Re: kernel-image-2.6.8-1-686 unable to mount root
On Saturday 06 November 2004 02:35, Eddy Jacob wrote:
> On Fri, 05 Nov 2004 16:49:23 -0700, Justin Guerin <jguerin@cso.atmel.com>
wrote:
> > On Thursday 04 November 2004 20:11, Eddy Jacob wrote:
> > > Hi everyone,
> > >
> > > I'm running debian, sarge. I installed the OS from Knoppix 3.4. I
> > > want to use kernel 2.6.8, but I've got a problem on booting
> > > kernel-image-2.6.8-1-686. I got this:
> > >
> > > Kernal panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(3,7)
> > >
> > > Currently I'm using kernel 2.4.26 default from Knoppix. I also got
> > > similar error when trying kernel-image-2.4.26.-1-686. I really don't
> > > know how to get it working.
> > > I've tried googling the web and searching all debian's list archive,
> > > and found many pages related to that specific error, but the
> > > solutions suggested were to compile the kernel with file system
> > > driver compiled and something about MSDOS partition support built
> > > into the kernel not as module.
> > >
Yes, this will likely fix your problem. However, it is not the only way.
Since you don't want to compile your own kernel, you can use the initial
ram disk to hold the modules.
> > > But I don't want to compile the kernel. What I don't understand is,
> > > why the package I downloaded from debian sarge, causes that error? Is
> > > it really because of the file system driver not compiled into the
> > > kernel? I thought that packages from sarge should be common enough so
> > > that user can just download them and use it.
> > >
This error might be happening because Knoppix is not Debian. Last time I
did a Knoppix hard disk install, it used XFS. XFS is provided as a file
system driver module in some kernels (I'm pretty sure Sarge has it), but
you have to make sure that you add it to the initial ram disk in order to
boot properly.
Stock kernels don't compile XFS into the kernel because they want to keep
the kernel lean, and it's not explicitly required to have your file system
driver compiled in statically in order to use it. Stock kernels are all
about flexibility, so everything is compiled as a module. It's just that
the file system module is harder to use than the rest.
In any case, I could be wrong, if your file system isn't XFS. What
does /etc/fstab say? Also, are those modules in the initial ram disk?
> > > Also, the kernel-image downloaded from debian is unable to use the
> > > vesafb (I guess). my vga option in lilo.conf is vga=791, which is
> > > working under knoppix default.
> > >
> > > BTW, my lilo.conf is like:
> > >
> > > image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.26
> > > label="Linux"
> > > initrd=/boot/initrd.img-2.4.26
> > > append="ramdisk_size=500000 lang=de apm=power-off hda=scsi
> > > hdb=scsi hdc=scsi hdd=scsi hde=scsi hdf=scsi hdg=scsi hdh=scsi nomce"
> > > read-only
> > >
> > > image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.26-1-686
> > > label="Linux-686"
> > > vga=extended
> > > initrd=/boot/initrd.img-2.4.26-1-686
> > > append="ramdisk_size=500000 lang=de apm=power-off hda=scsi
> > > hdb=scsi hdc=scsi hdd=scsi hde=scsi hdf=scsi hdg=scsi hdh=scsi nomce"
> > > read-only
> > >
> > > image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.8-1-686
> > > label="Linux-2.6"
> > > vga=extended
> > > initrd=/boot/initrd.img-2.6.8-1-686
> > > append="ramdisk_size=500000 lang=en apm=power-off hda=scsi
> > > nomce" read-only
> > >
> > > I don't have a clue to why all hdx is equal to scsi. and what
> > > apm=power-off means and nomce?
> >
> > hdx=scsi:
> > There's a big debate on that one, but basically, it's for CD burning.
> > If you don't need to burn CDs, you probably don't need it.
> > apm=power-off:
> > This is a switch meant to make your computer power completely off when
> > you choose shutdown from the gui menu, or when you issue the shutdown
> > command from the command line. If your computer is really old, your
> > bios won't support it, and it won't work anyway. If you don't care,
> > take it out. Your computer may work anyway.
> > nomce:
> > "This command disables self-diagnosis checks performed on the CPU. The
> > kernel enables self-diagnosis on the CPU by default (called Machine
> > Check Exception). On some older Compaq machines, this check is run too
> > often and may need to be disabled."
> >
> > Some of this information was gleaned from this page:
> > http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/linux/RHL-8.0-Manual/install-guide/c
> >h-bootopts.html
> >
> > > Anyone have a solution to this? I've been trying to find answer to
> > > this for a week. Many thanks.
> >
> > You did run lilo after you installed the new kernels, right? You did
> > tell lilo that your kernels use an initrd, right?
> >
> > Justin Guerin
> >
> Thanks for the boot options Justin,
>
> Yes I did run lilo, and I use initrd, as you can see from lilo.conf
> parts that I pasted into my first email.
>
Yes, I see that you correctly specified the initrd. I'm sorry, I was
thinking about a different option (something to do with RAID, I believe).
Justin Guerin
Reply to: