Kernel mkinitrd help

[BobGuy©]

I compiled the 2.4.21-rc6 kernel for mandrake 9.1, the problem I'm having is that the mouse will stop functioning as soon as the GUI login dialog screen pops up.

 

I have built the mouse as a module, and then re-built it into the monolithic kernel, either way I lose it at the login screen.

 

I wanted to avoid having to use the initrd.img during the boot process, but it seems that it will be necessary. :(

 

So my question is, what happens when I use this code.

 

mkinitrd /boot/initrd-KERNEL-VERSION.img KERNEL-VERSION

 

Where is the initrd.img located after I run this command? In /boot? Or do I have to move it into /boot?

 

I presume that the command should look like this:

 

mkinitrd /boot/initrd-2.4.21-rc6.img 2.4.21-rc6

 

Is that correct?

 

BTW this the first time that I have had problems getting a mouse to work after compiling a kernel, and have never had to do the 'mkinitrd' part in the past using slackware, is this a mandrake thing?

 

Hope someone can help with this issue, and thanks.

[aru]

I compiled the 2.4.21-rc6 kernel for mandrake 9.1, the problem I'm having is that the mouse will stop functioning as soon as the GUI login dialog screen pops up.

 

I have built the mouse as a module, and then re-built  it  into the monolithic kernel, either way I lose it at the login screen.

 

I wanted to avoid having to use the initrd.img during the boot process, but it seems that it will be necessary. :(

At first sight I can't see any relation between the initrd image and the mouse problem (but I can be wrong), since the reason of being of initrd is to load modules needed by the kernel at the very earliest stage of the boot, such as the reiserfs module when the root filesystem is reiserfs. If that module is not loaded before the root filesystem is mounted then the kernel never will be able to mount it, and thus never being able to boot linux.

 

So if your problem is the mouse, and the mouse is enabled on GUI, at the lastest stage, then I don't see why the mouse modules have to be loaded through initrd.

 

IMHO the problem is another one.

 

So  my question is, what happens when I use this code.

 

[code]mkinitrd /boot/initrd-2.4.21-rc6.img 2.4.21-rc6

 

Is that correct?

yes it is :)

 

Btw, are you aware that that is not an stable version of the kernel, it is true that probably that one is the last relase candidate prior to the stable one, but it is not 100% stabel yet.

 

Also If you are using a mandrake .config with that kernel probably wont work

 

HTH

[pmpatrick]

You can try the obvious; boot to a command prompt by hitting the Esc key as soon as the lilo boot screen comes up and typing "linux 3" w/o quotes at the lilo boot prompt. Then log in as root and run mousedrake, the mandrake mouse configuration utility:

 

# mousedrake

 

It looks just like th mouse config portion of the install program. Select the appropriate mouse and reboot. See if it helps.

[BobGuy©]

Thanks, I'll give them a try and see if it works.

 

Hey if it dosent, I'll just boot to the original mandrake kernel and try again. :)

[BobGuy©]

At first sight I can't see any relation between the initrd image and the mouse problem (but I can be wrong)

 

Well you are not wrong. :)

 

initrd worked but still no mouse, couldnt even modprobe the mouse module in there.

 

I wouldn't think that I'd have to run mousedrake, as the mouse is detected fine in the default kernel.

 

This sure has me stumped.

 

Back to the menuconfig.