Kernel Panic: No Init Found Try Passing Init=option To Kernel

Bakame · 03-08-2004, 08:40 AM

Hi,
I have a dual-boot system: Mandrake 9.1 and XP Pro. I had XP Pro first and then added a 2nd HD and installed linux on it. Everything was working fine until (Needless to say I learned the hard way) I tried to boot from one HD without the other...
I tried to remove the HD with linux and boot from XP only... I got a black screen with strings of "0101010101....." On the other hand I tried to remove the HD that has XP Pro on it and tried to boot from the Linux HD only I got just a black screen.
When I put the 2 HDs exactly as before, I could not boot from neither OS anymore. I still get the LILO prompt to choose an OS but when I choose one, it starts and hangs.
For Mandrake 9.1 here is the error message I am getting:
"KMOD: FAILED TO EXEC /SBIN/MODEPROBE -S -K IDE -CD, ERRNO = 2
MOUNT:ERROR 6 MOUNTING EXT3 FLAGS
KERNEL PANIC: NO INIT FOUND TRY PASSING INIT=OPTION TO KERNEL"
For XP I cannot even boot from "the last known good menu" or "safe mode"...
When I first installed Linux it did not give me the option on where to put LILO and therefore I don't know on which drive it is on... I don't have neither a boot disk for Mandrake, nor the original installation CDs and don't know if they would help or if it is the windows side that's messed up!
Before I mess up anything more can anyone give me some tips...Any help is appreciated!

ac1980 · 03-08-2004, 04:28 PM

I would proceed in 2 steps:
1. Get (form a friend, a local LUG, etc) a linux-on-cd (e.g. www.morphix.org) or if you can't, at least a floppy; boot with it and backup really important data from both systems (dont bother for avi/mp3, the chance of losing anything is low).
2. Use a self-contained grub diskette to try experimenting with its command prompt. For example, to boot in winxp you should type

Code:

rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainload +1
boot

For linux

Code:

find /vmlinuz
root (whatever the above command gave)
kernel /vmlinuz
initrd /initrd
boot

PS: if you successfully boot in mdk, run /sbin/lilo, this MAY fix all

Healing Bear · 03-09-2004, 02:44 AM

Bakame when you get it straighten out you may want to consider making your MKD 9.1 your master... This will keep all of MKD to its self and not on your XP HDD... When you added MKD your Master Boot Record was written on your XP HDD...

Bakame · 03-09-2004, 12:08 PM

Thanks a lot guys... I will try this and let you know how it works out! I'm going to hit "google" to try and find where I can get a self-contained grub diskette...

Bakame · 03-09-2004, 09:01 PM

Help!!!
I am trying to boot from a redhat 8.0 boot disk (is it ok when booting a Mandrake distribution?!) but it does not seem to find the kernel... All I get is a command prompt with "boot :" and I tried different commands:
grub
find /vmlinuz
find /boot/grub/stage1
root (hd1,2)
root (hd1,1)
etc....
For all the above commands I am getting this message:
"Could not find kernel image : filename"
Am I missing something?!

ac1980 · 03-10-2004, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Am I missing something?!

Looks like that's lilo boot prompt, which asks you for a kernel to boot among those it was configured for (i.e. those on disk/cd). Pressing TAB should give you a list of available choices, if not you can try the common "linux" entry.

As for the grub disk, if you have access to a linux machine, just unpack grub package, copy the "grub" directory to a floppy, then launch grub and give these commands:

Code:

root (fd0)
setup (fd0)

This won't touch the host hd, and you'll have a floppy that can be used to boot (almost) any system.

Bakame · 03-10-2004, 09:14 AM

Thanks again... Here a sequence of command I am going to try, is this correct?!
mount /dev/fd0 /mnt
cp /boot/grub/* /mnt/boot/grub
umount /mnt
Run grub, and then on the prompt type:
root (fd0)
setup (fd0)
quit

Bakame · 03-14-2004, 02:37 PM

I removed LILO and was able to repair Windows thru the Recovery Console. After that, I booted with the Mandrake setup CD and choose to "Re-install boot loader". When I start the PC I get the lilo prompt to choose an OS and I am able to boot in Windows but NOT in linux since I am still getting the kernel panic error message.... Any suggestions?!