Problems trying to create a Floppy only linux with Grub.

scprotz · 02-23-2004, 04:53 PM

I have recently tried every way possible to create a floppy-only linux and boot with grub.

I am able to get grub installed on the floppy easily enough...

And I have compiled the kernel and added it to the floppy..no problem...

grub will launch the kernel, but I always have one of two problems after this:

Problem type 1: grub asks for a second root disk (which I don't want..i want this all on 1 floppy)

Problem type 2: if I try to use initrd (a compressed root image), grub complains about not being able to find a root image, the kernel panics, and then says I should add an "init=" param to my kernel.

Has anyone tried/succeeded in doing this?

I'm trying to keep this post short, but if anyone would like to see my 'procedure' to date, i'd be more than happy to post my step-by-step up to this point.

Please help...

-scprotz

Peacedog · 02-23-2004, 05:40 PM

have you looked in to

http://www.toms.net/rb/

may be some useful info there. hope that helps.
good luck.

scprotz · 02-23-2004, 10:50 PM

Thanks for the suggestion (and I did look into Tom's), but I'd like to try it with grub.

I found a site that has a 'walk-through' on how to build a floppy similar to what I want at

http://www.health-first.org/internal...docs/zenlinux/

I've tried it, but as with many of my attempts, I always get the same error once I boot from one of these 'single floppy' linuxes:

Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 01:00

If anyone knows why I might be getting this, please let me know.

Thanks

scprotz

Demonbane · 02-23-2004, 10:55 PM

If possible can you post the image of the floppy you're working on, so that I can see what you have done?

scprotz · 02-24-2004, 10:49 AM

So, come to find out, after all my work getting this set up, I had missed the kernel flag to allow 'initrd' (I had flagged ramdisks, but not the 'initrd' option that goes with it).

Once I turned that on, it was just a matter of tweaking the settings to get the floppy-linux to do what I wanted.

The prior weblink I provided is an excellent walk-through on building a single floppy kernel (It talks about installing ZEN in the second half, but you don't need to do that if its not what you are looking for).

If anyone needs walkthroughs or images of this, just send me an email.

scprotz[AT]hotmail.com