Hi everyone,

I got an easy question for you. I'm trying to update my Linux kernel and I want to use the same configuration as my current working kernel. I need this because during compilation of the kernel, I get the following messages:

Warning: Unable to open on initial console.
Kernel Panic: No init found Try passing init = option to kernel.

Note, I have lilo configured with a new initrd .img for the new kernel. I know that it has to do with the menuconfig stuff because I added ext3 fs support (apparently was disabled by default) and when I recompiled and restarted, it got a little farther than it previously did, though it still panicked later. Thanks for the help!

- John

hi.
if you are compiling the same kernel subset (2.4.xx to 2.4.yy or 2.6.xx to 2.6.yy), then u can use the same .config file. you cant use it if you are jumping from 2.x to 2.y

also, you do not need the initrd. plus did u run lilo after kernel compile? why dont u post here all the steps u did (it will be in ur bash history, so just copy them out here), and we can see whatsup. also post ur relevant lilo lines, and output of 'df'.

Hi, thanks for your help!

This is what I did, based on the instructions of a few web sites:

Edited Makefile in /usr/src/linux-2.4.20-8 to give extension - WPI (my college)

make mrproper
make clean
make menuconfig (I changed some options to fit in the kernel, fs, scsi, etc)
make modules
make modules_install
make bzImage

cp arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/bzImage.WPI
(so that I don't replace the current version)

emacs /etc/lilo.conf - edited to include new entry:

image = /boot/bzImage.WPI
label = WPI
root = /dev/hda1
read-only

I'm pretty sure it's the configuration that's messing it up. I assumed at first that running menuconfig would show the settings for the running kernel, which was, of course, wrong. The problem is, I don't know what to enable in order to get the system to boot. I even looked at the messages log to see what gets booted after the panic, and enabled those, but it didn't work.

df results:

Filesystem 1K blocks Used Available

/dev/hda3 19267868 257600 15709508
/dev/hda1 101089 11649 84221
none 62900 0 62900
/dev/sda 17104456 32828 16202756

Used % Mounted

15% /
13% /boot
0% /dev/shm
1% /mnt/fc_admin

What I need then, is exact instructions on how to use the current kernel configuration. The changes I made in the drivers do not require anything new to be enabled. Thanks for your help.

- John

hi. is ur root /dev/hda1 or /dev/hda3 there? looks like hda3 to me. if so, edit lilo for that, and run 'lilo' as root.

Thanks for your help, that fixed it!

cool.