[SOLVED] Arch Kernel causes problems

TaylanUB · 2009-10-17 05:11:12

Since my very first time installing Arch, i was getting some errors like

Cannot parse block device ids for /dev/sdb2
Cannot find root device /dev/sdb2

and eventually i had found a work-around, by taking the kernel and initramfs files (both 2.6.25.20-114) from another Linux, and also the corresponding modules directory. (Works perfect, using Firefox on it at the moment.)

Now i want to upgrade my kernel eventually (don't have to actually, but i want to, and the problem should not happen anyway) and still, after retrieving the new kernel through pacman (creating the vmlinuz26 and kernel26.img files in /boot, as well as the modules directory) and using it, i get the SAME problem.

The Arch kernels just won't work for me...

Does anyone have an idea what it could be?

(And is there any way to copy the exact error-output i get while trying to boot?)

Thanks.

Last edited by TaylanUB (2009-10-18 03:23:36)

ngoonee · 2009-10-17 06:05:38

What filesystem are you using, is it some exotic filesystem? Also what hardware are you using (HD and controller).

TaylanUB · 2009-10-17 11:47:07

I'm using ext2 on the second partition (first being FAT32) of a Lexar USB Flash Stick.

# lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: nVidia Corporation nForce2 IGP2 (rev c1)
00:00.1 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation nForce2 Memory Controller 1 (rev c1)
00:00.2 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation nForce2 Memory Controller 4 (rev c1)
00:00.3 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation nForce2 Memory Controller 3 (rev c1)
00:00.4 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation nForce2 Memory Controller 2 (rev c1)
00:00.5 RAM memory: nVidia Corporation nForce2 Memory Controller 5 (rev c1)
00:01.0 ISA bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP2A ISA bridge (rev a3)
00:01.1 SMBus: nVidia Corporation MCP2A SMBus (rev a1)
00:02.0 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation MCP2A USB Controller (rev a1)
00:02.1 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation MCP2A USB Controller (rev a1)
00:02.2 USB Controller: nVidia Corporation MCP2A USB Controller (rev a2)
00:04.0 Bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP2A Ethernet Controller (rev a3)
00:06.0 Multimedia audio controller: nVidia Corporation MCP2S AC'97 Audio Controller (rev a1)
00:08.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation MCP2A PCI Bridge (rev a3)
00:09.0 IDE interface: nVidia Corporation MCP2A IDE (rev a3)
00:0b.0 IDE interface: nVidia Corporation nForce2 Serial ATA Controller (rev a3)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: nVidia Corporation nForce2 AGP (rev c1)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV350 AS [Radeon 9550]
01:00.1 Display controller: ATI Technologies Inc RV350 AS [Radeon 9550] (Secondary)
02:0b.0 FireWire (IEEE 1394): VIA Technologies, Inc. VT6306 Fire II IEEE 1394 OHCI Link Layer Controller (rev 46)

# lsusb
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 002: ID 05dc:a781 Lexar Media, Inc. 
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub

Last edited by TaylanUB (2009-10-17 11:47:41)

tomd123 · 2009-10-17 14:18:56

I'm not 100% sure about this, but the "cannot find root" error message could be from a mis-configured grub entry.

TaylanUB · 2009-10-17 14:25:22

Well, no. I actually have become pretty proficient with GRUB over time. And as i said, using another kernel and initramfs file (with the corresponding modules), everything is fine.

And another update (i think i should have tried more things before opening this thread):
I can mount sda1 (local Linux) as root with the Arch kernel.
So the problem is indeed about the USB stick. (But remember i can use it with another kernel! The USB stick is not THE problem.)

fsckd · 2009-10-17 15:10:32

I'm having (and investigating) what might be a related problem. My arch system currently does not correctly autodetect the file system type of some of my usb flash drives. They are also ext2 but my system detects them as vfat. What you may want to try is setting a rootfstype option with your kernel boot parameters. For example, if your kernel line in GRUB is

kernel     /arch.vmlinuz26-bfs root=/dev/sdb2 ro

then just change it to

kernel     /arch.vmlinuz26-bfs rootfstype=ext2 root=/dev/sdb2 ro

ngoonee · 2009-10-17 23:10:01

TaylanUB wrote:

Well, no. I actually have become pretty proficient with GRUB over time. And as i said, using another kernel and initramfs file (with the corresponding modules), everything is fine.
And another update (i think i should have tried more things before opening this thread):
I can mount sda1 (local Linux) as root with the Arch kernel.
So the problem is indeed about the USB stick. (But remember i can use it with another kernel! The USB stick is not THE problem.)

Does Arch stock initramfs include USB drivers? I was under the impression it doesn't. Try editing your mkinitcpio.conf and regenerating the image.

TaylanUB · 2009-10-18 01:46:26

Thanks to both of you.

The rootfstype options has not worked.

And on the meanwhile i realized that during the loading of the kernel, it detects all the partitions of sda, but never even mentions sdb, so i guess it indeed does not detect the USB drive.

I never really tinkered around with mkinitcpio, but i'll see what i can do and report back.

TaylanUB · 2009-10-18 03:23:04

___SOLUTION___

Open `/etc/mkinitcpio.conf'.

Add `usb' to the HOOKS line.

For example, mine looks like:

HOOKS="base udev pata scsi sata usb filesystems"

Save and exit.

Then you have to use `mkinitcpio'.
But be sure you know how to; keep reading!
(I have spent some extra time trying other things in /etc/mkinitcpio.conf just because using mkinitcpio incorrectly had caused it not to work properly again.)

To create the image, you use the `-g /path/name' option. But you could've figure that by simply reading the man page.

The important part is: You HAVE to specify the kernel version (in this case), as the image is not being created for the currently running kernel. And you have to specify it in the correct way, too!

`pacman -Q | grep kernel' told me that the kernel version i have lastly upgraded to is 2.6.31.4-1.
HOWEVER, the correct mkinitcpio option for that is `-k 2.6.31-ARCH'. Note that it has the same name as the modules directory for the kernel (in `/lib/modules').

So, for example, i have run:

mkinitcpio -g /boot/mykernel26.img -k 2.6.31-ARCH

And everything booted and works perfectly, using that image.

Regards.
And thanks for everyone's help.

Last edited by TaylanUB (2009-10-18 03:26:15)

sykotik · 2009-12-19 02:48:39

Worked for me as well. Thanks for the solution.

Dieter@be · 2010-01-08 19:39:46

Hey aylanUB, i see your lspci lists your VT6306 firewire card.
mine is not recognized with the Arch stock 2.6.32 kernel. I loaded the firewire-ohci module.
any ideas? do you need any special modules , tricks or configs to make it work?

Arch Linux

#1 2009-10-17 05:11:12

[SOLVED] Arch Kernel causes problems

#2 2009-10-17 06:05:38

Re: [SOLVED] Arch Kernel causes problems

#3 2009-10-17 11:47:07

Re: [SOLVED] Arch Kernel causes problems

#4 2009-10-17 14:18:56

Re: [SOLVED] Arch Kernel causes problems

#5 2009-10-17 14:25:22

Re: [SOLVED] Arch Kernel causes problems

#6 2009-10-17 15:10:32

Re: [SOLVED] Arch Kernel causes problems

#7 2009-10-17 23:10:01

Re: [SOLVED] Arch Kernel causes problems

#8 2009-10-18 01:46:26

Re: [SOLVED] Arch Kernel causes problems

#9 2009-10-18 03:23:04

Re: [SOLVED] Arch Kernel causes problems

#10 2009-12-19 02:48:39

Re: [SOLVED] Arch Kernel causes problems

#11 2010-01-08 19:39:46

Re: [SOLVED] Arch Kernel causes problems

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