[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: sarge 2.6.14 kernel panics on boot on a x86 machine with a Promise ATA/RAID disk controller



Hi,

On Saturday 19 November 2005 21:36, Alex Teclo wrote:
> I am having a problem when booting a 2.6.14 kernel on a machine running
> Sarge. The machine is a Compaq Pentium-II @ 300 MHz PC with a Promise
> ATA/RAID disk controller.

Note that debian-boot is about developing the Debian Installer, not about 
boot problems. Your question should really have been asked on 
debian-user.

> pivot_root: No such file or directory
> /sbin/init: 432: cannot open dev/console: No such file
> Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill init!

In general this means that after the initial boot from the initrd has 
happened, the system is unable to switch to the real root filesystem 
because either the correct drivers have not been loaded or the entries in 
the /etc/fstab are incorrect.

> If you look at the boot process, you can see "VFS: Mounted root
> (cramfs filesystem) readonly. initrd-tools: 0.1.81.1". This means the
> machine is able to mount its root filesystem and its initrd image.

No, it does not mean that the root filesystem can be mounted. In fact, 
that's where the problem is.

> If now I remove my ATA/RAID controller, both the 2.6.14 and 2.4.29
> kernels boot flawlessly. (Obviously, I need to rename
> "/dev/ataraid/d0px" to "/dev/hdax" but it's not a major problem)...
>
> So why is it that on with a 2.6.14 kernel I get a kernel panic at boot
> ? A problem with initrd ? devfs ? ... the ATA/RAID driver ?

My guess is that for 2.6 the devices for the harddisk are named /dev/sdax 
instead of /dev/hdax and you need to modify your /etc/fstab and possibly 
your bootloader configuration to reflect that.
The other option is that the correct driver has not been loaded.
Use shift-PgUp to scroll back through earlier boot messages on the console 
to check which is the case.

Cheers,
FJP

Attachment: pgpprlvEUziGo.pgp
Description: PGP signature


Reply to: