[SOLVED] How to recover from botched mkinitrd?

benav · 07-15-2011, 06:47 AM

Trying to install Slackware 13.37. After installation I ran mkinitrd (I'm sorry, I can't remember what options I used, but they were based pretty closely on the examples in /boot/README.initrd), edited /etc/lilo.conf accordingly, and reinstalled LILO. On boot, I get this:

Quote:

/boot/initrd.gz: Loading kernel modules from initrd image:
mount: mountint /dev/sdb3 on /mnt failed: No such file or directory
ERROR: No /sbin/init found on rootdev (or not mounted). Trouble ahead.
You can try to fix it. Type 'exit' when things are done.

I don't know what to do, so I just type exit, and then I get a kernel panic and can't do anything but hit the power button.

Clearly, I did something wrong with mkinitrd, but now I can't figure out how to recover. I can boot from the DVD, and edit /etc/lilo.conf, but after that I'm lost. I can't figure out how to reinstall LILO so I could boot from the huge.s kernel again (mounting the drives and running sbin/liloconfig tells me "cannot install LILO"), and the setup program won't let me use its CONFIGURE option.

Any suggestions?

SeRi@lDiE · 07-15-2011, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benav

Trying to install Slackware 13.37. After installation I ran mkinitrd (I'm sorry, I can't remember what options I used, but they were based pretty closely on the examples in /boot/README.initrd), edited /etc/lilo.conf accordingly, and reinstalled LILO. On boot, I get this:

I don't know what to do, so I just type exit, and then I get a kernel panic and can't do anything but hit the power button.

Clearly, I did something wrong with mkinitrd, but now I can't figure out how to recover. I can boot from the DVD, and edit /etc/lilo.conf, but after that I'm lost. I can't figure out how to reinstall LILO so I could boot from the huge.s kernel again (mounting the drives and running sbin/liloconfig tells me "cannot install LILO"), and the setup program won't let me use its CONFIGURE option.

Any suggestions?

you need to chroot your self before you run lilo again.
once you chroot your self than you can dit lilo.conf and re run lilo.

once your back in init3 to create a proper initrd file run:

/usr/share/mkinitrd/mkinitrd_command_generator.sh

that will generate the correct command you need to run for creating a proper initrd file.

Look here for more information...

http://genek.net/LinuxAdventures/sys...ackconfig.html

Scroll down to "create an initrd.gz file"

good luck.

Robert.Thompson · 07-15-2011, 07:15 AM

Hello:

If you decide to re-install, read Gene's short tutorial - it really helped me:

http://genek.net/LinuxAdventures/sys...allation1.html

http://genek.net/LinuxAdventures/sys...ackconfig.html

HTH,

benav · 07-15-2011, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeRi@lDiE

you need to chroot your self before you run lilo again.
once you chroot your self than you can dit lilo.conf and re run lilo.

I did this:

Code:

$ mkdir /mnt/root
$ mount /dev/sda3 /mnt/root
$ chroot /mnt/root
$ liloconfig
$

Running liloconfig there does nothing. No error messages at all. What did I do wrong?

wildwizard · 07-15-2011, 07:27 AM

Did you read the first screen you get when you boot the install disk?

Quote:

In a pinch, you can boot your system from here with a command like:

boot: huge.s root=/dev/sda1 rdinit= ro

Once you boot like that you can reinstall lilo

SeRi@lDiE · 07-15-2011, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benav

I did this:

Code:

$ mkdir /mnt/root
$ mount /dev/sda3 /mnt/root
$ chroot /mnt/root
$ liloconfig
$

Running liloconfig there does nothing. No error messages at all. What did I do wrong?

wildwizard gave you a good suggestion.

Also dont run liloconfig but instead edit your lilo.conf again to boot from the huge kernel and run lilo not liloconfig.

benav · 07-15-2011, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wildwizard

Did you read the first screen you get when you boot the install disk?

Once you boot like that you can reinstall lilo

Thanks!