Hi all

I just installed a basic etch 4.0r3 and got it updated.

Then got the kernel 2.4.19 and compiled it the old-way:
- make oldconfig
- make menuconfig and changed ext3 from m to y (my root is ext3)
- make
- cp arch/..../bzImage /boot/vmlinux-xxxx
- add a stanza to /boot/grub/menu.lst
- grub-install /dev/hda (yes, an old 10 GB HD)

The new kernel starts booting an halts at "Waiting for root
device".

Web-search says either problem of switching to udev or broken
Grub. It can't be the former, because that transition was already
done in etch. Then I "repaired" Grub menu.lst /dev/hda2 should
be /dev/sda2 and in fstab too hda should be sda.

Still the problem persists, booting stops "Waiting for root
device"..

I can boot into the former (original etch) Kernels, runlevel
2 or single-user. The new fstab with sda doesn't seem to hurt.
But I can't make the transistion to 2.6.19 (and ultimately
2.6.24.

I'm used to manual compilation, it should work here too.

What am I doing wrong?

Arun

Am 15.03.2008 00:15, Arun Dev schrieb:
>
>
> I just installed a basic etch 4.0r3 and got it updated.
>
> Then got the kernel 2.4.19 and compiled it the old-way:
> [...]
> Web-search says either problem of switching to udev or broken
> Grub. It can't be the former, because that transition was already
> done in etch. Then I "repaired" Grub menu.lst /dev/hda2 should
> be /dev/sda2 and in fstab too hda should be sda.
>
> Still the problem persists, booting stops "Waiting for root
> device"..

Forgot to mention that, in Grub I'm using the initrd which was there,
/boot/initrd.img-2.6.18-6-486, in case if this is relevant.

Thx
Arun

Arun Dev <nospam@pleaz.xy>:
>
> I just installed a basic etch 4.0r3 and got it updated.
>
> Then got the kernel 2.4.19 and compiled it the old-way:
> - make oldconfig

You got a Debian kernel, or a kernel.org kernel? Debian kernels don't
work with oldconfig, last I heard.

> - make menuconfig and changed ext3 from m to y (my root is ext3)
> - make
> - cp arch/..../bzImage /boot/vmlinux-xxxx
> - add a stanza to /boot/grub/menu.lst
> - grub-install /dev/hda (yes, an old 10 GB HD)
>
> The new kernel starts booting an halts at "Waiting for root
> device".
>
> Web-search says either problem of switching to udev or broken
> Grub. It can't be the former, because that transition was already
> done in etch. Then I "repaired" Grub menu.lst /dev/hda2 should
> be /dev/sda2 and in fstab too hda should be sda.
>
> Still the problem persists, booting stops "Waiting for root
> device"..
>
> I can boot into the former (original etch) Kernels, runlevel
> 2 or single-user. The new fstab with sda doesn't seem to hurt.
> But I can't make the transistion to 2.6.19 (and ultimately
> 2.6.24.
>
> I'm used to manual compilation, it should work here too.
>
> What am I doing wrong?


--
Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(*) http://blinkynet.net/comp/uip5.html Linux Counter #80292
- - http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc1855.html Please, don't Cc: me.

Arun Dev <nospam@pleaz.xy>:
>
> Forgot to mention that, in Grub I'm using the initrd which was there,
> /boot/initrd.img-2.6.18-6-486, in case if this is relevant.

It is. You're compiling support for your filesystem type into the
kernel, so you shouldn't need an initrd, and especially one that was
built for another kernel. That won't work with this one.


--
Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
(*) http://blinkynet.net/comp/uip5.html Linux Counter #80292
- - http://www.faqs.org/rfcs/rfc1855.html Please, don't Cc: me.

s. keeling writes:
> You got a Debian kernel, or a kernel.org kernel? Debian kernels don't
> work with oldconfig, last I heard.

News to me.
--
John Hasler

On Sat, 15 Mar 2008 00:30:08 +0100, Arun Dev wrote:

> Am 15.03.2008 00:15, Arun Dev schrieb:
>>
>>
>> I just installed a basic etch 4.0r3 and got it updated.
>>
>> Then got the kernel 2.4.19 and compiled it the old-way: [...]
>> Web-search says either problem of switching to udev or broken Grub. It
>> can't be the former, because that transition was already done in etch.
>> Then I "repaired" Grub menu.lst /dev/hda2 should be /dev/sda2 and in
>> fstab too hda should be sda.
>>
>> Still the problem persists, booting stops "Waiting for root device"..
>
> Forgot to mention that, in Grub I'm using the initrd which was there,
> /boot/initrd.img-2.6.18-6-486, in case if this is relevant.

It sure is! And that's the problem probably. Your initrd.img has to
match the kernel you're booting. Boot into the old kernel, then use
mkinitrd to make a new initrd for the new kernel. Edit grub.conf to
reflect the changes. Keep the old kernel and initrd and make a boot
listing in case you have more problems booting the new kernel.

Also post your grub.conf so we can check for any errors.

Stef

On Sat, 15 Mar 2008 00:15:06 +0100, Arun Dev wrote:

> The new kernel starts booting an halts at "Waiting for root device".
>
> Web-search says either problem of switching to udev or broken Grub. It
> can't be the former, because that transition was already done in etch.

That 2.4.19 kernel is pretty ancient, does it even know about udev? That
far back, the kernels were using devfs, IIRR.

Even if you really want 2.4, why not use the latest, which was like
2.4.33 last time I looked.

Hi Stefan and s.keeling

Am 15.03.2008 03:41, Stefan Patric schrieb:
> On Sat, 15 Mar 2008 00:30:08 +0100, Arun Dev wrote:
>
>> Am 15.03.2008 00:15, Arun Dev schrieb:
>>>
>>> I just installed a basic etch 4.0r3 and got it updated.
>>>
>>> Then got the kernel 2.4.19 and compiled it the old-way: [...]
>>> Web-search says either problem of switching to udev or broken Grub. It
>>> can't be the former, because that transition was already done in etch.
>>> Then I "repaired" Grub menu.lst /dev/hda2 should be /dev/sda2 and in
>>> fstab too hda should be sda.
>>>
>>> Still the problem persists, booting stops "Waiting for root device"..
>> Forgot to mention that, in Grub I'm using the initrd which was there,
>> /boot/initrd.img-2.6.18-6-486, in case if this is relevant.
>
> It sure is! And that's the problem probably. Your initrd.img has to
> match the kernel you're booting. Boot into the old kernel, then use
> mkinitrd to make a new initrd for the new kernel. Edit grub.conf to
> reflect the changes. Keep the old kernel and initrd and make a boot
> listing in case you have more problems booting the new kernel.

It could be the problem. When I'm back in the office, I'll try again.
What is the trick of making an initrd for a different (later) kernel
than the one is running? I mean making initrd for 2.6.19 inside a
running 2.6.18-6?

> Also post your grub.conf so we can check for any errors.

Thanks! These are the two options as of yesterday:

title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.18-6-486
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.18-6-486 root=/dev/hda2 ro
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.18-6-486
savedefault

title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.19-486
root (hd0,1)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.19-486 root=/dev/hda2 ro
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.18-6-486
savedefault

CU
Arun

Am 15.03.2008 10:22, marksouth schrieb:
> On Sat, 15 Mar 2008 00:15:06 +0100, Arun Dev wrote:
>
>> I just installed a basic etch 4.0r3 and got it updated.
>>
>> Then got the kernel 2.4.19 and compiled it the old-way:
>> - make oldconfig
>> ...
>
> That 2.4.19 kernel is pretty ancient, does it even know about udev? That
> far back, the kernels were using devfs, IIRR.
>
> Even if you really want 2.4, why not use the latest, which was like
> 2.4.33 last time I looked.

Sorry! I'm talking about 2.6.18-6 as it was in Etch4.0r3 and 2.6.19!
^

In fact I first tried 2.6.24 and encountered the same problem. Went
back to 2.6.19 just to be sure. The plan is to move forward to 2.6.24.

BTW, all these sources come from kernel.org.

regards
Arun

On Sat, 15 Mar 2008 11:52:46 +0100, Arun Dev wrote:

> Am 15.03.2008 10:22, marksouth schrieb:
>> On Sat, 15 Mar 2008 00:15:06 +0100, Arun Dev wrote:
>>
> >> I just installed a basic etch 4.0r3 and got it updated.
> >>
> >> Then got the kernel 2.4.19 and compiled it the old-way: - make
> >> oldconfig
> >> ...
>>
>> That 2.4.19 kernel is pretty ancient, does it even know about udev?
>> That far back, the kernels were using devfs, IIRR.
>>
>> Even if you really want 2.4, why not use the latest, which was like
>> 2.4.33 last time I looked.
>
> Sorry! I'm talking about 2.6.18-6 as it was in Etch4.0r3 and 2.6.19!

Ah, that makes the problem rather different.

> In fact I first tried 2.6.24 and encountered the same problem. Went back
> to 2.6.19 just to be sure. The plan is to move forward to 2.6.24.

The current Sid kernel was 2.6.23 last time I looked, you give that a
try, it would only take a little apt-get incantation.

I am puzzled a little by your story though: why not build the kernel the
Debian way? The manual way is asking for trouble compared to all the
automation that Debian provides.

> BTW, all these sources come from kernel.org.