Fifth time configuring the kernel. SATA is enabled, though there was no choice for the chipset (SiliconImage) on my Gigabyte nVidia nForce 250 board, so SATA support was ticked yes. Same error, cannot mount on sda2. If someone has this kernel working with the grub bootloader (and ideally with the same SATA setup I have), I would love to see your grub entry for this kernel.

Thanks,

Bob

Final Update...this kernel does not like my system. Found an instruction for the 2.6.4 kernel compile to recognize the Silicon Image SATA chipset. Followed it, found the Silicon chipset option, recompiled, same error.

I suppose I will try again sometime in the future. I have the latest kernel in Fedora, so, if I need it, I will just use that.

Learned a lot, though. Just not how to boot this kernel. I might try again selecting the the AMD/nVidia SATA controller option instead of Silicon Image.

Bob

SUCESS!! I found that the chipset drive was nVidia, not Silicon Image, even though that is what my motherboard specs said. Tons of problems, though:

1. No X. Complains that the nVidia module was not found, even though I configured it as built in.

2. No alsactl. Had this added in as well.

Other problems as well, but at least it booted to a command line. First kernel install, major accomplishment for me. Thanks to all who encouraged me not to give up. I will figure the problems out.

Thanks,

Bob

well...just the last hurdles i guess.
for alsa: you have to keep the driver for your soundchip as a module.
this is because it takes parameters from /etc/modprobe.conf.
( those params are filled in when you run " alsaconf " ).

i also think the nvidea driver should be modular for X to work ok.
( not sure why though).

egag

Yes thanks, good feeling to finally get it to boot. Will feel even better when I can get X and sound going. I am wondering now when I again run menuconfig to try to correct these things if I have to bebuild the kernel each time or if the new configuration is all I need to do.

Thanks,

Bob

you'll need to rebuild it when you change things.
only, when you add a module, it's enough to rebuild only the modules.

this time, you're removing a part of the kernel, and make it a module,
so you'll need a new kernel (bzImage) and the new modules.

also, when the new kernel runs, rerun "alsaconf" and after that, check if
"/etc/modprobe.conf" has some config lines about the alsa modules.

egag

Thanks. I have rebuilt the kernel a number of times and it seems as though nothing changes at all since the original config I did when I first got it to successfully boot. To check this, I even rebuilt it with just the VESA driver and the logo option, just to see if the changes I made each time werre being reflected in the rebuilt kernel. They aren't.

I have not been doing anything with the System.map because I did not want to overwrite the System.map for my splendidly working 2.4.31 kernel. I am wondering if this is why no chnages are seen each time I rebuild the new kernel.

Any thoughts?

Bob

well...i don't know how you do the install stuff.
i allways use "make modules_install" and copy the rest by hand.
( renaming the files at the same time )

from the source dir. i issue:
cp -f arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.16.4
cp -f System.map /boot/System.map-2.6.16.4

that puts the kernel and map in the right place with the right name.
( using the "-f" option to force overwriting any prev. kernel with that name )

but why do you think nothing changes ?
to check: after you've made the nvidea driver a module, it should show up
as a module, just as the alsa stuff you made modular.
you can look in /lib/modules/<version>/kernel/...

btw: the original Slackware-kernels don't use more than the Vesa drive
compiled in.

egag

Thanks egag for replying. I believe you are running the same kernel, are you not? If so, and you have X working, I would be very interested in seeing what you xorg.conf looks like. From what I have read in these threads, the 8756 nVidia driver will not work with the 2.6.16 kernel, but I have it working on a very stable 2.4.31 kernel. With the NVIDIA module, this kernel is not going to work with X. Seems strange that I HAVE to have this module when I was using X long before I installed nVidia on 2.4.

BTW, I installed the same as you have indicated copying everything over the same as well. The reason I tried the Penguin logo once was to see if the kernel was actually changing each time I reconfigured and it appears that is not (no logo appeared.)

Thanks again for your help,

Bob

i have 2.6.16.4 atm.

my xorg.conf won't help you, i have an ati radeon card.

but what nvidia driver do you use : the dri-driver from the kernel,
or the driver that nvidia provides ?
( the one from nvidia has to be compiled against the new kernel
because it is a kernel-module)

also, there can be more reasons why the logo didn't show up.
----in the kernel config:

under "graphics support":
choose only the Vesa framebuffer driver plus the vga16
as compiled-in.
( don't pick the nvidia fb-driver or any other.

under "console display driver support":
-pick framebuffer console support.
-pick compiled-in fonts (i allways pick the vga 8x16 + 8x8)

under "logo configuration":
-pick a logo

-------in lilo.conf

you find this section if you used the "liloconfig" tool
to setup lilo :
----------
# Normal VGA console
#vga=normal
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
# vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
#vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
# vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=787
<snip>
-----------
( if you make changes to the lilo.conf file, you must rerun "lilo")

as you see the "vga=normal" is commented out,
and vga=791 is the mode that's used when booting.

i believe this is how a standard Slackware kernel is configured.
( and it's done so to work on allmost any system)

egag

Thanks, egag. Even though you use a different card, this is a lot of useful information. I use GRUB, not lilo, but there is a VGA= option in GRUB as well. I currently have it set to 788. I do not plan on using the nVidia driver because I am told it will not work with the 2.4.31 kernel, and I want to keep that as it is. I simply want to get X working, and the darn thing still refuses because of the NVIDIA module being missing.

I am going to try one more recompile using your information. If doesn't work, I suppose I will just use this kernel for command line training (could use some, anyway) as the system seems to work very except for not getting X. Don't know about sound, but something causes the speakers to come on just before booting is finished.

You have been a big help while I have tried to do all of this. I really appreciate it. Hope I can return the favor at some point.

Bob

egag...followed your instructions exactly and IT WORKED!!. After two days of digging under the hood with this thing, your instructions got it going. Still had to install the nVidia module, but it worked and I have X and sound. I've had a few minutes to dig around this kernel and it is considerably faster than the 2.4 kernel (for me at least). Boots up in less than a minute.

Very appreciative of your help. Problem solved.

Bob

nice you got it working.
good job.

egag