mounting an ext4 filesystem from ext3(or reiser): What do I need?

gegechris99 · 09-17-2009, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svar

Yes, this kernel is
2.6.18

I'm sorry but I do not get it. Which system is using kernel 2.6.18? If you boot using the Slackware 13.0 DVD or CD, the kernel should be 2.6.29.6.

svar · 09-17-2009, 02:15 PM

2.6.18 is a working installation-NOT slack. The Slack 13 kernel is as you say

gegechris99 · 09-17-2009, 02:40 PM

According to BOOTING.TXT (available at root directory of DVD):

Quote:

If you installed using the Slackware CDROM, you should boot from this CDROM
again and then load the kernel you used while installing, with additional
parameters to make it mount your hard drive's root partition. Let's assume
your root Linux partition is on /dev/hda2 and you used the 'sata.i' kernel.
To boot the system, you'd enter this command at the "boot: " prompt:

sata.i root=/dev/hda2 noinitrd ro

So I assumed that you used hugesmp.s kernel during the installation. If not, please change accordingly. There is no reason why you should not be able to boot into your root directory using the installation DVD/CD.

svar · 09-17-2009, 02:48 PM

Yes, that's what I did: hugesmp.s and using the same DVD

gegechris99 · 09-17-2009, 02:59 PM

So after you booted, what can you see for example in /boot directory and are there /etc/lilo.conf and /etc/fstab files?

Also, it could be helpful to post the result of "mount".

plasmonics · 09-17-2009, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svar

2.6.18 is a working installation-NOT slack. The Slack 13 kernel is as you say

From your non-Slack distro:

zcat /proc/config.gz | grep -i ext4

It should say

CONFIG_EXT4_FS=y

svar · 09-18-2009, 11:38 AM

Quote:

So after you booted, what can you see for example in /boot directory and are there /etc/lilo.conf and /etc/fstab files?

Also, it could be helpful to post the result of "mount".

mount says
proc on /proc type proc(rw)
sysfs on /sys ype sysfs(rw)

After booting I get a "Welcome to Slack installation disk"
....
You may now login as 'root'
After I log it says
"....
Just mount your Linux partitions under /mnt and type pkgtool

/boot is a link to /mnt/boot
In /etc there is no lilo.conf
There is an fstab which only has proc

Nevertheless, if I mount /dev/sdb3 (mount /dev/sdb3 /mnt/root) I see what is supposed to be there(e.g. the Slack 13 lilo)

svar · 09-18-2009, 11:39 AM

plasmonics, when I do from root(in the non-Slack installation)

# zcat /proc/config.gz | grep -i ext4
zcat: /proc/config.gz: No such file or directory

so looks like no chance unless I upgrade the kernel

gegechris99 · 09-18-2009, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svar

After booting I get a "Welcome to Slack installation disk"
....
You may now login as 'root'
After I log it says
"....
Just mount your Linux partitions under /mnt and type pkgtool

Are you sure, you type in:

Code:

hugesmp.s root=/dev/sdb3 noinitrd ro

when you have the boot prompt after inserting the DVD.

The "Welcome..." message seems to indicate that you just pressed the ENTER key when you had the boot prompt.

The result is that you booted the installation DVD to prepare the installation but not as an emergency DVD to boot into your installed system.

plasmonics · 09-18-2009, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by svar

plasmonics, when I do from root(in the non-Slack installation)

# zcat /proc/config.gz | grep -i ext4
zcat: /proc/config.gz: No such file or directory

so looks like no chance unless I upgrade the kernel

What this error means is that support for seeing the config options in the kernel via /proc was not configured into the kernel. But all is not lost. There should be a copy of the config file in /boot. You can grep it for ext4.

But it looks like the non-slack distro did not ship the kernel with ext4 support, because "mount -t ext4" normally works out of the box. You can either recompile the kernel with ext4 support or upgrade.

svar · 09-19-2009, 02:47 AM

thanks. plasmonics, it's that the kernel does not have support for ext4, so I need to
upgrade
gegechris99, yes, ths is exactly what I type. Should I assume a defective DVD? It does not look that way(at least no other indications)

gegechris99 · 09-19-2009, 10:35 AM

Hello svar,

I'm sorry, but I found time to boot with my own DVD (actually created from -current in July 2009). The help information at boot prompt says that the syntax to boot into one's own system is:

Code:

hugesmp.s root=/dev/sdb3 rdinit= ro

I'm not sure if it will solve your issue but for me, it works. Actually I reach the kdm login but I have no mouse and no keyboard.

svar · 09-19-2009, 02:19 PM

ok, so the problem was the noinitrd. Meanwhile I did a fresh slack install and now I got 13
booting with lilo fine. I still could not boot from the I guess that was because of the
noinitrd