Linux on a floppy

bsdpowa · 07-06-2005, 02:49 PM

Hi,

I'm building a LFS on a floppy, base on Floppy Linux Guide.
I have two floppies.
Floppy 1 = Grub stage1, Grub stage2, kernel
Floppy 2 = bash, nod console

I boot my computer with the first floppy and at the GRUB prompt I write:
kernel (fd0)/boot/vmlinuz init=/bin/sh root=/dev/fd0 load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=1
boot

Then it loads everything and throws messages at the screen and it stops here:
logips2pp: Detected unknown logitech mouse model 62
input: ImExPS/2 Logitech Explorer Mouse on iso0060/serio1

I just push enter and it says:

VFS: Mounted root (ext2 filesystem) readonly
Freeing unused kernel memory: 100k freed
warning: unable to open an init console
kernel panic - not syncing: no init found.Try passing init= option to kernel

What should I do? I have passed the init option.What's it talking about?

madluther · 07-06-2005, 03:07 PM

you have 'init=/bin/sh'
it might be better to use 'init=/bin/bash'

Mad.

bsdpowa · 07-06-2005, 03:17 PM

Still the same error.

madluther · 07-06-2005, 04:08 PM

do you have a /dev/console and a /dev/null created on the floppy 2 filesystem ?

bsdpowa · 07-07-2005, 02:14 AM

I have /dev/console but not /dev/null.I created /dev/null with "mknod /dev/null c 5 1" but the same error persists.

freegianghu · 07-07-2005, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bsdpowa
I have /dev/console but not /dev/null.I created /dev/null with "mknod /dev/null c 5 1" but the same error persists.

In my system:

Code:

# mknod /dev/console c 5 1
# mknod /dev/null c 1 3

I have a suggestion: mount /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy && chroot /mnt/floppy /bin/sh to test

Hopes it help
GH

bsdpowa · 07-07-2005, 09:10 AM

The thing is, it doesn't even get to the second floppy.It stops at loading at the first floppy.I have bash on the second one.

Floppy 1 - grub stage 1, grub stage 2, vmlinuz
Floppy 2 - bash, console, null

EDIT:
[root@localhost dev]# chroot /mnt/floppy /bin/sh
Bus error

sundialsvcs · 07-07-2005, 10:15 AM

That might be your problem.

You can see the actual source-code of the program that's generating this message: it's /init/main.c. The code in question looks like this:

Code:

        /*
         * We try each of these until one succeeds.
         *
         * The Bourne shell can be used instead of init if we are
         * trying to recover a really broken machine.
         */

        if (execute_command)
                execve(execute_command,argv_init,envp_init);
        execve("/sbin/init",argv_init,envp_init);
        execve("/etc/init",argv_init,envp_init);
        execve("/bin/init",argv_init,envp_init);
        execve("/bin/sh",argv_init,envp_init);
        panic("No init found.  Try passing init= option to kernel.");

So the root cause of the problem is that the file cannot be found.

But also notice that the program that we are looking for is not a shell (like "bash" or "sh"), but rather init. The granddaddy of them all... process #1. So I believe that you are specifying the incorrect program: it must be init. And it must be located on the first floppy.

(As for me, when I did the "floppy disk" exercise, I didn't actually use floppy disks. My computer doesn't even have a floppy drive.)