Arch Linux

vxp

Member

Registered: 2007-06-03

Posts: 12

Can't boot from a newly compiled kernel

I followed this:

http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ker … rom_Source
The extra step I did that this wiki doesn't mention, is I've done mkinitrd kernel_version=2.6.21.3-ARCH  after I did my make clean bzImage modules modules_install command.

I downloaded 2.6.21.3 kernel and I *did* remember to do zcat /proc/config.gz > .config so it uses my current kernel's config. I haven't changed a single thing within the kernel. Just compiled it and the modules, instaled, and reran lilo

However when I boot from it, I get:
Kernel Panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(8,3)

And it doesn't boot. Looks like it doesn't recognize the drive, from that error.. it's a SATA drive. But again, my arch kernel sees everything just fine, and zcat /proc/config.gz > .config should have ensured that everything my current kernel can support, this new kernel can support.

Plus I verified in make menuconfig that SATA support is included.

Wtf?

tomk

Forum Fellow

From: Ireland

Registered: 2004-07-21

Posts: 9,839

Re: Can't boot from a newly compiled kernel

mkinitrd is deprecated - I'm not sure why it's still on your system. We now use mkinitcpio - if you don't already have it, install it.

Additionally, it's worth noting that in the majority of cases, a correctly-configured custom kernel does not need any kind of init* image. I would also like to refer you to this page as an alternative source of information.

somedrew

Member

From: Canada

Registered: 2007-05-14

Posts: 140

Re: Can't boot from a newly compiled kernel

If you'd like to do away with using an initial ramdisk, you can build support for your disk controllers and root filesystems directly into the kernel. For a SATA drive, the following should do it:

Device Drivers >
    >SCSI device support
         -SCSI disk support (build into kernel, not as a module)

    >Serial ATA (prod) and Parallel ATA (experimental) drivers
        -enable support for your controller directly into the kernel and not as a module

File systems >
    -build support for your root filesystem into the kernel and not as a module