that need to be installed or upgraded before you go to the new kernel tree.

I had success by using xushi's guide. It worked great and is easy to follow.

It is listed below:

http://xushi.co.uk/guides/kernel.php

Please read his guide before you do anything else.

To get back into your system just start it up with your installaion disc or back up disc, log in as root, and startx

Remeber, I too am a noob but I got it, you can too.

I suspect you did a "make oldconfig" without copying the old 2.4 .config over first.
This generates a .config - you would have seen text mode messages flash by, and then been left in a prompt, not in the configation GUI.
If you had a .config when you ran it, you would have had to confirm about 20 options manually; as in Y/N/M

If you now do the menuconfig, yes it will pick up the config as-is, and you can modify it as needed.
If you "cd /usr/src/linux" as normal, you should be fine.

If you feel you need to start from scratch, do a "make rmproper", then copy over the 2.4 .config, "make oldconfig", then "make menuconfig".
I did this, and it works fine.

Or you could take the advice above, and use some-one elses .config - I think Pat ships one as well.

Thanks,

Why do you have to 'make menuconfig' after doing the copying the 2.4 .config then 'make oldconfig' steps. What is 'make menuconfig' doing that 'make oldconfig' isn't?

Always pays to check
Strictly isn't necessary - if the input .config is right, and you answer all the prompts correctly.
I like to meander through the config - always find something hasn't "converted" as I think it needs to be.
Or maybe after all, I don't want ACPI on the first build, ...

Not required, does no harm to look.

Check http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...83#post2064583 Some of the ideas might help... my problem isnt fixed, but I hope we are making progress

DragonM15