kernal panic

rich345 · 11-24-2008, 03:25 AM

hello there im new here and a newbie to linux

and i havea problem,

here it is ?

m trying to install slackware 12.1 to a usb hdd, its a 40gb sata drive and has 3 partitions
and now when i try to boot it i get this error
kernal panic - not syncing:vfs: unable to mount root fs on unknown-block (8,1)

does anyone know whats wrong here ?
or how 2 fix it ???

oh when
i say using a usb hdd its just a normal hdd from an old laptop linked with one these

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/USB-2-0-to-IDE-SATA-2-5-3-5-Hard-Drive-Converter-Cable_W0QQitemZ250324502255QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCA_Cables_Adapters?hash=item250324502255&_trksid=p328 6.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1300|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1308">

thanks for any help

onebuck · 11-24-2008, 08:26 AM

Hi,

Welcome to LQ!

Which kernel did you select?

Your panic is probably due to not having filesystem support for your kernel. If so you will need to create a 'initrd'.

The easiest way would be to use the install cd1 to boot the system as if you were going to install.

After you get to the login then from the cli (command line);

Code:

~#mkdir /slacktemp                   #temporary mount point
~#mount /dev/your_device /slacktemp  #this is the device you installed to
~#chroot /slacktemp                  #change to yours
~#cd /boot                           #change to initrd location?
~#most /boot/README.initrd           #read this for information

~#mkinitrd -c -k 2.6.24.5-smp -m ext3 -f ext3 -r /dev/hdb3

                                     # ^example mkinitrd
~#cd /slacktemp/etc                  #change to directory with lilo.conf 
~#vi lilo.conf                       #edit lilo.conf, if need be
                                     #to include your new initrd  
                                     #in the proper stanza
~#lilo -v -t -b /dev/your_device     #sda, hda this will only test 
~#lilo -v -b /dev/your_device        #this will write MBR to your_device

You should now be able to re-boot your system.

sundialsvcs · 11-24-2008, 09:02 AM

A "kernel panic" is any situation in which Linux cannot continue. (The word "not syncing" is actually additional information, and not related to the problem... and it's what you want to see.)

Kernel panics most-commonly occur at boot time, for one of these reasons:

Cannot find the device that I'm supposed to mount as the "root filesystem." The location of this device is specified as a boot-parameter at startup, and it may have been omitted or specified incorrectly.
"Well, I found it, but I don't know how to read a filesystem of that type." All disks are formatted in some particular way to facilitate the creating of files and directories, and the kernel must include support for it.
The init process, which is the "father of all things," could not be started or it crashed for any reason. (The message for this, in any case, is "tried to kill init.")

rich345 · 11-25-2008, 11:47 AM

the one i installed was the default one,
sorry cant remember what it was called,
i have now installed it by just connecting the hdd to the computer properly not by the usb wire and it works.
but i do want to be able to boot via usb every now and then dont wanna have to keep taking my laptop apart.