Yesterday I used Redhat's up2date package to check for upgrades. It installed a new kernel version, but during the reboot it comes with an kernel panic saying something about mounting the root.
I can boot using the old kernel cause the old kernel is still listed in my lilo configuration as linux.bak. Can I just remove the normal "linux" settings from lilo.conf so it starts normal again, or do I have to really remove the new kernel and restore the old one?

it's good you have a backup kernel that works! What you would want to do is edit the lilo.conf file and either add or change the default = parameter in the global section (the stuff before each individual image).

The "default" parameter specifies what kernel image to load by default if no image is chosen during the initial boot phase before the wait period runs out. If the "default" parameter is missing, lilo boots the first image in the lilo.conf file, which in your case is the new kernel that is not working.

You have a few choice open to you:

1) You can add or change the "default=" parameter to match the name of the boot image (not the name of the kernel, but what the image is, perhaps it's linux.bak in your case).

2) Comment out (use "#") each line of the faulty image to make the linux.bak image the first image

3) Move the linux.bak image information above the new/failing image information.


It is possible the new kernel does not have the required modules to find the appropriate file system on your hardware at boot. Generally speaking in such cases, where the kernel is lean and most drivers are compiled as modules, there is an initrd (initializing ram disk) image that is setup and called in lilo.conf.

Why not post your lilo.conf and maybe we can help get you up and running with the new kernel? Oh and also post what file system your root partition is on.

I also get some similar message after downloading updates last week (7/24/05). Essentially, the Linux partition of my dual boot PC internal hard drive is now useless, after running smooth between mid-May 2005 and July 23, 2005.

How do I boot off the previous kernel when it just goes to the error message and locks up?

BTW, the screen looks like this (with some omission)…

“Booting Fedora Core (2.6.12-1.1372_FC3smp)

…

Uncompressing Linux…OK, booting the kernel
Red Hat nash version 4.1.18 starting
insmod: error inserting ‘/lib/ata_piix.ko’: -1 Unknown symbol in module
Error: /bin/insmod. Exited abnormally!
Insmod: error inserting ‘/lib/ext3.ko’:-1 Unknown symbol in module
Error: /sbin/udevstart exited abnormally!
Mkrootdev: label /notfound
Mount: error 19 mounting ext 3
Mount: error 2 mounting none
Switchroot: mount failed: 22
Umount: /initrd/dev failed: 2
Kernal panic – not syncing: attempted to kill init!"

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My actions so far:
Boot with FC3 Rescue CD
Went into grub and tried to open the "menu.1st" with vi editor
I see absolutely nothing!

I was expecting to see some commands and in particular "kernal (hd0,1)/boot/vmlinuz..."

I wanted to changed that command to the older kernal...

What can I do???

Never mind. I fixed it by booting on the Rescue CD, opening with vi editor the file /boot/grub/grub.conf, and then deleting manually (using ESC key -> 'dd' repeatedly) the lines related to the errant kernal.

Ok, I managed to restore to the previous kernel, but never got Samba up and running.
Because of this I downloaded the Fedora Core 3 cd's.
The only problem I have during the installation is that my 2 harddisks are connected to a highpoint hpt370 RAID controller, of which I can't find the Fedora drivers.
Can anybody tell me which driver I have to use during installation and how to use it?