I'm hoping someone on here can help me with my problem. I just installed Mandrake 10 RC1 and it boots/runs fine. However, to get my webcam working, I need to add the pwcx module to the kernel and recompile it (usually no problem for me). However, since Mandrake 10 doesn't come with a complete kernel, I needed to download a fresh one and install it myself (which I've done numerous times with the 2.4 series).

So I download 2.6.3 and copy Mandrake's .config file to that directory. Re-link /usr/src/linux to the new kernel tree and

make oldconfig
make xconfig (merely changing the processor type to Pentium 4 and setting SMP to 2 processors)
make
make modules
make modules_install
make install

...at which point I notice that "make install" properly added vmlinuz and a new initrd to the /boot directory. It also added new entries to grub which correctly corresponded to the new kernel. "Perfect" I thought, so I rebooted knowing my boot configuration was sound.

However, once I booted, I was quickly surprised to find that I got "No init found". Usually this corresponds to me forgetting to compile in reiserfs support (since my two partitions, / and /home, are reiserfs). No problem, I booted with the old kernel and checked my .config. I had reiserfs support in there as a module. I set it to be compiled in assuming that was the issue. I also checked to make sure that the kernel had zlib support and initrd support.

Upon rebooting, I still get the same problem. How is it that the Mandrake-supplied kernel can boot successfully into reiserfs where the standard kernel can't? I quickly surmised that perhaps the .config supplied with Mandrake 10 was incomplete or just plain not what went into vmlinuz-2.6.2-3mdk entailed. To that end, I "zcat /proc/config.gz > /usr/src/linux/.config" (which guarantees me the same .config) and recompiled, still getting the same issue after a reboot.

For reference, the specific error on boot I'm getting is as follows:

Mounting /proc filesystem
creating device files
Mounting sysfs
creating root device
Mounting root filesystem with flags notail
mount: error 6 mounting reiserfs flags notail
well, retrying with no option flags
<ditto for retrying with no flags at all>
...
pivotroot: pivot_root(/sysroot,/sysroot/initrd) failed: 2

Right now I'm leaning towards some sort of customization that the Mandrake folks did to their kernel. I could really use some help in this area.

Also, for reference, here's the two grub menu items:

The one that works:
title linux-enterprise
kernel (hd0,5)/boot/vmlinuz-enterprise root=/dev/hdg6 devfs=mount acpi=ht splash=silent
initrd (hd0,5)/boot/initrd-enterprise.img

The one that doesn't work:
title 263
kernel (hd0,5)/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.3 root=/dev/hdg6 acpi=ht splash=silent vga=794
initrd (hd0,5)/boot/initrd-2.6.3.img

Also note: I tried manually creating the initrd using mkinitrd myself, but that just gives me the same problem.

Just wanted to note that passing the "devfs=mount" option to the kernel makes absolutely no difference.

Just bumping my own message since it's on page two. I can't believe no one has even a suggestion as to how to fix this!

I realise that this is an old posting but thought as I was in the neighbourhood I'd stick something in.

When I install linux with reiserfs I alter the /etc/fstab and for the mount options I set something like this
/dev/hda1 / reiserfs defaults,notail,noatime,nodiratime 1 1

mount the partitions under rescue mode make a backup of your fstab and try chaging that line perhaps just leave the defaults option.