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Old 09-30-2004, 10:49 AM   #1
andrewnelson
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Registered: Sep 2004
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Kernel Panic Message (steming from slack10 install on SATA)


Hello,

I'm still fairly new to linux but I've been using slackware 9.1 since
it was released. As a bit of background on this problem...I bought a
dell power edge 750 server to use as a low level application/webserver
mostly to do some testing, and to use as a dev box for several
projects i'm working on. Anyway, I ordered the server with 2 160 GB
Segate 7200 SATA drives. This was before I understood the minor
challenges in installing slack 10 on SATA drives.

I dug through these forums, and found a custom kernel that several
people have used to boot the slack iso1 (sata.i) with sata drives.
I successfully grabbed that kernel, appended it to the Slack 10 iso1,
sucessfully partitioned the disks (/dev/sda1 being / ) and completed
the entire setup/install process up to the point where the setup asked
for the kernel to install. I chose first to try to install a kernel from the cd
thinking since the sata.i choice was available during initial boot,
that I could just Install that kernel and all would be good. Alas it
was not on the selection menu. So I used Rawrite and put the sata.i
kernel onto a floppy, and chose that option (to install from a floppy) next time around when the setup asked for a kernel to install. Worked like a charm, and the setup told me to exit and CTL+ALT+DEL to reboot the system.

Upon reboot I got to LILO and booted the system. As the system
started to boot i got the following message.

NET4: Unix domain sockets 1.0/SMP for Linux NET4.0
Kmod: failed to exec /sbin/modprobe -s -k block-major-8, errno = 2
VFS: Cannot open root device "801" or 08:01
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 08:01

Then the system hung. Since i'm not too experienced with editing the
lilo.cfg file I decided to try the boot disks I made (so i could pass
in a different "root=" param) Tried that and tried passing in several
different device names (/dev/sda1, /dev/sda, /dev/hda) thinking that
it just wasn't looking at the right device but all to now avail, and
resulting in the same error message as above.

I did read on some other posts that this problem can be an issue with
trying to boot a kernel with out scsi support, but i'm not sure how
that would not apply in this case seeing as i don't have scsi drives
or even a controler for that matter.

In anycase If anyone can help me out I would greatly appriciate it!
Time is not Critical (yet) but I am kind of getting down to the wire
on needing to get this thing up and running, so any help would be
greatly appriciated.

Thanks so much

Andy
 
Old 09-30-2004, 11:43 AM   #2
kilgoretrout
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Registered: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,983

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You could try hitting the Esc key when lilo comes up which will take you to a boot prompt and try passing "root=/dev/sda1" but I don't think that will work. I suspect your sata driver is not loading at boot time.
When I put slack 10 on my sata drive, I had to first install it to an ide drive, install the 2.6 kernel on the drive, create an initrd.img which included the sata driver, edit fstab to to accomodate the new location that the partitions would have on the sata drive, image the partitions and transfer them to the sata drive. Then I used knoppix to access my ide slack install and redit my fstab so I could boot my original ide slack install and booted into that and edited it's lilo.conf to add an entry for my sata slack, tested to make sure I could boot into the sata slack then finally installed lilo to the sata mbr and changed the boot order in my bios to boot off the sata drive first. Finally got it working but it was a pain.
I don't know what kernel you used but IIRC, slack doesn't use an initrd in it's default install. If you don't have an initrd with the sata driver included I don't think it will boot. Just a guess. The sata drivers now run sata drives as scsi drives(dev/sdax) instead of as a /dev/hdx so it might also be that the install program improperly put the / entry as a /dev/hdx. If that's the case, doing the "root=/dev/sda1" should correct that and allow you to boot afterwhich you can edit your fstab to properly designate your root partition.
I believe the current knoppix can see sata drives if you boot off the 2.6 kernel. You might want to get that and see how your slack fstab is set up and check slack's /boot to see if there is an initrd there and the lilo.conf to see if there is a line for an initrd. It will give you some clue as to what's going on.
 
Old 09-30-2004, 12:34 PM   #3
andrewnelson
LQ Newbie
 
Registered: Sep 2004
Posts: 2

Original Poster
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Wow...

That will give me a lot of stuff to try, as well as alot of research to do in order to understand most of you post (don't ya hate semi newbies) :-) Anyway, I will try all of the things you mentioned.

I'm not going to be able to use the ide install and transfer it to sata trick right away, as i don't have a spare ide drive sitting around and buying one to test that out would be a bit of a pain. It sounds pretty involved too, and again i'm really bumping up against my knowledge of linux here, but this is how i learn so i'll do my best to implement what you suggested and let you know how it works out.

If anyone else has any bright ideas i'll try those too.

P.S. the kernel i used was i believe a modified kernel from bonecrusher labled sata.i. I'm not sure if this was a 2.4.x kernel modified for sata support or a 2.6 kernel.

Thanks for your help

Andy
 
Old 09-30-2004, 06:30 PM   #4
slackman
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Registered: Mar 2003
Distribution: Slack 9.0
Posts: 123

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i had the same problem. kernel 2.4.25. compile the kernel again use the same settings etc + include support for RAM disk and up the default size from 4096 to whatever (i did double and it worked). of course after u get it working u can recompile minizming the size until it doesnt work again so ull find the minimum value. hope this helps. ill be posting complete tutorial on my web site soon.

of corurse make sure your driver is loading at boot, and that the fie system you are using on your partitions is compiled into kernel as well.

Last edited by slackman; 10-02-2004 at 02:42 AM.
 
  


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