Re: problem compiling kernel

[Bernard <bdebreil@teaser.fr>]

Emanoil Kotsev wrote:

> Bernard wrote:
>
>  
>
> > Emanoil Kotsev wrote:
> >
> >    
> >
> > > Bernard wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Compiling md in the kernel is the right approach to boot from raided root
> > > without initrd. You can try this just skipping (deleteing the line in grub
> > > temporary)
> > >
> > >
> > >      
> > I just tried that. Raid compiled into the kernel instead of modules. No
> > initrd. Still crashes at boot.
> >    
>
> most probably you are missing other modules (like ide/ata lvm etc)
> You said your boot is on md but not on lvm. you can build a working initrd
> easily - this is actually all you need.
>
>  
>
> > Also done another test:
> > in the /boot/grub/menu.lst file, replaced root=/dev/mapper/vg00-root by
> > /dev/sda2. Still crashed : "cannot open root device 'sda2' or unknown
> > block(0,0).
> >    
>
> this can not work as your root is on lvm. what did you expect?
>
> try passing the kernel option init=/bin/sh
>
>  
>
> > There is another test that I would like to run, but I need help for
> > this, since I don't know the whole package list:
> >
> > apt-get purge kernel-building gcc make kernel-utils etc...
> >
> > then edit my /etc/apt/sources.list and comment out lines that refer to
> > package directories that are too recent, uncomment old lines referring
> > to debian sarge packages only, excluding 'testing' etc..
> >
> > then
> >
> > apt-get install kernel-building gcc make kernel-utils etc...
> >
> > and, from there on, trying to recompile, not newer kernels, but my good
> > old running kernel 2.6.20-16-386 into a custom version without any sound
> > options in it.
> >
> > What I need is the list of all packages that I should purge and
> > re-install in their former version.
> >
> > regards
> >    
>
> You really could use the recent 2.6.30.4. There were different problems with
> 2.6.20 to 2.6.30. I find 2.6.30.4 the best I've had since 2.6.20.
>  
I tried 2.6.30.4. Same result as with 2.6.26.2 : compiles without 
errors, but crashes on boot.

> So, what I would do (if I were you) is that I would download latest
> 2.6.30.4, and compile all I need to access my boot partition (as you
> already did with md in the kernel), 

I just did that again

> then compile and rebuild or build by
> hand initramfs.
> Build by hand I pretty simple- it's actually hacking the one used. I do
> unzip it
>        cd /tmp; mkdir test; cd test
>        zcat /boot/initrd....gz | cpio -Hnewc -i
>  
The initrd.img that I have on my working system, as well as those 
initrd.img that 'mkinitrd' generates when requested, are not compressed 
files. Filenames are : initrd.img-2.6.20-16-386 for instance. No .gz 
behind. I still tried to gunzip one, just in case that would still be a 
compressed file without usual extension, but no, it is not handled by 
gunzip or zcat. I tried cpio on that file as is, but I got : 'cpio: 
premature end of file'. a 'vi filename' shows that this is a binary 
file. No point to edit then.

So, at this point, I don't have a clue of how to build an initrd.img 
file that would allow my newly compiled 2.6.30.4 kernel to boot on my 
system.

> then edit init to match my needs i.e. depmod, modprobe, cryptsetup etc
> and finally put a line to run the real init. I then zip it
>        find . ! -name *~ | cpio -H newc --create | gzip -9 > ../test-initrd.gz
> I can install then the new initrd (cp ../test-initrd.gz /boot/initrd....gz)
>
> Once you've done it it's very simple and easy ... before it was a big
> trouble for me too.
>
> Just look positive as way to learn something new about your operating
> system.
>
> reagrds
>
>
>