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#1 2008-05-28 04:34:38

cplum
Member
Registered: 2008-05-18
Posts: 10

Boot, ramfs$

When I boot into Arch i get a prompt that looks like this "ramfs$".  it gives me a message telling me to use echo * instead of ls, new to arch/linux so i don't really know whats going on. I can boot into my fallback with no problem, can log in and everything. Both of the images are in the same place:

initrd /kernel26.img=Arch Linux
initrd /kernel26-fallback.img=Arch fallback

I can use the fallback but i would like to know why Arch is doing this
thanks

Last edited by cplum (2008-05-28 04:35:32)

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#2 2008-05-28 05:50:42

tomk
Forum Fellow
From: Ireland
Registered: 2004-07-21
Posts: 9,839

Re: Boot, ramfs$

Without additional detail, the only answer is that kernel26.img is not correct for some reason. Boot with the fallback image, regenerate kernel26.img with mkinitcpio, and all will be well.

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#3 2008-05-28 12:27:21

Lachkater
Member
From: Germany
Registered: 2008-02-04
Posts: 40

Re: Boot, ramfs$

Check that you have the base udev and filesystem hook inbuild. Logs would also be good... Maybe taking out the autodetect hooks also helps (however this will slow down your boot time)

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#4 2008-05-28 15:37:45

cplum
Member
Registered: 2008-05-18
Posts: 10

Re: Boot, ramfs$

Can I scroll up or pause the boot messages so i can actually read them?

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#5 2008-05-28 15:50:03

czar
Member
Registered: 2008-03-08
Posts: 115

Re: Boot, ramfs$

logs are located /var/log/

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#6 2008-05-28 17:26:07

bender02
Member
From: UK
Registered: 2007-02-04
Posts: 1,328

Re: Boot, ramfs$

Lachkater wrote:

Check that you have the base udev and filesystem hook inbuild. Logs would also be good... Maybe taking out the autodetect hooks also helps (however this will slow down your boot time)

With the default configuration (ie if you didn't edit /etc/mkinitcpio.d/example.preset), the only difference between fallback and normal image is that in fallback the 'autodetect' hook is left out.

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#7 2008-05-29 04:02:46

cplum
Member
Registered: 2008-05-18
Posts: 10

Re: Boot, ramfs$

Whithout going into the logs yet, all i can read when it does boot, after it says its falling into a recovery shell, is that klibc contains no "ls" binary, use "echo *" instead. Then it says if the device "/dev/disk/by-uuid/ (big ass alpha nermeric #) is created here, try adding "rootdelay=8" or higher to the kernel command line   ramfs$ scsi... etc
then if i hit any key it give me the ramfs$ prompt.

Last edited by cplum (2008-05-29 15:34:53)

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#8 2008-05-29 15:36:41

cplum
Member
Registered: 2008-05-18
Posts: 10

Re: Boot, ramfs$

bender02 wrote:
Lachkater wrote:

Check that you have the base udev and filesystem hook inbuild. Logs would also be good... Maybe taking out the autodetect hooks also helps (however this will slow down your boot time)

With the default configuration (ie if you didn't edit /etc/mkinitcpio.d/example.preset), the only difference between fallback and normal image is that in fallback the 'autodetect' hook is left out.

What would be in there that would cause me to boot into the recovery shell? Im running Arch from an external HD plugged into a usb port, would that have anything to do with it?

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#9 2008-05-29 16:04:50

czar
Member
Registered: 2008-03-08
Posts: 115

Re: Boot, ramfs$

cplum wrote:

What would be in there that would cause me to boot into the recovery shell?

This is pretty hard to tell:

cplum wrote:

Whithout going into the logs yet,

hmm
nor have you commented on the first suggestion given to you by tomk

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#10 2008-05-29 16:09:17

bender02
Member
From: UK
Registered: 2007-02-04
Posts: 1,328

Re: Boot, ramfs$

Yes, as czar and tomk say: boot fallback, make sure you have 'usb' hook included in your hooks, and regenerate kernel26.img with mkinitcpio.

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#11 2008-05-29 17:12:56

btartsa
Member
Registered: 2004-07-26
Posts: 222

Re: Boot, ramfs$

just FYI: scroll lock should pause messages on boot.

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#12 2008-05-31 03:42:42

cplum
Member
Registered: 2008-05-18
Posts: 10

Re: Boot, ramfs$

Here is my mkinitcpio example.preset file

# Example mkinitcpio preset file

# preset names
PRESETS=('default' 'fallback')

# ALL_kver is used if presetname_kver is not set
# note for distribution kernels: this should be in a separate file
# and read like this:
# source /etc/mkinitcpio.d/exmaple.kver
ALL_kver='2.6.24-ARCH'
ALL_config='/etc/mkinitcpio.conf'

# presetname_kver    - the kernel version (omit if ALL_kver should be used)
# presetname_config  - the configuration file (omit if ALL_config should be used)
# presetname_image   - the filename of generated image
# presetname_options - any extra options

#default_kver="2.6.18-ARCH"
#default_config="/etc/mkinitcpio.conf"
default_image="/tmp/kernel26.img"
default_options=""

#fallback_kver="2.6.18-ARCH"
#fallback_config="/etc/mkinitcpio.conf"
fallback_image="/tmp/kernel26-fallback.img"
fallback_options="-S autodetect"

I looked in logs and i can't find a boot log.... unless its called something else.

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#13 2008-05-31 03:44:39

cplum
Member
Registered: 2008-05-18
Posts: 10

Re: Boot, ramfs$

Lachkater wrote:

Check that you have the base udev and filesystem hook inbuild. Logs would also be good... Maybe taking out the autodetect hooks also helps (however this will slow down your boot time)

where do i find the hooks?.... please bear with me

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#14 2008-05-31 03:47:53

cplum
Member
Registered: 2008-05-18
Posts: 10

Re: Boot, ramfs$

this is the kernel 26 preset

# mkinitcpio preset file for kernel26

########################################
# DO NOT EDIT THIS LINE:
source /etc/mkinitcpio.d/kernel26.kver
########################################
ALL_config="/etc/mkinitcpio.conf"

PRESETS=('default' 'fallback')

#default_config="/etc/mkinitcpio.conf"
default_image="/boot/kernel26.img"
#default_options=""

#fallback_config="/etc/mkinitcpio.conf"
fallback_image="/boot/kernel26-fallback.img" 
fallback_options="-S autodetect"

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#15 2008-05-31 05:33:02

bender02
Member
From: UK
Registered: 2007-02-04
Posts: 1,328

Re: Boot, ramfs$

If you want to post something, post the MODULES and HOOKS lines from /etc/mkinitcpio.conf. Also tell us what type of harddrive do you have (SATA? IDE? over USB?).

But, above all, why don't you do what was suggested above?
1) boot the fallback
2) run '/sbin/mkinitcpio -g /boot/kernel26.img' as root
3) reboot

And I'm sorry, example.preset has no influence on the images generated.

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#16 2008-05-31 16:48:52

cplum
Member
Registered: 2008-05-18
Posts: 10

Re: Boot, ramfs$

I ran mkinitcpio -g on kernel26.img as root, it rebuilt but still does the same thing, here are my modules and hooks lines:

MODULES="pata_acpi pata_amd ata_generic sata_nv"
HOOKS="base udev autodetect pata scsi sata usb usbinput keymap filesystems"

I have an ide in an external box through the usb

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#17 2009-05-13 11:53:06

dannytatom
Member
From: Seattle, WA
Registered: 2009-02-02
Posts: 229
Website

Re: Boot, ramfs$

I know this is an old thread, but I don't see the point in starting a new one (let me know if I should).  Anywho, I was having the exact problem and doing what blender02 said seems to have worked perfectly.  What I'm wondering is after 5 or so months of working flawlessly, why did the kernel decide to fuck up?


dnyy in IRC & Urban Terror

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#18 2009-05-13 13:09:53

Lexion
Member
Registered: 2008-03-23
Posts: 510

Re: Boot, ramfs$

Do the partitions in the two grub boot lines match?  Also, are you using an old kernel or an unstable one?  Have you updated your system lately?

I'm pretty sure that all of these have the potential to mess the boot up.


urxvtc / wmii / zsh / configs / onebluecat.net
Arch will not hold your hand

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#19 2009-05-13 14:06:54

dannytatom
Member
From: Seattle, WA
Registered: 2009-02-02
Posts: 229
Website

Re: Boot, ramfs$

I update twice a day or so.

~/ uname -r
2.6.29-ARCH

title  Arch Linux
root   (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/disk/by-uuid/d137dc90-0d5d-4210-8ce1-5846b431ba0e ro
initrd /kernel26.img

# (1) Arch Linux
title  Arch Linux Fallback
root   (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/disk/by-uuid/d137dc90-0d5d-4210-8ce1-5846b431ba0e ro
initrd /kernel26-fallback.img

dnyy in IRC & Urban Terror

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#20 2009-07-13 09:56:46

thisllub
Member
From: Northern NSW Australia
Registered: 2007-12-28
Posts: 231

Re: Boot, ramfs$

Just to add a little information to this, I am having the same problem.
I know what it is but I haven't figured out how to fix it yet.

I have compiled a xen kernel and it can't find my sata drives because mkinitcpio can't find the module sata_nv. The IDE drivers are found.
It isn't in the lib/modules/xen-2.6.18-xen directory.
I could copy the root to an ide drive but I would rather get the build right.

Just to clarify the problems above, the kernel has a problem with the driver module for that hard disk.

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