Kernel panic on first reboot

killgriff · 11-22-2011, 01:04 PM

Ok, I have a hp mini that I use to multiboot Arch, Ubuntu, and Debian currently. I have the HD partitioned so /dev/sda1 is boot (for arch), /sda2 is swap, /sda3 is my /data partition, /sda4 is extended, and then /sda5 is arch, 6 is ubuntu, 7 is debian, 8 will be fedora, and 9 is slackware. I use the arch grub to link the distros by adding the uuid and kernel to arch's menu.lst. After installing slack on /dev/sda9, I rebooted into arch, added the slack option to grub, then tried to reboot into slack. I didn't see lilo when booting, and ran into a kernel panic shortly after.

Here's a picture of the panic:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...62640840_n.jpg

Slackware's lilo:

Code:

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
# Append any additional kernel parameters:
append=" vt.default_utf8=0"
boot = /dev/sda9

# Boot BMP Image.
# Bitmap in BMP format: 640x480x8
  bitmap = /boot/slack.bmp
# Menu colors (foreground, background, shadow, highlighted
# foreground, highlighted background, highlighted shadow):
  bmp-colors = 255,0,255,0,255,0
# Location of the option table: location x, location y, number of
# columns, lines per column (max 15), "spill" (this is how many
# entries must be in the first column before the next begins to
# be used.  We don't specify it here, as there's just one column.
  bmp-table = 60,6,1,16
# Timer location x, timer location y, foreground color,
# background color, shadow color.
  bmp-timer = 65,27,0,255

# Standard menu.
# Or, you can comment out the bitmap menu above and 
# use a boot message with the standard menu:
#message = /boot/boot_message.txt

# Wait until the timeout to boot (if commented out, boot the
# first entry immediately):
prompt
# Timeout before the first entry boots.
# This is given in tenths of a second, so 600 for every minute:
timeout = 1200
# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
  reset
# Normal VGA console
vga = normal
# Ask for video mode at boot (time out to normal in 30s)
#vga = ask
# 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
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
#vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
#vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
#vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
#vga=769
# End LILO global section
# Windows bootable partition config begins
#other = /dev/sda3
# label = Windows
# table = /dev/sda
# Windows bootable partition config ends
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
  root = /dev/sda9
  label = Linux
  read-only
# Linux bootable partition config ends

The slack partition is ext4. Let me know if I need to give more info. Any help is greatly appreciated.

TobiSGD · 11-22-2011, 01:11 PM

I always get a somewhat similar looking kernel panic when I use the generic kernel and forget to create an initrd first. Is there a chance that this may be your problem?

killgriff · 11-22-2011, 01:24 PM

As I did not create one, that would probably be the problem, haha. I knew it would be something simple. Thanks!

Cedrik · 11-22-2011, 02:31 PM

If using initrd, I think you should add a line for it in Lilo.conf after image=/boot/vmlinuz line

like: initrd = /boot/<initrd filename>

killgriff · 11-22-2011, 02:52 PM

I made the initrd in slack, but couldn't find the lilo.conf in /etc/. There was a lilo-error file, but no .conf. I booted into arch and mounted the slack partition and lilo was there, so I edited it from arch and tried booting back into slack, but ran into the same panic. Any ideas?

TobiSGD · 11-22-2011, 03:05 PM

Are you using grub or lilo on your Arch? If you use grub and directly load the Slackware kernel (as I understand it from your first post), instead of chainloading to lilo, you don't have to make the changes in lilo at all, you have to make them in your grub's configuration.

killgriff · 11-22-2011, 03:12 PM

I use grub in Arch

Code:

# (5) Slackware
title Slackware
root (hd0,8)
uuid 1af51426-af58-4478-b7a6-0ed9b91aa4c0
kernel /boot/vmlinuz

Cedrik · 11-22-2011, 03:14 PM

For my part, I found an easy way to use Linux distros multiboot is to make a separate /boot partition and share it between distros. It just requires that you make sure that kernel/System.map/initrd filenames are named differently for each distro so they don't get overwritten

Cedrik · 11-22-2011, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by killgriff

I use grub in Arch

Code:

# (5) Slackware
title Slackware
root (hd0,8)
uuid 1af51426-af58-4478-b7a6-0ed9b91aa4c0
kernel /boot/vmlinuz

initrd line missing...

What is the file name for initrd in Slackware's /boot ?

killgriff · 11-22-2011, 03:19 PM

Ok, I didn't think of initrd in grub. It's /boot/initrd.gz in slackware. So would I just add

Code:

initrd /boot/initrd.gz

to grub?

EDIT:
Nope, tried that and still get a panic.

Cedrik · 11-22-2011, 03:23 PM

Yes, put that your arch grub's menu.lst
BTW is it grub2 or grub legacy used in arch ? I think grub2 uses partition notation that starts at 1
(so root(hd0,9) for /dev/sda9)

Cedrik · 11-22-2011, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by killgriff

Ok, I didn't think of initrd in grub. It's /boot/initrd.gz in slackware. So would I just add

Code:

initrd /boot/initrd.gz

to grub?

EDIT:
Nope, tried that and still get a panic.

maybe comment the uuid thing and use root=/dev/sda9
like:

Code:

# (5) Slackware
title Slackware
root (hd0,8)
#uuid 1af51426-af58-4478-b7a6-0ed9b91aa4c0
kernel /boot/vmlinuz ro root=/dev/sda9
initrd /boot/initrd.gz

killgriff · 11-22-2011, 03:37 PM

Tried initrd in grub and still get the same panic. Arch uses grub2 (2.2.6), but for some reason it starts at 0.

Code:

# DEVICE NAME CONVERSIONS
#
#  Linux           Grub
# -------------------------
#  /dev/fd0        (fd0)
#  /dev/sda        (hd0)
#  /dev/sdb2       (hd1,1)
#  /dev/sda3       (hd0,2)
#

I'm checking if changing from kernel to linux will work in grub.

Cedrik · 11-22-2011, 03:45 PM

Did you make initrd from arch, like :

Code:

mount /dev/sda9 /mnt/tmp
cd /mnt/tmp
chroot .
/sbin/mkinitrd -c -k <kernel version> -m mbcache:jbd:ext4 -f ext4 -r /dev/sda9
exit

killgriff · 11-22-2011, 03:52 PM

I tried your suggestion of commenting the uuid and adding ro root=/dev/sda9 and it worked! It finally got past the panic and let me log in normally. BTW: I made the initrd from slack (reinstalled and used the cl after exiting setup).

Thanks for all your help, I never would have thought the changes needed to be made in grub. Now I've got another distro to play with