Hey.

I've been attempting to update the kernel on my HP slimline s7500e from a stock Slackware 11.0 kernel to a custom 2.6.19 kernel. When I try to boot I get the following error:

VFS: Cannot open root device "803" or unknown-block(8,3)
Time: tsc clocksource has been installed.
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(8,3) TSC appears to be running slowly. Marking it as unstable.
Time: pit clocksource has been installed.

Information regarding my machine can be found here:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/d...3184123&dlc=en

And my root partition is on /dev/sda3 (the same as designated in my lilo.conf file)

lilo.conf:

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/sda
message = /boot/boot_message.txt
prompt
timeout = 1200
# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
reset
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
vga = 791
# Normal VGA console
# vga = normal
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
# vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
# vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
# vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
# vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
# vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
# vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
# vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
# vga=769
# End LILO global section
# Slack NEW begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.19
root = /dev/sda3
label = Slack_2.6.19
read-only
# Slack NEW ends
#Slack OLD begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz-old
root = /dev/sda3
label = Slack_2.4
# Slack OLD ends

Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

looks like you didn't added a proper support for your "boot" disk in the kernel.

Thanks. Umm, what exactly does that mean?

Well, you have to add proper support for your file system in the kernel.
e.g. you have a reiserfs root partition, you have to add reiserfs support in your kernel, and since it's the root partition, you have to add static linked, not as a module.

If you are completely lost i suggest you to read some kernel build howto's. These should help you all the way through..

Yes you are correct, but there is another way to boot up with out recompiling the kernel to include the software as built-in. Sometimes including software as built-in can break things or make the devices or features fail to work.

Use mkinitrd to create an initrd file that includes the require modules in order to boot up.

LILO is ok if you understand how to use it and you do not forget to run lilo every time you edit the config file. I prefer GRUB because it is a user space boot loader and you do not have to run GRUB every time you edit its config file (menu.lst).

well I had the same problem when I boot that kernel to.
I runed (sorry don't know how it is correct) the vi and edited lilo.conf, there was a stupid problem, I didn't insert the device, It was wrong. anyway I reboot it and the same problem occour... I read it carfully and I thoght it could be some mistake on menuconfig, I runed it and so I saw that ext3 is open...
maybe the root partition should be with native fs, If I'm not wrong, but... newbies make big errors... lol... well, you know ...
anyway, do I need to reestrocure all the disk, and so configure the new kernel again or there is an other way... maybe ... fdisk?

thanks ~

Guilherme

Steps that I take to upgrade the kernel. Assuming the new kernel has been decompressed to /usr/src.
1) zcat /proc/config.gz > /usr/src/[new_kernel]/.config
2) cd /usr/src/[new_kernel
3) make oldconfig
4) make menuconfig
5) Double check options
6) Save and exit menu
7) make && make modules_install
8) cp /usr/src/[new_kernel]/System.map /boot/[new_kernel]-System.map
9) ln -sf /boot/[new_kernel]-System.map /boot/System.map
10) cp /usr/src/[new_kernel]/arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/kernel-[new_kernel]
11) cd /boot
12a) mkinitrd initrd-[new_kernel] [new_kernel]
12b) mkinitrd --with=[module] initrd-[new_kernel] [new_kernel]
12c) mkinitrd --with=[module] --with=[second_module] initrd-[new_kernel] [new_kernel]
13) Edit either /boot/grub/menu.lst or /etc/lilo

For LILO users, type /sbin/lilo to use the new changes.

Next time you reboot, go into runlevel 3 and recompile nVidia and ALSA for the new kernel. You will have to change the symbolic /usr/usr/linux to point to the new kernel version.