[SOLVED] usb install RAMDISK trouble

stabu · 02-05-2010, 04:24 AM

Hi!

OK, so I now have slackware v13 on a USB, some 2G worth. Now what I'm trying to do is install it on a D150 Aspire One which certainly allows USB HDD boots but is somewhat fussy about the USB setup: i.e. some usb images work and some don't.

Particularly it's the the DVD-converted-into-USB image ones that it isn't happy about.

WHat happens is, in the slackware case, is that the hugesmp.s kernel is found and appears to be loaded first. Then comes the initrd, foudn and loaded. then a bunch of identification things occur including the SATA harddisk.

So that's quite a long way into the boot process already. Then I get kernel panic, claiming the RAMDISK cant be found and the "root=" option is incorrect. Of course those error reports contradict the earlier activities where ramdisk (initrd) _was_found.

Also I checked a USB image distro that did work and it had root=/dev/ram0 in its syslinux.cfg appended to the kernel.

I reckoned that was the problem and so appended root=/dev/ram0 to the slackware usb's syslinux.cfg in the appropriate place. As usual with troubleshooting, none of this - however logical - had any effect, kernel panic continued. I then went wild with the syslinux.cfg file, deleting adding stuff and none of this had any effect.

This is the world I love: error reports that tend to misguide and spurious config files. OK, I'm being ironic here. So now, I've started to read up on ramdisk's and linux live scripts .. and you can imagine that this will take up alot of time.

So .. has anybody else run into this? Clearly you need a fussy laptop for it. I'm not particularly expecting any replies, so I'm going to check out the Arch linux usb image, which actually did work (in fact, Arch is already installed, but I've been a little disapointed with pacman, so that's why I want slackware up on the laptop).

Thanks for reading. Helpful advice welcome.

uppman · 02-05-2010, 05:42 AM

I don't exactly understand what you are trying to do.

For a way to convert the DVD installer to USB see the link below and look at "Create Slackware installation USB stick/hd":
http://linuxconfig.dyndns.org/lazy/L.../Boot/Syslinux

I used Extlinux with this extlinux.conf:

Code:

default hugesmp.s
prompt 1
timeout 1200
display message.txt
F1 message.txt
F2 f2.txt
label huge.s
  kernel kernels/huge.s/bzImage
  append initrd=initrd.img load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw SLACK_KERNEL=huge.s
label hugesmp.s
  kernel kernels/hugesmp.s/bzImage
  append initrd=initrd.img load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw SLACK_KERNEL=hugesmp.s
label speakup.s
  kernel kernels/speakup.s/bzImage
  append initrd=initrd.img load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw SLACK_KERNEL=speakup.s

onebuck · 02-05-2010, 08:42 AM

Hi,

You could look at 'usb-and-pxe-installers', Alien Bob's script that should perform the necessary task, which is on your install media. The 'README_USB.TXT' will lead you with the proper procedures;

Quote:

excerpt from README_USB.TXT;
Introduction
------------

With the release of Slackware 12.0, the era of floppy-boot came to
a definite end. The reason is simple - the Linux 2.6 kernel will not
fit on a single floppy, even in it's most condensed configuration.
In this README, I will show you how to use a bootable USB stick to
install Slackware. This method - creating the USB equivalent of a
boot/root floppy pair - is easy to use and fast. It requires that your
computer is able to boot from USB-HDD.

stabu · 02-05-2010, 11:22 AM

hi guys, thanks for your replies. Much appreciated.

Maybe I rambled too much, and was incomprehensible.

OK, the situation is, I already used Alien Bob's script to get the DVD on to the USB (not all of it, script defaults to 2G's worth). It seems to have worked. So that's not the problem.

The laptop or its BIOS is fussy, that's what's happening. I need to get into the ramdisk and sort out why it's giving kernel panic despite having loaded a kernel and initrd from the USB.

I've had dodgy laptops before .. there's no knowing how they may spring incompatibilities.

I've had a fault like this when the loaded ramdisk kernel is unable to mount the filesystem, because it's of a type that it has no module for. Could be the same here.

I'm not demanding general help, I'm just posting just in case somebody who has run into this type of "fussy laptop situation" reads.

Thanks!

uppman · 02-05-2010, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stabu

hi guys, thanks for your replies. Much appreciated.

Maybe I rambled too much, and was incomprehensible.

OK, the situation is, I already used Alien Bob's script to get the DVD on to the USB (not all of it, script defaults to 2G's worth). It seems to have worked. So that's not the problem.

The laptop or its BIOS is fussy, that's what's happening. I need to get into the ramdisk and sort out why it's giving kernel panic despite having loaded a kernel and initrd from the USB.

I've had dodgy laptops before .. there's no knowing how they may spring incompatibilities.

I've had a fault like this when the loaded ramdisk kernel is unable to mount the filesystem, because it's of a type that it has no module for. Could be the same here.

I'm not demanding general help, I'm just posting just in case somebody who has run into this type of "fussy laptop situation" reads.

Thanks!

The initrd with the installation RAMDISK shouldn't even try to mount a root filesystem. Sure you are using the correct one?

stabu · 02-10-2010, 06:32 AM

thanks uppman. Well there's only one initrd.img.

I'm assuming that initrd.img is the one that's doing all these key ops.

The boot up order it slightly confusing ... the hugesmp.s kernel comes up first (on the screen I mean, while booting) and only afterwards, initrd.img

This then appears to want to to boot something else, even though quite alot of things seem to have already been set-up. Your point that it shouldn't be mounting an FS .. well, I haven't messed with the initrd.img, so it should behaving correctly.

stabu · 02-10-2010, 10:27 AM

Ok, I abandoned this USB stick endeavour.

Started a fresh just using a new usbinstall.img.

It failed to boot at all.

OK, that's progress!

I mean it! Early problems are easier to deal with than later problems. Of course, there are fewer possible combinations of tests to be done! This time I decided to use the boot menu of this laptop (F12). I had't before because it was booting other USB sticks OK.

However, when I doubly ensured it was set to booting from USB via this channel, it loaded OK!

I love the slackware installer, it's so simple and flexible but this time it couldn't do as advertised: install from a mounted directory source. My fault maybe but I did mount the new directory. In any case, I decided to try the previous USB (the one I mention in my first post) and this time .. it did load properly!

It's installing now. Glory.

Soemthign got to do with the BIOS of this laptop I think. Anyhow, all OK now. Cheers for reading.

stabu · 02-10-2010, 10:55 AM

OK, all installed. Ethernet/sound/alsa+alsamixer/X ... everything instantly works. Slackware is just the business. Enough said.

uppman · 02-10-2010, 11:55 PM

Glad it worked out! Sometimes you just need some persistance..