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Re: Help - kernel panic



Hello

Stephen Liu (<satimis@icare.com.hk>) wrote:

>  Debian - unstable
>  
>  The PC has not been used for couple weeks. On booting it went 'kernel
>  panic' with following warning;
>  ......
>  .......
>  modprobe : modprobe: can't locate module block-major-3
>  mount: dev2/root2 is not a valid block device
>  mount: you must specify the filesystem type
>  pivot_root: No such file or directory
>  /sbin/init: 217: cannot open dev/console: No such file
>  Kernel panic: Attempted to kill init
>  
>  Kindly advise how to fix the problem

You need support for IDE hard disks (block-major-3). Probably the driver
is compiled as a module, and you don't use an initrd - without the
initrd the kernel can't access the driver because it is on the root
filesystem on an IDE hard disk. Boot into your system, add a line for
the initrd to your bootloader configuration, run lilo if you use it,
and reboot.

> Remark: I have a Debian boot disc but I am sure whether it was
> prepared for this PC or another PC which was also running Debian 
> (unstable). The latter has been erased. In case the boot disc is not 
> working can I have it downloaded from Debian website?  

You should be able to boot using an Woody installation CD or a set of
boot floppies. The installation kernels have compiled-in IDE support.
E.g. with the first Woody CD you could boot entering

rescbf24 root=hdasomething

best regards
        Andreas Janssen

-- 
Andreas Janssen <andreas.janssen@bigfoot.com>
PGP-Key-ID: 0xDC801674
Registered Linux User #267976
http://www.andreas-janssen.de/debian-tipps.html



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