Arch Linux

NekySerbia

Member

Registered: 2008-01-12

Posts: 40

export: 36: /dev/sdb1: bad variable name

Hi

I am installing Arch on a pretty new machine (Asus MB, LE-1640, 2GB RAM, 2xWD 160GB) with RAID1. This is supposed to be server of some kind, we'll see later about that. I have Arch on RAID0 at my home box, runs great.

Problem I ran into is stated in the name of the topic. After boot, I get

:: Loading Initramfs
export: 36: /dev/sdb1: bad variable name
Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill init!

Googling gave me nothing... Some info you might need:

fstab:

/dev/md0 /boot ext2 defaults 0 1
/dev/md1 / ext3 defaults 0 1
/dev/md2 /home ext3 defaults 0 1

/boot/grub/menu.lst:

Arch Linux
title  Arch Linux  [/boot/vmlinuz26]
root   (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/md0 ro md=0,/dev/sda1 /dev/sdb1
initrd /kernel26.img

Before setting mkinitcpio.conf I did mdadm -Ds >> /etc/mdadm.conf because of a documented 2.6.29 kernel bug (tpowa suggested this solution)

mkinitcpio.conf:

HOOKS="base udev autodetect pata scsi sata mdadm filesystems"

Everything went without errors, except actual booting, where the mentioned error occurred. Last night I installed it to one of those WD drives, all went OK, booted successfully, so RAID1 is the problem.

What am I missing?

Thanks in advance,
Neky.

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: export: 36: /dev/sdb1: bad variable name

I no nothing about RAIDs, but I don't see any '/dev/sdb1' in your fstab.

From http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ins … AID_or_LVM

# (0) Arch Linux
title  Arch Linux
root   (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/md0 ro
initrd /kernel26.img

NekySerbia

Member

Registered: 2008-01-12

Posts: 40

Re: export: 36: /dev/sdb1: bad variable name

Thats OK, cause /dev/md0 (boot partition, ext2) is assembled from /dev/sda1 and /dev/sdb1. I have that wiki page printed right next to me with my every install, and it always worked. Google helped a little, it's a reported bug, but its status is unresolved i guess.

Thanks for the reply Server has to be up and running by 7am tomorrow, so I'm gonna install Kubuntu *sigh*

:edit:

Its pretty old bug...im wrong somewhere...just cant see it :S

Last edited by NekySerbia (2009-06-01 12:56:24)

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: export: 36: /dev/sdb1: bad variable name

Have you tried 'kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/md0 ro md=0,/dev/sda1,/dev/sdb1' w/ a comma between '/dev/sda1' and '/dev/sdb1'? I don't know how picky is grub wrt to separators, maybe it doesn't like the space?

NekySerbia

Member

Registered: 2008-01-12

Posts: 40

Re: export: 36: /dev/sdb1: bad variable name

Thanks, tried that too, with no luck.

I gave up for now, Kubuntu it is

NekySerbia

Member

Registered: 2008-01-12

Posts: 40

Re: export: 36: /dev/sdb1: bad variable name

I can't believe this! Kubuntu won't install, some stupid error after partitioner... Also a known bug, also has "Fixed" status, but just won't work.

Arch, my old love...here I am, weeping and begging...

Sooooo, back to the square one. 13th hour thrown out through the window. Gotta love it...

I still have this problem. Anyone? Buyin' beers after the solution.

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: export: 36: /dev/sdb1: bad variable name

So you've tried substituting the space for a comma (just a comma ',' - not  comma + space ', '), you've tried

# (0) Arch Linux
title  Arch Linux
root   (hd0,0)
kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/md0 ro
initrd /kernel26.img

and nothing?

NekySerbia

Member

Registered: 2008-01-12

Posts: 40

Re: export: 36: /dev/sdb1: bad variable name

Yes, I tried both. In addition to the second solution, i re-read the wiki entry and did as the author suggested: Nowadays (2009.02), with the mdadm hook in the initrd it is no longer necessary to add kernel parameters concerning the RAID array(s). . Im using the same CD for both home and office installation (FTP 2009.2 x64). At home, I used the "old" way that includes adding the "raid" hook to the HOOKS part of the mkinitcpio.conf, and it still works, after few working months and tons of updates.

My menu.lst is the same as the one in the wiki, so I followed the wiki to the end. Result was exactly the same error as always.

Im going to give it another shot in the morning, but the odds are against me. I might download 32bit version, just in case...

Thanks a ton karol!

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: export: 36: /dev/sdb1: bad variable name

Thanks a ton karol!

Err, you're welcome, but ... I didn't do anything.

Are you absolutely sure that 'root   (hd0,0)' is correct? Maybe BIOS did some change on it's own?

NekySerbia

Member

Registered: 2008-01-12

Posts: 40

Re: export: 36: /dev/sdb1: bad variable name

I don't think that grub is the problem - it boots OK, until initramfs takes control - then i get the error 36.

This is the old bug report: http://bugs.archlinux.org/task/10381 but is somehow inconclusive if you ask me. I would really like for someone else to join, there will be plenty of drinks on me if we sort this out.

:wave:

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: export: 36: /dev/sdb1: bad variable name

Yeah, I've seen that bug. The last two comments gave me a hint wrt to the state of the affairs.
Good luck.

NekySerbia

Member

Registered: 2008-01-12

Posts: 40

Re: export: 36: /dev/sdb1: bad variable name

Slap me with a shovel or smtn... BOOT partition is /dev/md0, not the ROOT.

grub line should be:

kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/md1 ro

Few other tricks I did. "Mdadm" was added to the mkinitcpio.conf, between "sata" and "filesystem" hooks. So...
Switch to vc/2 (alt+f2), login as root, then

mdadm -Ds >> /etc/mdadm.conf

switch back to vc/1, select "Configure system" and follow the entries. As a precaution, I added "raid1 raid0" modules to the MODULES section of mkinitcpio.conf, I'm not sure they are needed.

Everything works now. Karol and I are off for a drink, wavin' to all of you

Last edited by NekySerbia (2009-06-02 22:05:11)

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: export: 36: /dev/sdb1: bad variable name

I don't think I deserve a drink.
I was staring at your setup and it somehow didn't occur to me that 'root=/dev/md0' was pointing to /boot, although you wrote that it did in your fstab listing and even repeated it in your second post. I had a hunch that it was grub-related, but I'm guilty of a horrible oversight.
All's well that ends well, eh?