Re: Can't boot 2.6.32-3 after running 2.6.32-5 for a while

[Tom H <tomh0665@gmail.com>]

On Wed, Jun 23, 2010 at 2:36 PM, Tom H <tomh0665@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Wed, Jun 23, 2010 at 1:22 PM, Stephen Powell <zlinuxman@wowway.com> wrote:
>> On Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:35:50 -0400 (EDT), Tom H wrote:
>>> On Wed, Jun 23, 2010 at 11:14 AM, Stephen Powell <zlinuxman@wowway.com> wrote:
>>>> ...
>>>> I then tried to boot my old kernel (the -3
>>>> kernel).  It failed.  The kernel and initial RAM file system
>>>> were loaded just fine by the boot loader, but the -3 kernel
>>>> couldn't make the switch between the initial RAM file system and
>>>> the permanent root file system.
>>>> ...
>>>
>>> IIUC, linux-image-2.6.32-3-686 uses hdX and linux-image-2.6.32-5-686
>>> uses sdX so wouldn't your update-initramfs have updated your
>>> linux-image-2.6.32-3-686 initrd with sdX device names?
>>
>> No.  I changed the /dev/sdX device names to uuid udev aliases in
>> /etc/fstab, /etc/lilo.conf, and /etc/initramfs-tools/conf.d/resume
>> prior to issuing "update-initramfs -uk all".  And these alias
>> names should exist in the -3 kernel too.  As an example, I changed
>>
>>   /dev/sda1
>>
>> to something like
>>
>>   /dev/disk/by-uuid/04db5929-51e6-424a-ac5b-a592b96b9d04
>>
>> udev under the -5 kernel creates a symbolic link by this name to
>> /dev/sda1.  udev under the -3 kernel creates a symbolic link by
>> this name to /dev/hda1.  Or at least it should.
>
> Theoretically. But don't you think that your -3 initrd is creating
> links to sda1, etc because you built it while booted into -5?
>
> You should unpack your -3 initrd to check its udev rules; symlinks to
> hda1, etc are probably not being created.

One more thought.

Rather than unpack the initrd, boot into -3 and run "cd /dev; ls" at
the (initramfs) prompt. If udev has run and your initrd has bailed out
at the equivalent of "break=mount", you should be able to see whether
there are sda1 or hda1 type partitions.