Same as what everyone else is doing, but using the .config from Fedora (a new kernel and not a recompilation).

WOW!!!

IT WORKS

Solution is so SIMPLE!!
System needs an initial ramdisk to boot... but I didn`t mark this option in kernel.
In block devices section RAM DISK SUPPORT has to be compiled in (not as a module) and Initial RAM disk (initrd) support has to be activated

YOu weren't using an initrd? I can't believe I missed this!

Can't be as simple as initrd. On the same day (yesterday), I emerged 2.6.11 on my Gentoo, and downloaded 2.6.11.6 for my new Slack install.

Both on the same laptop, neither using initrd. The Slack reboot fails with the initial console problem.
Have a feeling it might be ACPI or similar. Did put it in so I could test it on the Dell.
Will check it when I get back in the office next week - didn't have time as I was heading out the door.

but all the above mentioned steps produce a fine result with kernel 2.4.xx then why the same does not wrok with 2.6.xx. is there any major change ?

It gets weirder.
I updated to udev on the Gentoo install.
It issues the "inital console" message, but boots successfully.

The Slack install (same laptop remember), now works. Does the same as Gentoo (message, but continues to start-up o.k.). Previously it would issue the message, then re-boot automatically; looping continually.

The only change ??? - it was left powered off all night.
I kid you not. It now works, with *NO* kernel or boot-option changes.

in block device driver make sure RAM disk support is enabled as part of kernel and not as a module. in file systems ext2/3 are part of kernel and not module. and finalii mkinitrd the new image and add it to grub/lilo

I had this same problem and found the solution somewhere in the net.

Configure DEVFS and enable "Mount devfs on boot" and use the new kernel to bootup. That should get u off the problem.

I believe that the default FEDORA kernel comes with DEVFS configured. So the /dev entries do NOT actually go into the hard disk. In short, you do NOT have persistent /dev entries if u r running the FEDORA kernel.

So, if you try to boot a kernel that does not have DEVFS configured then the applications do not find /dev/ entries and the system stops.

I was able to boot without any RAMDISK. No initrd stuff is required.

I hope this helped.

I believe the problem is with the use of udev in Fedora Core 3. Udev creates all of the entries in /dev at boot time, but the kernel tries to open /dev/console before udev has run. There are two ways to make sure /dev/console exists before your root filesystem has been mounted, and udev has run. Both have been mentioned in this thread, but I thought I'd try to explain why they solve the problem, and which is recommended.

The first (and better) way is to use mkinitrd to create an initial ramdisk, and attach it to your boot kernel in /etc/grub.conf. This creates a tiny compressed filesystem that is mounted as the root file system when the kernel first starts, and it provides basic /dev/ entries as well as any modules the kernel needs to load to find the real root filesystem. This requires initrd support compiled into your kernel, but any other drivers can be created as modules instead of being compiled in.

The second (and deprecated) way is to enable DEVFS, which creates a fake filesystem on /dev that provides all the required entries. The kernel team has decided that devfs is inappropriate, as the problem is better handled in userspace - thus the creation of udev. Devfs may dissappear in the future, and it may have compatibility problems with FC3, which is expecting udev.

Awesome! Thanks, that took care of the problem for me. I've never had to deal with initrd before FC 3, but doing it now enabled my kernel build to boot properly.

Bjorn.

its fine to compile 2.6 on FC3. but what to do when I want 2.4 to cmile on FC3, GCC 3.4 is default in FC3 and creatss a large number of warning and erros in 2.4 kernel. any idea how to solve ?

hey,
have da same problem "unable to open initial console"
here is my situation
lost my boot partition together with FC3 kernel!?
now booting from a different partition from knopix kernels
cant boot FC3 with knopix kernel?
gives the above error
can u help me in some way

TIA
krindik

FWIW, I'm also seeing the same problem with a 2.6.11.11 kernel on a dual Opteron system installed with FC3 (which runs fine with stock FC3 updated kernels).

Curiosly the same kernel runs fine on a Dual Xeon (w/EMT64) system when copied there. Certainly I could have ommitted a driver needed for the Opteron but not the Xeon, but I can't see anything obviously console related that could be needed for the Opteron.

hi,

well i gotta work around this and my system works fine.
wat missing in the system seem to be /dev/console. so checked the /dev and found blank.
booted with knoppix and cp -dpR /dev/* /mnt/(root)/dev/
this works !
if u dont have knoppix i think booting to rescue mode and doing the same will do.


krindik