kernel panic [was "no subject"]

[Robert Storey <y2kbug@ms25.hinet.net>]

On Sat, 19 Apr 2003 13:22:50 +0100
"vicente.ferrando" <vicente.ferrando@wanadoo.es> wrote:

>             Hello list,
>  
>             I was using a partiton formated reiserfs for /var and /etc. And I was happy with it. So I decided making the whole root filesystem reiserfs.
>  
>             I moved ther rest of my directories to that partition (/bin, /sbin, /usr,_). Modified /etc/fstab to mount the new partition on / as reiserfs. Changed root in lilo.conf and ejecuted lilo.
>  
>             Obiously I_m missing something cause when I try to boot I read a line _VFS:Mounted root (reiserfs filesystem) readonly._ Apparently the filesystem has been mounted. But the following messages go next: 
>  
>             Warning: Unable to open initial console
>             Kernel panic: No init found. Try passing init= option to kernel
>  
>             I_ver tried with init=/bin/bash but nothing changes. Someone knows where the problem could be?

It is just possible that you're experiencing the notorious 1024th cylinder problem. Yes, I know that problem was cured "long ago," but some people still have it because of their ancient BIOS, or because they haven't included the "lba32" parameter, or maybe because they are having to deal with an uppity Windows partition. Anyway, there is a good chance that your /boot directory was previously below the 1024th cylinder and now it is above it since you moved your installation to a new partition.

A google search on "1024 partition" turns up a lot of stuff, like this:

   In order to make use of the new features of Lilo you have to edit
   the file /etc/lilo.conf:

   Please add the following line in the global section of lilo.conf:

   lba32

   In case there already is an entry "linear", this will have to be removed
   or hidden as a comment since linear and lba32 are mutually exclusive.
   After calling lilo to install the new boot loader, it should be possible
   to boot from above 1024 cylinders. This new feature of Lilo requires a
   current BIOS (post 1998) since Lilo uses BIOS calls to access the
   harddisk and older BIOS versions don't implement the ability to reach
   beyond the 1024 cylinder limit. 

Of course, it could be that this is not your problem and I am barking up the wrong tree. Anyway, why are you using LILO? Consider switching to GRUB.

regards,
Robert