kernel panic after changing initrd for bootsplash
 

im running debian (etch) on a 2.6.15 kernel, which i just recompiled so i could use bootsplash. i backed up my initrd file and then did

splash -s -f /etc/bootsplash/themes/current/config/bootsplash-1024x768.cfg >> /boot/initrd.img-2.6.15.4

when i rebooted, i got my pretty bootsplash theme, but i also got this:

RAMDISK: Couldn't find valid RAM diskimage starting at 0
VFS: CAnnot open root device "hda0" or unknown block (0,0)
Please append a correct root= boot option
Kernel panic- no suncing: VFS: unable to mount fs on unknown - block
(0,0)

pointing grub to my backup initrd file solves the problem, but then i dont get the nice debblue background.

so whats the problem? the splash command above obviously isnt making a working initrd file, but why not? and how do i get past this problem? google has shown me that lots of people have had this problem, but no one has given any solutions...

You surely adapted your grub config-file - could you post it? ( along with your disk-layout: fdisk -l )

Thats because debian has switched from cramfs to initramfs. I have posted very specific instructions on how to add the bootsplash to your initrd for recent debian kernels on the bootsplash mailing list. Someone else has even written a hook for mkinitramfs to do it for you.

Just search their archives.

I found out the simply running this script fixes the problem, this is just manually adding the bootsplash to the initrd as described in the troubleshout section in this site

wiki.debianforum.de/bootsplash

thanx anyway dracae

clarification / expansion on bootsplash for 2.6.15+
 

Okay, here is a summary of the mkinitramfs-related stuff at [URL="http://www.debianforum.de/wiki/Bootsplash"]

1. download the bootsplash mkinitramfs script from http://www.x-quadraht.de/debian/bootsplash, and place that in /usr/share/initramfs-tools/hooks/bootsplash
2. chmod u+x /usr/share/initramfs-tools/hooks/bootsplash
3. add a line to /etc/default/bootsplash for your screen resolution
   Code:

   ---

   # Resolution of splash screen
SPLASH_SIZE="1024x768"

   ---

4. update-initramfs -uv

There might be other places with an English version of these instructions. Hopefully this should give you enough of a start so that you can have a hunt through archives and such for more useful / specific instructions.

initramfs vs bootsplash solution
 

I actually created an user id so I can answer your question.

I am not sure if you found a solution or installed ubuntu or some other linux distro.

I had same problem yesterday.

The main problem is you can not do

splash -c -f "config" >> /boot/initrd.img.<your kernel version>

Debian uses initramfs and it's compressed so you can't just append splash images to the end. This has been explained in the bootsplash.org. But no real solution other than 'ya look up my comment in archieve'.

All you had to do is remove your initrd.img and run

update-initramfs -c -k <your kernel version>

OR you can go back and make the old format of initrd using mkinitrd.

I still had to modify "/etc/initramfs-tools/hooks/bootsplash" line 51 from "splash -s -f $blahblah" to "/usr/sbin/splash -s -f .."