2.6.2 boot problems

tsitras · 02-06-2004, 08:01 PM

Hello there. I got woody installed and i tried to install the 2.6.2 kernel. I unpacked the kernel in usr/src/, i did make config, then i did make bzImage, and finally i did make bzdisk. You see i had Lilo and now in that partition the winXp takes place, so no lilo. but unfortunately the file is bigger and cannot fit in the floppy, and so no boot to my shiny new kernel. any ideas?
please help me

PengyDaPenguin · 02-06-2004, 08:39 PM

Try to recompile the kernel without all the bloated crap in it. I did a recompile today on my Fedora box and was able to get it to fit on a floppy.

ghostwalker · 02-06-2004, 09:09 PM

For building the 2.6 kernel

Take and read the following:

http://www.linux.org.uk/~davej/docs/...loween-2.6.txt

You need to get the module-init-tools.

cp linux-2.6.2.tar.gz /usr/src
tar jfx linux-2.6.2.tar.gz
ln -sf linux-2.6.2 linux
cd linux

Use lspci -v to help select your hardware. This will be helpful for configuring the 2.6 kernel.

make mrproper
make menuconfig
make
make modules_install
make install

Then modify you lilo.conf or grub.txt

make install installs vmlinuz into the boot directory along with System.map
It creates a symbolic link to you old vmlinuz -> vmlinuz.old and System.old

All you need to do is add entry for the old vmlinuz. I use lilo.conf

This is mine....

image=/boot/vmlinuz
label=Linux2.6
read-only

** This would be you redhat config. **
image=/boot/vmlinuz.old
vga=791
append="hdc=scsi hdd=scsi apm=power-off nomce"
label=Linux2.4
read-only

If you are using lilo, issue lilo -v or modify you menu.lst for grub.

Hope this helps. The more people use 2.6 the better.

tsitras · 02-06-2004, 09:21 PM

thanks a lot for the reply, but as i said above i do not have lilo, and i depend on floppy disks to boot my linux. any ideas?

tsitras · 02-06-2004, 09:25 PM

PengyDaPenguin: Try to recompile the kernel without all the bloated crap in it. I did a recompile today on my Fedora box and was able to get it to fit on a floppy.
could u be a little more specific?

PengyDaPenguin · 02-06-2004, 09:33 PM

As you do your configuration, omit all the stuff that you don't need. Like if you have a VIA chipset, don't include Intel chipsets in the kernel. If you don't have any use for SCSI, remove the SCSI. Just small, simple things like that can reduce the size of the kernel. Even making things as loadable modules (though that doesn't work for everything) will reduce the size. I was able to make a 1145KB kernel today, which fit fine with an INIT image on a floppy. It just takes some time to go through the kernel and find the stuff ya don't need.

Hope that helps!

snacky · 02-06-2004, 09:39 PM

Careful about taking all scsi support out, USB depends on it.

PengyDaPenguin · 02-06-2004, 09:41 PM

Good point, one that I shouldn't have omitted. Though the only time I've ever really needed SCSI with USB is with Mass Storage like CD-RWs and the like.

llamakc · 02-06-2004, 10:47 PM

Uhm, install lilo or grub into the mbr and stop booting from a floppy? XP is NOT installed to the MBR. If its at /dev/hda1 then installing LILO or GRUB to the MBR will NOT screw anything up. You will ONLY need a correct stanza to allow XP too boot. Here's an example for MY grub.conf:

Code:

timeout 30
default 0
fallback 1
splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/powered-by.xpm.gz

title  Gentoo
root   (hd0,0)
kernel (hd0,0)/gentoo-2.6.1 root=/dev/hdb3 video=vssa;ywrap,mtrr vga=0x31A
initrd=/boot/initrd-1280x1024

title  Gentoo-2.6.1-r1
root   (hd0,0)
kernel (hd0,0)/gentoo-2.6.1-r1 root=/dev/hdb3 video=vssa;ywrap,mtrr vga=0x31A
initrd=/boot/initrd-1280x1024

title Windows XP
rootnoverify (hd0,2)
chainloader  +1

Ignore the Gentoo stuff. The point is my XP section. My WindowsXP sits on /dev/hda3 while /dev/hda1 is /boot, /dev/hda2 is swap, and /dev/hdb3 is my root partition for linux.

The OP wants to boot linux while simultaneously keeping the dual-bootness, right? Install Lilo or grub. Coexistence is less than 5 minutes away if you follow directions.