Won't boot, menu.lst wrong?

blackslash · 2007-05-07 18:18:28

Hi!

I've been useing ubuntu for abit more than a month now, and I wanted to try something else. Archlinux looked very good, and I've installed it.

I got three harddrives.

hda(storage)
sda(ubuntu with grub)
sdb(archlinux on sdb3)

I wanted to use grub from ubuntu. So I added this:

# (0) Arch Linux
title  Arch Linux(sdb)
root   (hd2,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sdb3 ro vga=795
initrd /boot/kernel26.img

When i try to boot it with that, I got some kind of kernel panic. I used alot of time to figure out what was wrong(6-7 hours =S ). Then I went to the grub installation on arch, and found out that it said:

# (0) Arch Linux
title  Arch Linux(sdc)
root   (hd2,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sdc3 ro vga=795
initrd /boot/kernel26.img

I could now boot arch, and I followed the newbeginners guide (got everything to work).

Then, after a reboot, i cant get back in arch. This is what happens.(img)

So I added the one i thought was right:

# (0) Arch Linux
title  Arch Linux(sdb)
root   (hd2,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sdb3 ro vga=795
initrd /boot/kernel26.img

What happens if I use this one is this(click click img)

Does anyone know what I've done wrong and what I have to do? Please ask if there is something you want to know.

Last edited by blackslash (2007-05-09 21:27:42)

Ramses de Norre · 2007-05-07 18:31:29

In your second version you have "sdc3" instead of "sdb3" (probably a typo?), and in the error output you show from the third snippet the error states that you are trying to access sdc3, so any change the line was still saying sdc3 when you tried that last example?
All other lines seem correct to me at first sight...

For reference, I've got this entry for arch:

title  Arch Linux
root   (hd1,3)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sda4 ro vga=795
initrd /boot/kernel26.img

Which is in fact also grub from a redundant ubuntu install Grub is on sda1 and arch on sda4.

blackslash · 2007-05-07 18:40:58

The second one is copy paste from the menu.lst that arch linux made. And it was when I used that one I managed to boot arch for the first time. And then, when I reboot, it suddenly wouldn't boot.

The first one wont work either, even tho it got "sdb3", wich is right(i hope =S ).

The error says /dev/sdc, even tho I use "Archlinux(sdb)".

Last edited by blackslash (2007-05-07 18:50:15)

Ramses de Norre · 2007-05-07 18:50:14

The title doesn't matter, that's just a name. I'm talking about the "root=" flag at the kernel line.

blackslash · 2007-05-07 18:53:59

# (0) Arch Linux
title  Arch Linux
root   (hd2,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sdc3 ro
initrd /boot/kernel26.img

Thats the one that was saved in grub on the archlinux partition. And it have, in some strange way, worked.

The right one, that should be:

# (0) Arch Linux
title  Arch Linux
root   (hd2,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sdb3 ro
initrd /boot/kernel26.img

does not work.(as the image show)

Last edited by blackslash (2007-05-07 18:56:22)

smoon · 2007-05-07 23:17:33

I just experienced the same. The problem for me was that my pata harddrives now get sd* device names just like the sata/scsi drives. So hda became sda, hdb sdc and my sata drive (which was sda before) is now sdc. So changing root= in menu.lst (or your lilo configuration file) and adjusting /etc/fstab accordingly should fix that.

rayjgu3 · 2007-05-08 01:06:53

if using pata yes hda becomes sda
unless you change you /etc/mkinitcpio.conf & you have multiple interfaced hard drives (ide sata scsi usb)
only put modules you NEED in there ie=filesystem
in your HOOKS is where you need to focus
if your arch partition is on a sata remove ide ,scsi, usb
or if you have ide remove others
whichever hook is loaded 1st will determine what drive gets named sda

giving your /etc/mkinitcpio.conf a tune up will speed up your boot a bit
just make sure you know how to get back in if something goes awry

hope this helps

blackslash · 2007-05-09 21:55:43

Thanks for the answers rayjgu3 and smoon.

So ... I have been trying for a while now. And I still can't make my archlinux boot.

I have tried configure mkinitcpio.conf in different ways, and tried with both boot options every time("root=/dev/sdb3" and "root=/dev/sdc3" in menu.lst)

MODULES="ext3"
HOOKS="base udev autodetect sata filesystems"

MODULES="ext3"
HOOKS="base udev autodetect ide sata filesystems"

MODULES="ext3"
HOOKS="base udev autodetect sata ide filesystems"

MODULES="ext3"
HOOKS="base udev sata ide autodetect filesystems"

MODULES="ext3"
HOOKS="base udev ide sata autodetecte filesystems"

MODULES="ide_via sata_via ext3"
HOOKS="base udev autodetect sata ide filesystems"

MODULES="sata_via ide_via ext3"
HOOKS="base udev autodetect sata ide filesystems"

(and also with ata_generic in some different combinations, in modules.)

Stupid as I am, i didn't make a backup of the original mkinitcpi.conf. I got the default hooks, and I'm 99% sure that I remember the default modules, but still, it won't boot.

Im getting a bit frustrated.

I get the same errors; kernel panic when root=/dev/sdc3 and the other one(look at img in first post) when useing root=/dev/sdb3.

When useing the root=/dev/sdb3, it will after 2-3 mins standing still at udev get in to some kind of archlinux recovery mode. While in recoverymode, I have done fdisk -l, and the drive with archlinux is called sdb3, all the time.

Can I in some kind of way change my archlinux, so it will boot from sdb? Or do I have to get my drive with arch on as sdc, if I want to make it boot again? Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks

rayjgu3 · 2007-05-10 20:40:21

backslash
your hooks you still have "autodetect" this can cause drives to be recognized improperly , have you tried booting from kernel26-fallback.img?
do you watch your system boot up?
can you see any device nodes being created sda sda1 , sdb sdb1 etc... before the kernel panic
do you have a copy of most recent install disc? if so where is it pointing to your current arch? sda sdb?
just some more thoughts

pelle.k · 2007-05-10 21:29:20

as a last resort, boot into arch with your install cd (there are instructions on the cd) and check your root= is correct...

You might also want to take a look at this
http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual … e-map.html

Cotton · 2007-05-18 15:36:55

Try changing:

# (0) Arch Linux
title Arch Linux(sdc)
root (hd2,2)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sdc3 ro vga=795
initrd /boot/kernel26.img

to

# (0) Arch Linux
title Arch Linux(sdc)
root (hd2,2)
kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sdc3 ro vga=795
initrd /kernel26.img

Arch Linux

#1 2007-05-07 18:18:28

Won't boot, menu.lst wrong?

#2 2007-05-07 18:31:29

Re: Won't boot, menu.lst wrong?

#3 2007-05-07 18:40:58

Re: Won't boot, menu.lst wrong?

#4 2007-05-07 18:50:14

Re: Won't boot, menu.lst wrong?

#5 2007-05-07 18:53:59

Re: Won't boot, menu.lst wrong?

#6 2007-05-07 23:17:33

Re: Won't boot, menu.lst wrong?

#7 2007-05-08 01:06:53

Re: Won't boot, menu.lst wrong?

#8 2007-05-09 21:55:43

Re: Won't boot, menu.lst wrong?

#9 2007-05-10 20:40:21

Re: Won't boot, menu.lst wrong?

#10 2007-05-10 21:29:20

Re: Won't boot, menu.lst wrong?

#11 2007-05-18 15:36:55

Re: Won't boot, menu.lst wrong?

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