Problems Booting Slackware and Other Linux
 

Hey guys! How are you? I am going fine...well, I am still a little nb on Linux, specially in the boot configuration. I try to do my best to learn it and avoid problems, but not all the time it is possible. The problem is the following:

I have 3 OS installed in my computer:

1. Windows XP /dev/hda1
2. Slackware Linux /dev/hda7
3. SuSe Linux /dev/hda8

I am trying to make a boot for the 3, but it is not working. Windows and Slackware boots fine, but when I try to boot SuSe Linux (using the lilo that comes with Slackware):

Kernel panic: unable to mount root fs on hda8

Here is my /etc/lilo.conf:

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda
message = /boot/boot_message.txt
prompt
timeout = 1200
# Override dangerous defaults that rewrite the partition table:
change-rules
reset
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
vga = 771
# 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
# 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/hda1
label = Windows
table = /dev/hda
# Windows bootable partition config ends

# Slackware boot
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda7
label = Slackware
read-only
# Slackware boot ends

# SuSe comes here, guys
image = /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.4-52-smp
root = /dev/hda8
label = SuSe
#SuSe ends

//////////////////////////////

I would appreciate so much any help.

If I try to set /boot/vmlinuz for SuSe, it "loads" but gets some modules erros, probably because it is loading the wrong kernel.

So I have also 1 little question:

1. I don't know if the /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.4-52-smp should be present on the /boot dir under slackware (/dev/hda7) or SuSe (/dev/hda8), so if someone could explain me please... (the file is already present on /boot of the both systems but it doesn't work anyway).

Well, thanks so much for your attention guys...and sorry for any nb question...:rolleyes:

/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.4-52-smp should be on /dev/hda8.
Are you running lilo after updating /etc/lilo.conf?

Yes my friend, I am...

are you sure that /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.4-52-smp file exists on /dev/hda8?

EDIT: Actually, your kernel should be as near as possible to the front of the disk. There are some archaic technical reasons that the kernel must be in within the first X space of the disk (not sure of the actual number, but the eight partition might be out of that area.)

EDIT2:
the partition containing your kernel image, needs to be contained within the first 1024 cylinders of the drive, unless you have a BIOS that supports the ``Enhanced Disk Drive Support Specification''

A silly question probably, but what filesystem is used on hda8? You can get that sort of message if the root filesystem is compiled as module. But like I said, probably a silly question.

Yes I am totally sure it exists.

Actually, my friend, I will make you a question: so why did my SuSe linux work normally when I tryed the "grub"? (that is the SuSe's boot manager). I have erased it and put the slack one because I couldn't find a way to configure it, so I tought and still think that the slackware lilo is better-costumizable.

On hda7 I am using ext3 (Slack) and on hda8, reiserfs (SuSe).

About my BIOS, I really don't know if it supports what you told me, but here is the link for my motherboard: http://www.intel.com/design/motherbd/bf/

Well thanks for the attention people! :)

Well if grub booted correctly from it, Lilo shouldn't have a problem....

What happens if you try to boot into Suse?

as I said, it gives me the message:

Kernel panic: unable to mount root fs on hda8

Are you sure that /dev/hda8 is ok? Can you temporarily mount it in Slackware and see it's files?

(maybe something happened while installing Slack?)

Here it is, my friend, using a Terminal window under Slackware:

////////////////

bash-2.05b$ su
Password:
bash-2.05b# mount /dev/hda8 /suse
bash-2.05b# cd /suse
bash-2.05b# ls
bin data1 dev home media opt root slack success tmp var
boot data2 etc lib mnt proc sbin srv sys usr
bash-2.05b# cd boot
bash-2.05b# ls
Kerntypes-2.6.4-52-smp initrd-2.6.4-52-smp
System.map-2.6.4-52-smp message
backup_mbr modversions-2.6.4-52-i386-smp.gz
boot vmlinux-2.6.4-52-smp.gz
config-2.6.4-52-smp vmlinuz
grub vmlinuz-2.6.4-52-smp
initrd
bash-2.05b# df -h
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/hda7 14G 2.3G 12G 17% /
/dev/hda1 25G 24G 904M 97% /mnt/hda1
/dev/hda2 16G 65M 15G 1% /mnt/hda2
/dev/hda3 3.4G 2.7G 667M 81% /mnt/hda3
/dev/hda8 8.9G 1.6G 7.4G 18% /suse
bash-2.05b#

////////////////

well hell, all seems to be in order on your machine...
Maybe something is gone weird since /dev/hda8 is a logical partition? I'm stumped.

(I haven't tri booted in quite awhile ;))

Is the kernel (for SuSE) the default SuSE one or is it one you compiled yourself?

If you compiled it yourself, (as Juncta said) did you compile ReiserFS support into the kernel?

I also assume you are using a system with more than one processor...

Well, I didn't compile any kernel, it is the default. As I said, if I put just /boot/vmlinuz in the SuSe section under my lilo.conf, it loads but with some module errors so I think it is not correct. Yes I am using P4 3.0G HT, so it has dual processor tech.

What sort of module errors?

Maybe you should boot Slack, chroot into the SuSE env. and compile a kernel, then see what happens...

I noticed initrd files in your directory listing. Could SUSE require an "initrd" line in its section of lilo.conf? Something like this perhaps?
(I'm not sure though since I don't use SUSE and I use grub instead of lilo.)

Could you post at least the SUSE section of your grub.conf (or menu.lst, whatever it's called on your machine, probably in the /boot/grub directory). Maybe there's a clue in the way that SUSE configured grub for itself.