Slackware 10 - Botched kernel 2.6.7 upgrade
 

I installed Slackware 10, and then followed the instructions on CD2 to install the new kernel. I installpkg'd the kernel and kernel modules, went to /boot, ran the mkinitrd (with the options specified in the README), added a new entry in lilo.conf to point to /boot/initrd.gz, ran lilo, rebooted. Now, whether I try to boot into 2.4 or 2.6.7, the machine locks up. These are the last few lines I get before lockup:

PCI: Probing PCI hardware
PCI: Probing PCI hardware (bus 00)
PCI: Transparent bridge - 0000:00:1e.0
PCI: Using IRQ router PIIX/ICH [8006/2440] at 0000:00:1f.0
vesafb: probe of vesafb0 failed with error -6
apm: BIOS version 1.2 Flags 0x03 (Driver version 1.16ac)

Any idea where I went wrong? And how I should go about fixing this?

Thanks!

try add append="vga=ask" to your lilo config file because it seems that the framebuffer feature does not load.

OK. I'll have to reinstall Slackware since I can't get into it anymore :)

No you don't!

Just read the message that pops up on the Slackware boot screen. Basically, enter something like the following at the boot prompt:

bare.i noinitrd root=/dev/hdaX ro

where /dev/hdaX is your root partition. This will load up your new Slackware system using the bare.i kernel from the CD. From there you can attempt to fix whatever is causing your system not to boot and then try booting from the hard disk again.

OK. I tried putting this in the 2.6.7 entry in lilo.conf:

append = "vga=ask"

lilo didn't like it. So I put just "vga=ask" in the global settings at the top, instead of vga=773 (1024x768x256). It never asked me anything, but it booted just great!

root@opus:/home/samh# uname -a
Linux opus 2.6.7 #1 Wed Jun 16 16:23:03 PDT 2004 i686 unknown unknown GNU/Linux

Woohoo.. :) Thanks!

It's doing it again. Arrrghh.. 2.6.7 doesn't agree with me.

And what is the error displayed at boot now ?

Same error

Can you put your lilo config here and the output for ls /boot ?

OK I reformatted, tried again.. got 2.6.7 working, but I had it working before at one point too.. so..doesn't mean much :)

At this point of 2.6.7 working fine, here's the info you requested:

lilo.conf:
# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# 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
# Normal VGA console
vga = normal
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
# vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
# vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
# vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
# vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
# vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
# vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
# vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
# vga=769
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda1
label = Linux
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz-generic-2.6.7
initrd = /boot/initrd.gz
root = /dev/hda1
label = Linux267
read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

And here's ls /boot:
README.initrd@ config@ map
System.map@ config-generic-2.6.7 vmlinuz@
System.map-generic-2.6.7 config-ide-2.4.26 vmlinuz-generic-2.6.7
System.map-ide-2.4.26 diag1.img vmlinuz-ide-2.4.26
boot.0300 initrd-tree/
boot_message.txt initrd.gz

That seems ok,
Can I suggest you to leave "windows habits" which consist to solve problems by formating the drive. In GNU/Linux you can always repair system without reformating and often without rebooting.

Yeah, it seems to work fine now.. I think the vga=773 (1024x768x256) was making the system throw a fit. No surprise though, the video card blows :)

So.. if not reformat, what do you suggest? How exactly do I repair problems? (especially if I was unable to even boot normally)...

You can boot with the 2nd slackware CD and then use command from this cd, for mount your hard drive etc.. You can then edit config, check logs...

[edit]
You should make a floppy boot also try /sbin/makebootdisk

funnily enough i did have a similar kinda problem... after booting the PC with kernel 2.6.7 the screen went blank... but after a couple of minutes when i enter ma user name and password and type "startx" x loads fine and i can carry on using linux...

but after editing lilo just to boot normal without doing any fancy to the screen its working fine...

is there anything special u need to do to lilo for it to boot say

1024x768x256 with the 2.6.7 kernel?

coz 2.4.25 boots just fine with the above option (773)

marsques> Have you got a nvidia card ? If so you have to compile kernel with vesa framebuffer support but no vga framebuffer.