Help me configure GRUB (correctly)

Euphoric Nightmare · 2005-05-02 20:31:06

I am currently having a problem with grub (I think?). When I try to boot up Arch I am greeted with a nasty error message:

Warning: unable to open an initial console.
Kernel Panic - not syncing: No init found. Try passing init= option to kernel.

I have this in my grub configuration file:

title Arch Linux
root (hd0,4)
kernel /vmlinuz26 root=/dev/sda3

phrakture · 2005-05-02 20:38:58

that's not a grub error - "Kernel Panic" is from the linux kernel, meaning it got past grub...

"no init found" is the real error...

what is your partition layout? for instance, mine is:
/dev/hda1 /home (was windows)
/dev/hda2 /boot
/dev/hda3 swap
/dev/hda4 /

Euphoric Nightmare · 2005-05-02 21:02:06

here is my scheme if i remember correctly

sda1: Windows
sda2: /root (ubuntu)(not mounted while running arch)
sda3: /root (arch)
sda5: /boot
sda6: swap

phrakture · 2005-05-02 21:07:16

ummm is that "/root" or "/"?

Euphoric Nightmare · 2005-05-02 21:09:22

sorry...its

/

It was mounted using the installation program on the live cd.

phrakture · 2005-05-02 21:12:07

ok... just to check, boot into ubuntu, and mount the arch partition somewhere (doesn't matter) - see if it has the "init" binary... it's possible that the installation got messed up

Euphoric Nightmare · 2005-05-02 21:22:32

okay...what exactly am i looking for?

phrakture · 2005-05-02 21:26:51

do you have "sbin/init"? on the arch partition?

Euphoric Nightmare · 2005-05-02 21:28:43

Thanks - I will look for it when i get home!

Euphoric Nightmare · 2005-05-03 21:13:29

Good news. The file wasn't there...so started fresh and I installed again--making sure that all packages were successfully installed...now i have an Arch base system!

phrakture · 2005-05-03 21:33:44

Euphoric Nightmare wrote:

Good news. The file wasn't there...so started fresh and I installed again--making sure that all packages were successfully installed...now i have an Arch base system!

yeah that happens sometimes... if you don't hit the "Done" button after harddrive prep, it doesn't do anything... I've always been at a loss as to why it doesn't yell at you saying "If you exit now nothing will happen, make sure to hit Done!"

Euphoric Nightmare · 2005-05-03 23:00:55

Some more interesting problems I ran into:

My arch installation completely wiped my grub menu.lst. Luckily I keep a backup. The funny thing is I opted not to install grub or lilo, and i didn't edit the file from the installation. Every other file was intact on the /boot partition

After packages are successfully installed, and I choose "Continue", the install application freezes up, and I have to CTR+C to stop it. But then after i do /arch/setup, I can continue normally as though nothing had happened.

If I already have the kernel, and kconfig images in /boot, Kernel installation will fail. Same thing if it tries to install grub. It won't let it install that package because menu.lst already exists.

phrakture · 2005-05-04 01:38:46

just format it then if you're installing over it

Euphoric Nightmare · 2005-05-04 03:03:16

just to clarify, none of these problems are still pertinent. I was able to work around, or solve each one of these. I was just simply posting my thoughts on the installation.

I was able to get the kernel installed by deleting those files on the boot partition. As for grub, I didn't need it installed again, so I just tried installing packages again, and made sure grub and lilo weren't included.

Arch Linux

#1 2005-05-02 20:31:06

Help me configure GRUB (correctly)

#2 2005-05-02 20:38:58

Re: Help me configure GRUB (correctly)

#3 2005-05-02 21:02:06

Re: Help me configure GRUB (correctly)

#4 2005-05-02 21:07:16

Re: Help me configure GRUB (correctly)

#5 2005-05-02 21:09:22

Re: Help me configure GRUB (correctly)

#6 2005-05-02 21:12:07

Re: Help me configure GRUB (correctly)

#7 2005-05-02 21:22:32

Re: Help me configure GRUB (correctly)

#8 2005-05-02 21:26:51

Re: Help me configure GRUB (correctly)

#9 2005-05-02 21:28:43

Re: Help me configure GRUB (correctly)

#10 2005-05-03 21:13:29

Re: Help me configure GRUB (correctly)

#11 2005-05-03 21:33:44

Re: Help me configure GRUB (correctly)

#12 2005-05-03 23:00:55

Re: Help me configure GRUB (correctly)

#13 2005-05-04 01:38:46

Re: Help me configure GRUB (correctly)

#14 2005-05-04 03:03:16

Re: Help me configure GRUB (correctly)

Board footer