Guest a621 Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 Hi, I am a complte newbie on LINUX. This was my first attept to install linux. I tried the 10.1 DVD version to the following machine: MB: Asus P5GD2 CPU: P4 3.2Ghz / 540 Ram: 1024 DDR2 Raid Controler: Onboard ITE8212F IDE RAID Raid Configuration: 2 X Maxtor 80GB in RAID 0 (Stripe) Mode Partitions: 1 X NTFS for winXP currently installed and 1 Unallocated Partition I boot from DVD and everything went ok until the bootloader step where I get the following error: mkinitrd failed: (mkinitrd -v -f /boot initrd-2.6.8.1-12 mdksmp.img -- ifneeded 2.6.8.1-12 mdksmp) I tried to add Linux manually from the installation but no luck, only WINXP could be added. So when I boot I see LILO with WINDOWS only and I cannot find a way to add Linux. Can anyone help me? Please keep in mind that I do not know anything about linux yet, this was my first attempt to install Linux in my whole life. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
streeter Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 (edited) I have no experience with doing this with RAID, but I don't see why this should be any different... This MAY work... Turn on - when you get the lilo screen, hit esc and type linux root=/dev/hda5 (or wherever your installation is). This should load and run your new installation, from where you can log on as root, edit /etc/lilo.conf and type lilo. Reboot. Failing that, have you a Linux boot CD, like Knoppix? Boot with this, open a console and: su mkdir /mnt/root mount /dev/hda5 /mnt/root chroot /mnt/root #edit /etc/lilo.conf if you need to lilo halt Only problem I can see is that if mkinitrd failed, you may not be able to mount the filesystems, so it won't work. If not, try typing the mkinitrd line from your post. Edited May 18, 2005 by streeter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest a621 Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 Ok I 'll try that. I have a knoppix LIVE CD and I see what can I do. Thanks for your help. If these fail I will post again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest a621 Posted May 20, 2005 Report Share Posted May 20, 2005 I finally installed the LE2005 but now I have a new problem (probably related). When I try to boot any of the linux options I get a kernel panic. The last lines are: Mounting root filesystem mount: error 6 mounting ext3 flags defaults well, retrying without the option flags mount: error 6 mounting ext3 well, retrying read-only without an flag mount: error 6 mounting ext3 pivotroot: pivot_root(/sysroot,/sysroot/initrd) failed: 2 umount /initrd/sys failed: 2 umount /initrd/proc failed: 2 Initrd finished Freeing unused kernel memory: 296k freed Kernel panic - not syncing: No init found. Try passing init= option to kernel. Any Ideas. PLZ be aware that I have no experience on Linux at all!!! Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
streeter Posted May 21, 2005 Report Share Posted May 21, 2005 Did you try the mkinitrd line from your previous post? I'm not sure, and don't know if it will work, but I think the problem may lie there. I do know the default kernel (at least in previous Mandrake versions) does not contain the modules for the ext3 file system, and loads them from the initial ramdisk (initrd). Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest a621 Posted May 21, 2005 Report Share Posted May 21, 2005 So what do I do? Do I press ESC to lilo and type mkinitrd? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
streeter Posted May 21, 2005 Report Share Posted May 21, 2005 See my earlier post - you will have to do it after booting to knoppix and typing the chroot command with the parameters as it appears on your earlier post. Your kernel version may be different to the command shown, so if it doesn't work, post a listing of your /boot directory with ls -l /boot/ and will see if we can help. I am still not sure if it will work at all though - sorry :) Chris PS Are you using the default kernel (i.e. did you choose another when you installed) - I see the mkinitrd command has smp in it. Perhaps you need this for RAID? Anybody else know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest a621 Posted May 22, 2005 Report Share Posted May 22, 2005 (edited) I tried it but KNOPPIX condn't see the HDC6. Therefore I tried it to do it through RESCUE CD but I got an error while mounting: /proc/partitions does not exist. Disk scan bypassed. I did a default installation no change to kernel! I have 2 partitions for linux one SWAP (hdc5) and one / (hdc6) both ext3. Checking on the net about this error I found a lot of posts concerning ITE8212 but I couldn't find anything specific or understandable for me. Probably there is something wrong with this IDE ATA RAID chipset, but I have no idea how to work around with that. Thanks for your help! Edited May 22, 2005 by a621 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
streeter Posted May 22, 2005 Report Share Posted May 22, 2005 I think the swap partition is probably more likely to be hdc6 and the root partition hdc5 (but again, no experience of RAID - though I think it should be transparent. All the installs I have done put / on the first partition in your scheme, then swap, then /home). Also, the swap partition will definitely not be ext3 - it will be formatted as linux swap. OH - you may need to remount /dev/hdc5 (if that's the correct partition...) as read/write in order to write an initrd to it while in knoppix. mount -o remount,rw /dev/hdc5 /mnt/wherever_you_are_mounting_it Also, posting the /boot/ directory listing may help us (assuming it exists!) - see previous posts. You can redirect it to a file (say, on a mounted USB key) with ls -l /boot/ > /mnt/where_you_mounted_the_usb_key/listing.txt Have you tried to do another fresh install - may be the quickest way. Check the install CD/DVD to make sure it is not corrupted as well. Have fun! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest a621 Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 I tried a fresh partioning and install but again no luck. The problem remains. I tried the mount -o command but again no luck. I tried KNOPPIX 3.8.1 but it cannot see the RAID controller therefore I cannot do anything with KNOPPIX whatever I do I do it through RESCUE console of LE2005. I tried to copy the listing.txt to a floppy but again no luck. However I saw that the boot directory has a lot of stuff in it. I tried also intsalling the ALT1 which is the same kernel with BOOT at the end but again no luck. I searched on the NET for the problem but again no luck. The only new thing is that after mounting the devices and type mount to see what is mounted it says no devices on /proc. I have no idea what the problem is. Probably cannot mount the filesystem. If there is a KERNEL that fully supports RAID on ITE8212F this will probably solve the problem. I tried Mandrake because it supports this controller. Any more ideas will be helpful. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
streeter Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 Not sure I can help you any more - almost out of ideas. One suggestion is to try making a boot floppy - do you get this option when you install? it may be easier to edit the files on that. Have a look at these two pages: Raid boot floppy Not exactly stuff for beginners, but between them, you may find something of use - particularly the raid page - if you look at the lilo.conf (2.6 kernel section - skip the compiling and install bit, assuming the modules are already installed) there, you will see the raid controller is accessed using the ide-scsi scsi emulation module - try editing your lilo.conf along these lines. Note the use of sda instead of hdc. Also note the line place the modulename "iteraid" in your "/etc/modprobe.preload" May work. You could always re-install if you make a mess of it, so nothing to lose... There must be somebody out there who knows about this - HELP! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest a621 Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 (edited) FINALLY I GOT IT. THANK YOU FOR THE LINKS!!!!! Reading the Raid page I contacted the person and explained the problem he replied and I got the solution to the problem. I post the solution here for future reference: I think you need to load the it821x module into initrd before getting onwith boot beyond the kernel. It seems that, as it stands, that doesn happen. The steps are as follows: - boot from the first instal cd - press <F1> at the splash screen - type "rescue" at the prompt - choose to mount your partions from the menu - go to console - do a "chroot /mnt/<whichever is your root>" - go to /boot - remove the current initrd for your kernel; probably "initrd-2.6.11-6mdk.img" - make a new one with: "mkinitrd --preload=it821x initrd-2.6.11-6mdk.img 2.6.11-6mdk" - do "lilo" (as command). Reboot. Now your ITE raid should work. I did what he said and finally I got it booting!!!! Thanks Chris for your help!!! Edited May 23, 2005 by a621 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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