* On 2004:02:22:11:26:39-0600 I, Michael D Schleif <mds@helices.org>, scribed: > OK, I am finally testing v2.6.x kernels on one box. > > Prior to yesterdays 2.6.2 install, I had successfully used the > following: > > 2.4.23-1-686 > 2.4.24-1-686 > > This box uses lilo, and I successfully switched between these kernels at > boot time. > > Then, I installed this: > > 2.6.2-1-686 > > Yes, it booted the first time, and after I got around to loading the > following, even X and KDE work: > > mousedev > psmouse > > Nevertheless, now I cannot boot any 2.4.x kernels ;< > > . . . > Freeing initrd memory: 5292k freed > [ request_module[block-major-8]: Root fs not mounted ] > 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 > > NOTE: That second line only occurs sometimes, and I cannot find any > `block' references in /etc/modules.conf -- hence the `[]'. <snip /> Thank you, David, for pointing me in the right direction. Yes, lilo was properly configured. It turns out that something _removed_ the `bootable' flag from /dev/sda1 , and with `ROOT=probe' in /etc/mkinitrd/mkinitrd.conf, the probing process could not find a boot partition for 2.4.x kernels. I do not know how 2.6.x kernels find a bootable partition; nor do I know how the installation process of the 2.6.2 kernel removed that flag. Please, comment if you feel that this is a bug, and that I ought to report it. I do know that setting `ROOT=""' is equivalent to the obsolete `PROBE=off', which _did_ allow booting the 2.4.x kernels. However, the correct solution is to use cfdisk and reset the `bootable' flag on /dev/sda1, and reset `ROOT=probe'. Now, this box and kernels 2.6.x/2.4.x behave as expected. Thank you. -- Best Regards, mds mds resource 877.596.8237 - Dare to fix things before they break . . . - Our capacity for understanding is inversely proportional to how much we think we know. The more I know, the more I know I don't know . . . --
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