SATA problem with kernel 2.6.9

Zolex · 10-28-2004, 03:11 PM

I have 1 sata disk and I have installed Debian Testing which is built with kernel 2.6.8-1 on it.
I tried to compile the new kernel 2.6.9 but now, it is impossible to boot.
I receive the Kernel Panic message :
Cannot open root device sda8
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
...

I think I have compiled kernel with right options and my problem seems to be in menu.lst (Grub) or in fstab.

Here is my Grub :

Code:

title           Microsoft Windows XP Pro
root            (hd0,0)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader     +1

title           Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.9-386
root            (hd0,7)
kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.9 root=/dev/sda8 ro
initrd          /boot/initrd.img-2.6.8-1-386
savedefault
boot

title           Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.8-1-386 (recovery mode)
root            (hd0,7)
kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.8-1-386 root=/dev/sda8 ro single
initrd          /boot/initrd.img-2.6.8-1-386
savedefault
boot

Here is my Fstab

Code:

proc            /proc           proc    defaults        0       0
/dev/sda8       /               ext3    defaults,errors=remount-ro 0       1
/dev/sda9       /home           ext3    defaults        0       2
/dev/sda7       none            swap    sw              0       0
/dev/hda        /media/dvd      iso9660 ro,user,noauto  0       0
/dev/hdb        /media/graveur  iso9660 ro,user,noauto  0       0
/dev/fd0        /media/fdd      auto    rw,user,noauto  0       0
sysfs           /sys            sysfs   defaults        0       0
/dev/sda1       /mnt/win1       ntfs    defaults,ro,user,uid=1000,gid=1000,umask=022    0       0
/dev/sda5       /mnt/win2       vfat    defaults,rw,user,uid=1000,gid=1000,umask=022    0       0
/dev/sda6       /mnt/win3       ntfs    defaults,ro,user,uid=1000,gid=1000,umask=022    0       0

Someone can help me ?

Moloko · 10-28-2004, 04:00 PM

This message also appears when you don't have filesystem and disk support built into the kernel. If you use the config file from your current working kernel, than use the --initrd switch to build an initrd image which has support for the filesystem and disks.

Zolex · 10-28-2004, 04:24 PM

I did not use the config from kernel 2.6.8-1.
I made a new configuration because I do not know where I can find the config file (I am new in Linux).

Moloko · 10-28-2004, 05:27 PM

You can find it in /boot/, making a new config by yourself requires extensive knowledge, so if you're new you really want the config from the working kernel.

Zolex · 10-29-2004, 12:31 PM

Thank you for your help but it does not work.

With the same config, I still have the error message.

One question : where can I find the new "initrd" created after the compilation of the new kernel ?
I mean "bzImage" is the new "vmlinuz" but which file is the new "initrd" ?

Bruce Hill · 10-29-2004, 07:56 PM

I'm following your thread, but don't know if I can help.
Haven't run Debian in over a year, so I don't know it's
filesystem anymore. However, this is where in Slack
you can read to find out how to make the initrd. I don't
know that you'll have one unless you made one.

Code:

mingdao@james:~$ ls -alc /boot
total 3760
drwxr-xr-x   2 root root     536 2004-10-29 16:45 ./
drwxr-xr-x  23 root root     536 2004-10-30 06:40 ../
lrwxrwxrwx   1 root root      37 2004-09-18 16:10 README.initrd -> /usr/doc/mkinitrd-1.0.1/README.initrd
lrwxrwxrwx   1 root root      22 2004-09-22 21:49 System.map -> /boot/System.map-2.6.7
-rw-r--r--   1 root root  660359 2004-10-23 07:29 System.map-2.6.7
-rw-r--r--   1 root root  620999 2004-09-18 16:10 System.map-ide-2.4.26
-rw-r--r--   1 root root     512 2004-09-24 11:12 boot.0300
-rw-r--r--   1 root root     512 2004-09-18 16:26 boot.0800
-rw-r--r--   1 root root     512 2004-09-21 16:56 boot.0801
-rw-r--r--   1 root root     512 2004-09-23 06:00 boot.2100
-rw-r--r--   1 root root     168 2004-09-18 16:26 boot_message.txt
-rw-r--r--   1 root root   41017 2004-09-18 16:10 config-ide-2.4.26
-rw-r--r--   1 root root    5032 2004-09-18 16:10 diag1.img
-rw-------   1 root root   30208 2004-10-29 16:45 map
lrwxrwxrwx   1 root root      19 2004-09-22 21:49 vmlinuz -> /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.7
-rw-r--r--   1 root root 1201631 2004-10-23 07:29 vmlinuz-2.6.7
-rw-r--r--   1 root root 1248111 2004-09-18 16:10 vmlinuz-ide-2.4.26

mingdao@james:~$ pico /boot/README.initrd

When I installed the 2.6.7 kernel it installed this README.initrd
file. However, if I understand correctly, with support for the
filesystem "built into" the kernel, rather than as a module, one
doesn't need the initrd image. Another reason I left Debian is
because I never could figure out GRUB, but LILO is intuitive.

If you have an initrd it should be -> /boot/initrd.gz

Two things that I'd like to know:

1) what are the error messages before you reach the kernel
panic? Look and see what drive it's trying to mount. Mine was
trying to mount /dev/hde rather than /dev/sda at first and I had
to get that fixed.

2) In the kernel config file you're using, what do you have here

Code:

mingdao@james:~$ cat /usr/src/linux-2.6.7/.config | less
#
# File systems
#
CONFIG_EXT2_FS=m
# CONFIG_EXT2_FS_XATTR is not set
CONFIG_EXT3_FS=m  < - you need this set to y for EXT3 
# CONFIG_EXT3_FS_XATTR is not set
CONFIG_JBD=m
# CONFIG_JBD_DEBUG is not set
CONFIG_REISERFS_FS=y  < - my filesystem support built into the kernel 
# CONFIG_REISERFS_CHECK is not set
# CONFIG_REISERFS_PROC_INFO is not set
# CONFIG_REISERFS_FS_XATTR is not set
# CONFIG_JFS_FS is not set
# CONFIG_XFS_FS is not set
# CONFIG_MINIX_FS is not set
CONFIG_ROMFS_FS=y
# CONFIG_QUOTA is not set
# CONFIG_AUTOFS_FS is not set
CONFIG_AUTOFS4_FS=y

Edit: Hit Submit rather than Preview

You'll need to have support built into your kernel rather than as
a module to boot your system, but I don't think that's your problem
at this point. However, here's what I've compiled, using reiserfs on
all my partitions.

Zolex · 11-15-2004, 05:46 AM

Thank you for all your reply.

I'm still blocked with this problem.

Here is the last line I have now in the boot sequence :
RAMDISK : Loading 1360KiB [1 disk] into ram disk ... done
Kernel panic - not syncing : VFS : Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block (0,0)

Can you help me ?