kernel panic after kernel upgrade

flebber · 04-07-2005, 09:10 AM

Hi, I have done a kernel upgrade to kernel 2.6.11.6 from sarge 2.4.27.

when i am booting up and select kernel 2.6 in Grub I get the following message.

VFS: Cannot open root device 'hda2" or unknown-block(0,0)
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic -not syncing:VFS:Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(0,0)

Ok so the message seemed straight forward I had used the update-grub option to have my new entried in it and they have pointed to a bad block.

But when I look at the Grub entries it appears to me that the entries for kernel 2.4 and 2.6 both point to the same drive and 2.4 works so why wouldn't 2.6?

this is my entry

## ## End Default Options ##

title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.11.6 Default
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
savedefault
boot

title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.11.6 Default (recovery mode)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro single
savedefault
boot

title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.11.6
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.11.6 root=/dev/hda2 ro
savedefault
boot

title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.11.6 (recovery mode)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.11.6 root=/dev/hda2 ro single
savedefault
boot

title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.4.27-1-386
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.27-1-386 root=/dev/hda2 ro
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.4.27-1-386
savedefault
boot

title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.4.27-1-386 (recovery mode)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.27-1-386 root=/dev/hda2 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.4.27-1-386
savedefault
boot

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title Other operating systems:
root

# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/hda1
title Microsoft Windows XP Professional
root (hd0,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1

atom · 04-07-2005, 02:25 PM

I wouldn't know about debian, but on gentoo (where you compile the kernel yourself) i got this error when my disc drivers were compiled in as modules and I didn't use an initrd (init ram disk). If you are not afraid of compiling your own kernel, I can guide you through.

Just say the word

if you decide you do want it, (and it's nothing dangerous, believe me), follow these steps:

your kernel sources are probably in /usr/src/. Go there (with console):

Code:

cd /usr/src/
ls

you should get an output similar to this one:

Code:

linux
kernel-vanilla-2.6.11

go to the folder where it says that the kernel is version 2.6.x

Code:

cd kernel-vanilla-2.6.11
make menuconfig

go to device drivers, and then to ATA/ATAPI/MFM/RLL support
[when I say "say yes to [option]", select it and press "y"]
say yes to:
Enhanced IDE/MFM/RLL disk/cd....
Include IDE/ATA-2 DISK support
Include IDE/ATAPI CDROM support
Include IDE/ATAPI FLOPPY support
generic/default IDE chipset support

then press exit as many times as it takes him to ask you if you want to save the configuration. Save it (by saying yes).

then do

Code:

make && make modules_install
cd arch/i386/boot
cp bzImage /boot/kernel-2.6.11-experimental

then edit /boot/grub/grub.conf and add this:

Code:

title=2.6.11 Self Compiled UNTESTED
                  root (hd0,1)
                  kernel /boot/kernel-2.6.11-experimental root=/dev/hda2 ro

then reboot. Post the results!

short101 · 04-07-2005, 04:28 PM

Your first 2.6.11 entry doesnt specify a particular kernel image, it just says vmlinuz, so if you havent got a plain vmlinuz file in /boot, then that option wont work. But both of your 2.6.11 entries dont specify an initrd. Look in your /boot directory and see if there is a 2.6.11initrd image and add that to your grub menu. That is probably why it doesnt work, cause the stock kernels have most things built as modules.

flebber · 04-07-2005, 11:44 PM

I have tried that but did still receive, with Grub though I did edit

/boot/grub/menu.lst to be:

## ## End Default Options ##

title 2.6.11 Self Compiled UNTESTED
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/kernel-2.6.11-experimental root=/dev/hda2 ro

savedefault
boot

title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.11.6 Default (recovery mode)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro single
savedefault
boot

I was presented with an empty file when i tried to edit edit /boot/grub/grub.conf

In selecting these files

Enhanced IDE/MFM/RLL disk/cd....
Include IDE/ATA-2 DISK support
Include IDE/ATAPI CDROM support
Include IDE/ATAPI FLOPPY support
generic/default IDE chipset support

I had already gone thru previously and selected them it highlights them as<m> when I selected it and y , it states these will be built as modues Exit.

Probably got it wrong somewhere.....

flebber · 04-08-2005, 12:02 AM

Possibly it would be better to start from the start

oh and my kernel wasn't a vanilla install I actually tried to compile the options I folowed the guide which was at http://www.linuxheadquarters.com/how...elconfig.shtml

my linux kernel configuration looked nothing like there's though, not the options I chose but the layout.

a little confused

flebber

atom · 04-08-2005, 12:23 AM

Which configuration tool did you use? I told you to use "make menuconfig" because it never complains about anything. It might be that you have something else compiled in as modules which these options depend on?

Oh, and about that vanilla thing... I haven't really expected you have a vanilla kernel. I just put vanilla there because it looked cool

.

You have to compile that support into the kernel, not as modules, no matter what.

It seems that the /boot/grub/menu.lst is your grub.conf. You edited the right file (I apologise for not reading your post thoroughly enough to notice what file you were editing, on all my previous distros the file was called grub.conf).

I don't really know what "savedefault" and "boot" options do, but I fare well without them

Never ised them and it boots fine

.
IN any case, this is how your kernel config section *should* look like.

Code:

Linux Kernel v2.6.11-gentoo-r5 Configuration
 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
  ┌────────────────────────────────── ATA/ATAPI/MFM/RLL support ───────────────────────────────────┐
  │  Arrow keys navigate the menu.  <Enter> selects submenus --->.  Highlighted letters are        │
  │  hotkeys.  Pressing <Y> includes, <N> excludes, <M> modularizes features.  Press <Esc><Esc> to │
  │  exit, <?> for Help, </> for Search.  Legend:[*] built-in  [ ] excluded  <M> module  < >      │
  │  module capable                                                                                │
  │ ┌─────────^(-)───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
  │ │         <*>   Enhanced IDE/MFM/RLL disk/cdrom/tape/floppy support                          │ │
  │ │         ---     Please see Documentation/ide.txt for help/info on IDE drives               │ │
  │ │         [ ]     Support for SATA (deprecated; conflicts with libata SATA driver)           │ │
  │ │         [ ]     Use old disk-only driver on primary interface                              │ │
  │ │         <*>     Include IDE/ATA-2 DISK support                                             │ │
  │ │[*]       Use multi-mode by default                                                │ │
  │ │         <*>     Include IDE/ATAPI CDROM support                                            │ │
  │ │         <*>     Include IDE/ATAPI TAPE support (EXPERIMENTAL)                              │ │
  │ │         <*>     Include IDE/ATAPI FLOPPY support                                           │ │
  │ │         <*>     SCSI emulation support                                                     │ │
  │ │         [ ]     IDE Taskfile Access                                                        │ │
  │ │         ---     IDE chipset support/bugfixes                                               │ │
  │ │         <*>     generic/default IDE chipset support                                        │ │
  │ │[*]     CMD640 chipset bugfix/support                                              │ │
  │ │[*]       CMD640 enhanced support                                                  │ │
  │ │[*]     PNP EIDE support                                                           │ │
  │ │         [ ]     PCI IDE chipset support                                                    │ │
  │ │         [ ]     Other IDE chipset support                                                  │ │
  │ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
  ├────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
  │                                <Select>    < Exit >    < Help >                                │
  └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

flebber · 04-08-2005, 12:36 AM

Ok altered the <m> entries to asterisks just making modules and will see how it goes

thanks

flebber

flebber · 04-08-2005, 12:42 AM

cheers many times

..now I just need to get nvidia up and I am nearly home

go Atom

atom · 04-08-2005, 07:26 AM

Yay! I'm happy for you man!

Hope this solves someone else's trouble too

. I needed a week to figure it out.