vfat USB arch install -- Kernel panic! [UNSOLVED]

sjb933 · 2008-08-13 04:32:19

Seems it was just a problem with using VFAT as my main file system. Re-did it all with ext2 w/o issue. I ended up just creating a fat32 "share" partition.

I'm trying to set up a USB Drive install running a fat32 (vfat) filesysem. The desire here is complete interoperability with Windows. I can access/modify all files of the system and boot it as its own.

Anyways, I've got the system install, grub configured etc etc. I've however not been able to successfully boot yet. Despite several different kernel builds and mkinitcpio.conf configurations, I keep getting Kernel panics shortly after going into kinit.

Here is my current screen's output at the panic:

:: Running Hook [usb]
:: Running Hook [keymap]
:: Loading keymap...done.
:: Running Hook [filesystems]
:: Loading root filesystem module...vfat
Waiting for devices to settle...scsi 2:0:0:0: Direct-Access  DiskGO
                     PMAP PQ: 0 ANSI: 0 CCS
sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] 3945776 512-byte hardware sectors (2005 MB)
sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Write Protect is off
sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through
sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] 3945776 512-byte hardware sectors (2005 MB)
sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Write Protect is off
sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through
 sdb: sdb1
sd 2:0:0:0: [sdb] Attached SCSI removable disk done.
:: Initramfs Completed - control passing to kinit
IP-Config:  no devices to configure
Waiting 0 s before mounting root device...
kinit: Mounted root (vfat filesystem) readonly.
kinit: opening console: No such file or directory
Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill init!

Here's the mkinitcpio.conf used to generate the kernel image:

# vim:set ft=sh
# MODULES
# The following modules are loaded before any boot hooks are
# run.  Advanced users may wish to specify all system modules
# in this array.  For instance:
#     MODULES="piix ide_disk reiserfs"
MODULES="pata_acpi ata_generic scsi_mod ata_piix"

# BINARIES
# This setting includes, into the CPIO image, and additional
# binaries a given user may wish.  This is run first, so may
# be used to override the actual binaries used in a given hook.
# (Existing files are NOT overwritten is already added)
# BINARIES are dependancy parsed, so you may safely ignore libraries
BINARIES=""

# FILES
# This setting is similar to BINARIES above, however, files are added
# as-is and are not parsed in anyway.  This is useful for config files.
# Some users may wish to include modprobe.conf for custom module options,
# like so:
#    FILES="/etc/modprobe.conf"
FILES=""

# HOOKS
# This is the most important setting in this file.  The HOOKS control the
# modules and scripts added to the image, and what happens at boot time.
# Order is important, and it is recommended that you do not change the
# order in which HOOKS are added.  Run 'mkinitcpio -H <hook name>' for
# help on a given hook.
# 'base' is _required_ unless you know precisely what you are doing.
# 'udev' is _required_ in order to automatically load modules
# 'modload' may be used in place of 'udev', but is not recommended
# 'filesystems' is _required_ unless you specify your fs modules in MODULES
# Examples:
#    This setup specifies all modules in the MODULES setting above.
#    No raid, lvm2, or encrypted root is needed.
#    HOOKS="base"
#
#    This setup will autodetect all modules for your system and should
#    work as a sane default
#    HOOKS="base udev autodetect pata scsi sata filesystems"
#
#    This is identical to the above, except the old ide subsystem is
#    used for IDE devices instead of the new pata subsystem.
#    HOOKS="base udev autodetect ide scsi sata filesystems"
#
#    This setup will generate a 'full' image which supports most systems.
#    No autodetection is done.
#    HOOKS="base udev pata scsi sata usb filesystems"
#
#    This setup assembles an pata raid array with an encrypted root FS.
#    Note: See 'mkinitcpio -H raid' for more information on raid devices.
#    HOOKS="base udev pata raid encrypt filesystems"
#
#    This setup loads an lvm2 volume group on a usb device.
#    HOOKS="base udev usb lvm2 filesystems"
HOOKS="base udev sata ide scsi usb keymap filesystems"

Note: I had at one point removed ide & scsi from the hooks, but added them back in an attempt to get it running.

Here's my fstab:

# 
# /etc/fstab: static file system information
#
# <file system>        <dir>         <type>    <options>          <dump> <pass>
none                   /dev/pts      devpts    defaults            0      0
none                   /dev/shm      tmpfs     defaults            0      0


/dev/cdrom /media/cdrom   auto    ro,user,noauto,unhide   0      0
/dev/dvd /media/dvd   auto    ro,user,noauto,unhide   0      0
/dev/disk/by-id/usb-_DiskGO_07830E640278-0:0-part1 / vfat defaults 0 1

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks all,
Shane

Last edited by sjb933 (2008-08-13 09:06:01)

lilsirecho · 2008-08-13 14:18:13

It is possible to load and operate fat32 Faunos partitioned flash drive as a single partition. It will boot from Faunos archlinux-based and be addressable in fat32 as well.

It is generated from a USB flash install of Faunos using Desktop Faunos installer into a Fat32 partitioned usb flash device (or a parttioned HDD). It boots from grub Linux(fat32 ignored in grub) and is usable in both linux and fat32.

I assume a fat16 partition would perform as well.

Check it out!

sjb933 · 2008-08-13 17:48:28

Yes I had considered FaunOS, but i much prefer building from the bottom up than the top down

However, I think i've figured out my problem. I was going to try again in Fat32 when i realized that arch's mkfs (maybe mkfs in general) didn't actually have the feature to format in vfat. I believe that the arch setup uses mkfs to format the partitions, so when i selected vfat, it wasnt actually formatting. This would be why i was getting errors detecting the fs type and files etc. I'm going to try first formatting in windows and then just installing w/o formatting.

I'll post results!

-Shane

sjb933 · 2008-08-13 18:02:06

P.S. I love this stuff

/geek

sjb933 · 2008-08-13 19:09:36

Well.. never could get Arch to work with the vfat filesystem correctly. Not real sure what the issue was.. I tried to format w/ gparted, windows, etc. No luck.

Finally I went back to the Fat32 & Ext2 combination. I also found out that for windows to play nice w/ the "removable device" being partition 2 ways, I had to put the Fat32 partition first. At any rate, it's working now and i'll keep this one alive.

shaohao · 2008-08-14 12:04:42

krazyshane wrote:

Well.. never could get Arch to work with the vfat filesystem correctly. Not real sure what the issue was.. I tried to format w/ gparted, windows, etc. No luck.
Finally I went back to the Fat32 & Ext2 combination. I also found out that for windows to play nice w/ the "removable device" being partition 2 ways, I had to put the Fat32 partition first. At any rate, it's working now and i'll keep this one alive.

You are right.
My Fat Flash USB disk cannot be mounted under Archlinux with the latest kernel.
Even if I mount it manually, there was nothing in the mounted directory.

cd /media
mkdir flash
mount -t vfat /dev/sdc flash
ls flash

Nothing in "flash" folder.

Arch Linux

#1 2008-08-13 04:32:19

vfat USB arch install -- Kernel panic! [UNSOLVED]

#2 2008-08-13 14:18:13

Re: vfat USB arch install -- Kernel panic! [UNSOLVED]

#3 2008-08-13 17:48:28

Re: vfat USB arch install -- Kernel panic! [UNSOLVED]

#4 2008-08-13 18:02:06

Re: vfat USB arch install -- Kernel panic! [UNSOLVED]

#5 2008-08-13 19:09:36

Re: vfat USB arch install -- Kernel panic! [UNSOLVED]

#6 2008-08-14 12:04:42

Re: vfat USB arch install -- Kernel panic! [UNSOLVED]

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