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External USB HDD Install - can't find root

Ok, after attempting to resize my Windows partition, have the process fail on me, and spending a good couple of hours rebuilding the filesystem, I've decided to install Slack to my external HDD instead.

My external drive repartitioned fine, installed fine, but when I go to first run I get a report that I need to specify an valid root. Linux is installed to sda3, the partition is flagged as bootable, and I'm telling the kernel not to probe hdb (hda is my internal drive, which maps correctly).

Any suggestions?

Welcome to LQ!

A bootable partition is needed for Windows, but not for Linux.

Please post your /etc/lilo.conf here. Specifically, where is
LILO located? I would think with your internal drive being
/dev/hda you could setup /etc/lilo.conf something like this:

Code:

# LILO configuration file

# generated by 'liloconfig'

#

# Start LILO global section

boot = /dev/hda

# Append any additional kernel parameters:

append="panic=15"

prompt

timeout = 50

# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k

vga = 791

# ramdisk = 0    # paranoia setting

# End LILO global section

# Linux bootable partition config begins

image = /boot/vmlinuz-generic-smp-2.6.24.5-smp

  initrd = /boot/initrd.gz

  root = /dev/sda3

  label = Slack-12.1

  read-only  # Partitions should be mounted read-only for checking

# Linux bootable partition config ends

# Windows bootable partition config begins

other = /dev/hda1

  label = Windows

  table = /dev/hda

# Windows bootable partition config ends

NB: The above assumes that you have a Windows OS on /dev/hda1,
and no clue what /dev/hdb is on your box. The framebuffer is a guess,
but it could be different if that doesn't work. This installs LILO to the MBR.

You can boot with Slackware CD1 and at the prompt enter:

Code:

hugesmp.s root=/dev/sda3 rdinit= ro

which should get you into your system and let you fix it. After you
edit /etc/lilo.conf you MUST issue "lilo" to write it again.

If you post output also give us "fdisk -l" and "mount" please.

I only have one system handy, so I'm going to be doing a lot of rebooting to figure this out. Could be a while between updates.

Slackware won't even boot from the CD if I specify root=/dev/sda3 unless I also specify hdb=noprobe.

Going to restart and check everything - response time may vary.

Thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jabor (Post 3146374)

Have you tried editing the /etc/lilo.conf on the externel disk and adding append="hdb=noprobe"?

Tried that, didn't work.

Attempting it just now, Slackware won't even boot off the CD if I include "rdinit=" when specifying the kernel (what does that parameter actually do, btw?) Launching off the cd with the following line:

hugesmp.s root=/dev/sda3 ro hdb=noprobe

let me gather the following info:

fdisk -l:

Code:

Disk /dev/sda: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes

255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders

Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes



  Device  Boot  Start    End    Blocks  Id          System

/dev/sda1            1  27851  223713126    7        HPFS/NTFS

/dev/sda2        30277  30401    1004062+  f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)

/dev/sda3  *    27852  30276  19478812+  83            Linux

/dev/sda5        30277  30401    1004062  82      Linux Swap

mount:

Code:

proc on /proc type proc (rw)

sysfs on /sys type sysfs (rw)

usbfs on /proc/bus/usb type usbfs (rw)

lilo.conf:

Code:

# There are a lot of comments in here that I've left out

boot = /dev/hda

# Append any additional kernel parameters:

append="hdb=noprobe vt.default_utf8=0"

prompt

timeout = 1200

change-rules

  reset



vga=790



# End LILO global section

# Windows bootable partition config begins

other = /dev/hda1

  label = Windows

  table = /dev/hda

# Windows bootable partition config ends

# Linux bootable partition config begins

image = /boot/vmlinuz

  root = /dev/sda3

  label = Linux

  read-only

# Linux bootable partition config ends