Boot problems with grub for mdk / gentoo [Resolved]

[static]

Problem: I get a "kernel panic: VFS: Can't mount root fs on 03:06" when booting mandrake only (other 2 work)

 

I installed windows first onto hda1 (ntfs)

I installed gentoo second, /boot = hda2 (ext3); / = hda3 (reiserfs); swap = hda5

I installed mandrake third, / = hda6 (reiserfs); swap = hda5

 

I still would like to use gentoo's grub as my bootloader, so this is what I had:

# Grub.conf (and a symlink menu.conf -> grub.conf for backwards compatability)



# Default Mandrake

default 0



# Fallback on Gentoo in case of error

fallback 1



# Boot Mandrake

title Mandrake 9.1

root (hd0,5)

kernel (hd0,5)/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.21-0.13mdk quiet devfs=mount hdb=ide-scsi hdc=ide-scsi

initrd (hd0,5)/boot/initrd-2.4.21-0.13mdk.img



# Boot Gentoo

title Gentoo 1.4

root (hd0,1)

kernel (hd0,1)/boot/bzImage root=/dev/hda3 hdb=ide-scsi hdc=ide-scsi



# Boot XP

title Damn M$

rootnoverify (hd0,0)

chainloader (hd0,0)+1

 

I tried the mdk kernel line with root=/dev/hda6, tried with init=/boot/initrd.img (which is a symlink to the long file name anyway) and no matter what I try I get the same kernel panic at different times, all right near the start of the boot sequence. (edit: it does decompress the kernel OK, says "booting kernel" and panics shortly thereafter)

:(

Notes

 

[*]I grabbed those mdk kernel options from what the mdk install was going to put, so you'd think it would know what reiserfs was

 

[*]I know the gentoo one works so I'm afraid to try mdk's lilo 'cause I wouldn't know exactly what to put

 

[*]I like grub better

 

Any help much appreciated :)

[bvc]

looks like I was going to suggest what you've already tried....here's my menu.lst for mdk on RH9 (I changed for hda6)

title ML-9.1

kernel (hd0,5)/boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda6 rw devfs=mount hdd=ide-scsi acpi=on vga=791

initrd (hd0,5)/boot/initrd.img

 

 

and I don't know that it would matter but there's too many spaces between

devfs=mount  hdb=ide-scsi

 

I like grub much better to. :wink:

[static]

Thanks for the reply

hmm... I didn't have rw - wonder if that could do it. (the spaces was just a posting typo) It's almost like mandrake didn't bother adding reiserfs support to the kernel or something. I decided (far too late into the night) to reinstall with an improved partitioning scheme, but I'll be getting to the grub configuration again tonight. (For this thread we'll assume the partitions are the same...)

 

UNLESS :!:

 

Is there a way I could have mdk install lilo to /dev/hda6 (/) and have grub just pass the boot job on? Like "boot whatever on /dev/hda6" (without specifics) and mdk's lilo will take over? I'm thinking "chainloader +1" like the windows line...

 

 

[edited for clarity]

[bvc]

The default is ro (read only) and yes, it could be a prob that neither ro or rw exist. ML9.0 and 9.1 have reiserfs support....I've installed a few times with it.

 

In an expert install it says either "preparing" or "installing" the bootloader about 1/3 into the install. Then at the end you get a Summary screen where you can change configs on many things. Now, whether or not lilo is already installed to the default hda mbr already, I don't know, but I don't think so, because even in 9.0 you could choose NO Bootloader. When installing 9.1 I've always made bootfloppies for other distros/os's>verified they work>let 9.1 install lilo to the mbr>boot to the desired distro I want to control grub>and as root;

grub-install '(hd0)'

which installs grub to hda's mbr then edit accordingly for the new distro.

 

I've never chainloaded because...heh, who wants to see 2 bootloader prompts? So, I can't say how, but it is something like that.

info grub

[bvc]

In an expert install it says either "preparing" or "installing" the bootloader about 1/3 into the install.

weird.... I installed ML9.1 a couple of days ago and this didn't happen....this time I got a bootloader screen with choices, one of which was, no bootloader. This is what I have always expected and never gotten on my previous 2 or 3 installs. Heh...inconsistant, buggy installer :roll:

[tyme]

In an expert install it says either "preparing" or "installing" the bootloader about 1/3 into the install.

weird.... I installed ML9.1 a couple of days ago and this didn't happen....this time I got a bootloader screen with choices, one of which was, no bootloader. This is what I have always expected and never gotten on my previous 2 or 3 installs. Heh...inconsistant, buggy installer :roll:

I agree, I got the same window when I install ML9.1 just a few days ago....but don't remember seeing it previously.

 

hopefully 9.2 will be less buggy, since it will be the second time around with this new installer setup....

[static]

I have a question!

boot=/dev/hda

map=/boot/map

vga=normal

default="Mandrake"

keytable=/boot/us.klt

prompt

nowarn

timeout=100

message=/boot/message

menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw

image=/boot/vmlinuz

       label="Mandrake"

       root=/dev/hda2

       initrd=/boot/initrd.img

       append="quiet devfs=mount hdb=ide-scsi hdc=ide-scsi acpi=on"

       vga=788

       read-only

other=/dev/hda1

       label="WindowsXP"

       table=/dev/hda

How come, in my mandrake's /etc/lilo.conf it says read-only?I'm afraid - I'd like to install gentoo tonight but fear I won't get back into mandrake!

[bvc]

Because as I said earlier that's the default. It will not effect anything as is, but if I understand correctly some fs's have a prob with read-write. I know reiserfs works with read-write, but I don't know about any others. Heck, I don't even remember what I read that caused me to changed mine to rw (grub). It won't matter either way though when it comes to another distro install. I think it just has to do with when the fs is first mounted, because, have you ever noticed the message at boot "remounting filesystems in read and write mode" or somehting like that? They end up mounted read-write, for obvious reasons.

[static]

Alrighty, thanks! Installed it after making a boot disk... actually, now that I think about it - I could always boot off my mandrake cd, mount my mdk partitions, chroot, and re-run lilo if I had to anyway :)