Ok...I'm JUST about done with my Gentoo Linux load. I go to edit a grub.conf file (by issuing the command nano -w /boot/grub/grub.conf) and I edit the file. (Or create it, actually..it doesn't exist.)
title=Windows XP
root (hd0,0)
chainloader (hd0,0)+1
When I go to boot up the system, I get this:
root (hd1,0)
filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 0x82
kernel (hd1,0) /boot/kernel-2.4.21
Error 1: Filename must be either an absolute filename or a blocklist.
It then gives me a screwed up grub screen. I can't choose Gentoo - it gives me that error again - but I can choose XP just fine.
By the way...hda is my Windows XP hard drive. hdb1 is my linux boot drive; hdb2 is root, and hdb3 is the swap partition. Hope someone can help. :)
SuperNu
12-01-2003, 12:44 AM
I haven't used Gentoo myself, but I have a setup similar to yours. I have Win2k on /dev/hda and Red Hat 9 on /dev/hdb. My grub.conf file is as follows...
default=0
timeout=10
splashimage=(hd1,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
title Red Hat Linux (2.4.20-20.9)
root (hd1,0)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.20-20.9 ro root=LABEL=/ vga=791
initrd /initrd-2.4.20-20.9.img
title Windows2000
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
I think that if you would get rid of all of those (hd1,0) after you define the root directory and get rid of /boot you should be fine. From my understanding, grub looks at /dev/hdb1 and then will go into /boot looking for your necessary files. Since (hd1,0) is /boot, it is really looking at /boot/boot for your files. If that doesn't work, do a board/google search on zen and the art of using grub. There are a lot of useful topics.
--SN
JusKickNit
12-01-2003, 12:49 AM
The only problem I see is in the error you posted the kernel line say's /boot/kernel-2.4.21 instead of 2.4.21-gss maybe a typo. Also grub has tab completion. Highlight Matt Gentoo Load from the menu push "e" now you should see the "root","kernel",and "initrd" lines. Highlight one of those push "e". You can now edit those line's. Push "enter" to save the newly edited line and "b" to boot.
hardcore
12-01-2003, 12:58 AM
The config file is configured properly. Make sure you have /boot mounted when you're saving the config file, and also if you do not have the boot symlink in /boot, then either add one, or remove the preceding '/boot' 's within your config file.
03ramguy
12-01-2003, 01:03 AM
Originally posted by JusKickNit
The only problem I see is in the error you posted the kernel line say's /boot/kernel-2.4.21 instead of 2.4.21-gss maybe a typo.
Well, when I type 'uname -r' it says 2.4.21-gss, so I am assuming that it is correct.
As far as the rest of it goes, I'll have to check all of that out. Good info....I'll get back to y'all and let you know what the deal is. That's 3 times that I've heard that I have to mount the boot drive, and 2 times that I've heard that I had to remove those 'boot' thingies..so I'll try all that. Thanks! :D
03ramguy
12-01-2003, 01:56 AM
Update:
Ok, that's wahat I get for not looking in the actual directory. I was trying to use 2.4.21-gss; the actual kernel was 2.4.20-gentoo-r6. :rolleyes:
Ok...now it goes to the purty grub screen, and I choose the Gentoo Load, and it makes like it wants to boot up....
...and THEN I get this:
read_super_block: Can't find reiserfs on dev (03:40 block 64 size 1024
read_super_block: Can't find reiserfs on dev (03:40 block 8 size 1024
Kernel Panic: VFS Unable to mount root fs on (03:42)
Now, I'm not a total n00b, but I know the root partition (hdb2) is formatted as reiserfs - or at least I commanded it to mkreiserfs for that partition - so it SHOULD work. Anyone shed some light on this for me? Is there some file somewhere I can edit, or is this 'bad'? I do appreciate the help and the tolerance of n00b questions. :p
hardcore
12-01-2003, 02:05 AM
post your /etc/fstab file
JusKickNit
12-01-2003, 02:45 AM
Top three problems for this error is probley
1. bad /etc/fstab
2. did not compile reiserfs in the kernel as a builtin
3. did not compile the proper ide chipset support
03ramguy
12-01-2003, 10:34 AM
Originally posted by JusKickNit
Top three problems for this error is probley
1. bad /etc/fstab
2. did not compile reiserfs in the kernel as a builtin
3. did not compile the proper ide chipset support
I can believe that there's a bad /etc/fstab; I believe I received some other errors (not huge at all, but they did pique my interest) concerning the fstab file.
As far as reiserfs not being compiled, I got the manual for the CD's that I installed from OFF the CD's, so I naturally assumed that when the instructions spoke of reiserfs, it was compiled. However, I could definitely be wrong.
Anyways, I'll have to check this out for sure. When I get home tonight I will post my /etc/fstab.
Hayl
12-01-2003, 11:00 AM
if you have a separate /boot partition then then following lines are wrong in your grub.conf:
< an unfortunate "mistake" in the example given in the gentoo install doc since they tell you to use a separate /boot and give you a a grub example for a /boot that is part of / >
03ramguy
12-01-2003, 11:03 AM
Originally posted by Hayl
if you have a separate /boot partition then then following lines are wrong in your grub.conf:
< an unfortunate "mistake" in the example given in the gentoo install doc since they tell you to use a separate /boot and give you a a grub example for a /boot that is part of / >
I know this now....I was thoroughly admonished on many Linux forums concerning this. I did fix that; and now I'm getting that darn 'Kernel Panic' error written about above. Joy. :p
Also (and I don't know if this is my own n00b fault or if this is something that's wrong), I typed 'uname -r' and saw '2.4.21-gss' and assumed that I needed to use THAT as the kernel version when the actual kernel version was '2.4.20-gentoo-r6.'
So I shoulda been typing '/boot/kernel-2.4.20-gentoo-r6' and NOT '/boot/boot/kernel-2.4.21-gss'
I went all out on this one and made sure everything was screwed up. ;) :p
Hayl
12-01-2003, 11:10 AM
Originally posted by 03ramguy
I know this now....I was thoroughly admonished on many Linux forums concerning this. I did fix that; and now I'm getting that darn 'Kernel Panic' error written about above. Joy. :p
ok good.
fyi - i submitted it as a bug to Gentoo - I'm sick of people running into that problem: http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=34826
Important: If your /boot partition (the one holding the kernel) is ReiserFS, be sure to mount it with the -o notail option so GRUB gets properly installed. Make sure that notail ends up in your new /etc/fstab boot partition entry, too. We will get to that in a bit. If you are going to use LILO with ReiserFS, then the -o notail is not needed. It's always safe to specify the -o notail option with ReiserFS if you're not sure what to do.
03ramguy
12-01-2003, 11:14 AM
Originally posted by Hayl
ok good.
fyi - i submitted it as a bug to Gentoo - I'm sick of people running into that problem: http://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=34826
Important: If your /boot partition (the one holding the kernel) is ReiserFS, be sure to mount it with the -o notail option so GRUB gets properly installed. Make sure that notail ends up in your new /etc/fstab boot partition entry, too. We will get to that in a bit. If you are going to use LILO with ReiserFS, then the -o notail is not needed. It's always safe to specify the -o notail option with ReiserFS if you're not sure what to do.
Well, uh, I think I'm glad to know that it's possibly a bug and not my dumb self doing that. :p
I will say right now that I MAY need a bit of help figuring out how to mount it correctly; I'm assuming that all I should need to do will be to go into the /etc/fstab and type '-o notail' in the arguments section of that line?
And I'm more used to GRUB (plus I think it's a bit 'tougher' to use as far as configuring goes) so I'll probably stick with that. Thanks for the help!
Hayl
12-01-2003, 11:20 AM
the mounting has to be done that way before you install grub, so if you already have installed, grub, then umount /boot and then mount it with the -o notail option, then redo the grub installation per the install doc.
its not really a bug, it's just that their doc is misleading with regards to havign a separate /boot.
03ramguy
12-01-2003, 11:23 AM
Originally posted by Hayl
the mounting has to be done that way before you install grub, so if you already have installed, grub, then umount /boot and then mount it with the -o notail option, then redo the grub isntallation per the install doc.
So, in other words, I have to umount /boot, and then 'mount /dev/hdb1 /boot -o notail', and THEN I have to emerge -k grub again and recompose the grub.conf? If that's all I have to do, that should be a piece of cake.
Hayl
12-01-2003, 11:25 AM
you don't need to re-emerge it, it's already there, just the other part of the install where you type in grub <enter>, and do all that other good stuff like the grub> root (hd0,X), etc.
je_fro
12-01-2003, 11:36 AM
...only it looks like your /boot partition is ext2 not reiserfs.
03ramguy
12-01-2003, 11:44 AM
Originally posted by je_fro
...only it looks like your /boot partition is ext2 not reiserfs.
Well, that I know; boot is ext2, and root is reiserfs. (Swap is, uh, swap. :p)
This being said, why is my /boot partition looking for reiserfs? I mean, I already KNEW the /boot partition was ext2. So why is it looking for reiserfs? I know for a fact that my /etc/fstab doesn't say squat about reiserfs for that line; am I missing something?
Hayl
12-01-2003, 12:19 PM
if it isn't reiser then disregard my posts re: reinstalling grub after remounting it with notail.
03ramguy
12-01-2003, 12:41 PM
Originally posted by Hayl
if it isn't reiser then disregard my posts re: reinstalling grub after remounting it with notail.
I had figured that out; however, I'm still wondering as to why it's looking for reiserfs if the /boot partition is not reiserfs. (I know it's ext2.) In other words, I'm clueless here LOL as to why I'm getting that error in the first place (cuz I'm a n00b) and secondly, why it's looking for reiserfs if it is not supposed to.
je_fro
12-01-2003, 02:17 PM
What is in /etc/fstab ?
What is now in your /boot/grub/menu.lst (aka /boot/grub/grub.conf)
?
03ramguy
12-01-2003, 02:24 PM
Originally posted by je_fro
What is in /etc/fstab ?
What is now in your /boot/grub/menu.lst (aka /boot/grub/grub.conf)
?
Just as soon as I get home I'll post them. :D I did say that before; could be no one saw it because it was at the end of one of the many posts in this topic. I'll do that first chance I get when I get home.
Actually; I can remember what is in the grub.conf:
title=Windows XP
root (hd0,0)
chainloader (hd0,0)+1
(hd0,0) is my WinXP hard drive; (hd1,0) is the boot partition; /dev/hdb2 is the /root partition. Windows XP comes up just fine via the grub menu, btw. And if I am not mistaken, I do believe that I verified that initrd-2.4.20-gentoo-r6 is also correct.
I'll post my /etc/fstab soon as I get home.
je_fro
12-01-2003, 02:40 PM
...except fot the genkernel (initrd) bit.
It has to be in your fstab. If you have no luck, boot the livecd, mount root and /boot, chroot and proceed to making a grub boot floppy (if you haven't already done so). Then you can use TAB completion to find your kernel like this:
boot grub floppy...
root (hd1,0)
...blah...ext2...blah...
kernel (hd1,0)/<HIT THE TAB KEY HERE>
it will show you all that resides in your /boot partition and you can boot what you want...example:
kernel (hd1,0)/<HIT THE TAB KEY HERE>
{It displays kernel-2.4.20-gentoo-r6 ...put that in, followed by root=/dev/hdb2}
Then the initrd stuff.
then just hit "boot" to boot with the information that you provided.
03ramguy
12-02-2003, 10:29 AM
As far as the /etc/fstab stuff, can't I just boot from the Live CD, mount the drive and edit the file at that point?
I may end up posting my /etc/fstab and having y'all tell me what to put in there; sometimes I have problems visualizing the actual procedure, but once it's IN there I can read it and realize what it's doing.
I would have posted it last night, but my wife sorta lit our yard on fire and I had to go home early to help her put it out and then take her to the doctor for smoke inhalation. :eek: :rolleyes:
Hayl
12-02-2003, 10:33 AM
yes, you do _not_ have to chroot to edit/look at just the /etc/fstab.
03ramguy
12-02-2003, 04:55 PM
Sweet. When I'll get home I'll futz around with it; and if I have further problems I'll just post the darn file and update y'all with my system config so you can school me on what I'm doing wrong. :p
03ramguy
12-02-2003, 11:23 PM
K....this is what is in my /etc/fstab. I'm dead sure there needs to be more there but to be honest this must be one of those areas that I just am not getting it yet. :rolleyes:
je_fro $ cat /etc/fstab
# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
# $Header: /home/cvsroot/gentoo-src/rc-scripts/etc/fstab,v 1.10 2002/11/18 19:39:22 azarah Exp $
#
# noatime turns of atimes for increased performance (atimes normally aren't
# needed; notail increases performance of ReiserFS (at the expense of storage
# efficiency). It's safe to drop the noatime options if you want and to
# switch between notail and tail freely.
# glibc 2.2 and above expects tmpfs to be mounted at /dev/shm for
# POSIX shared memory (shm_open, shm_unlink). Adding the following
# line to /etc/fstab should take care of this:
# (tmpfs is a dynamically expandable/shrinkable ramdisk, and will use almost no
# memory if not populated with files)
Yeah....I guess I should add the floppy line too. :D Thanks for your help...let's see if that does it.
03ramguy
12-03-2003, 12:13 AM
By the way....the line immediately preceding this:
read_super_block: Can't find reiserfs on dev (03:40 block 64 size 1024
read_super_block: Can't find reiserfs on dev (03:40 block 8 size 1024
Kernel Panic: VFS Unable to mount root fs on (03:42)
Says this:
USB Storage Hardware Detected
I noticed that the lines previous to THAT are where the computer is going through and initializing the USB stuff.
03ramguy
12-03-2003, 04:27 PM
BUMP! :D
Seriously, I don't mean to be a pain, but nothing I've tried works so far. Edited the /etc/fstab and the grub.conf files to no avail.
je_fro
12-03-2003, 05:02 PM
Originally posted by 03ramguy
When I go to boot up the system, I get this:
root (hd1,0)
filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 0x82
kernel (hd1,0) /boot/kernel-2.4.21
Error 1: Filename must be either an absolute filename or a blocklist.
It then gives me a screwed up grub screen. I can't choose Gentoo - it gives me that error again - but I can choose XP just fine.
By the way...hda is my Windows XP hard drive. hdb1 is my linux boot drive; hdb2 is root, and hdb3 is the swap partition. Hope someone can help. :)
Get back into the liveCD, mount / and /boot, chroot over to /mnt/gentoo and emerge grub again. Go through the grub install stuff in the documentation:
grub>
root (hd1,0)
setup (hd0)
Make a bootdisk. Then be sure your fstab contains:
The USB stuff, I think, is not important to your issue. Do all the above and if it still doesn't work, post your full fstab and grub.conf and I'll take a look.
03ramguy
12-04-2003, 11:21 AM
Ok...STILL have the problem. I completely blew away and reinstalled the program, ensuring that my /etc/fstab was setup the way it needs to be (with the aforementioned entries, plus the ones you gave me - I also realized I was labeling my /dev/hdb1 partition as ext2 when it was ext3 :rolleyes:), and my grub.conf was and is setup correctly...yet I still get the same 'Kernel Panic' error.
je_fro
12-04-2003, 12:08 PM
read_super_block: Can't find reiserfs on dev (03:40 block 64 size 1024
read_super_block: Can't find reiserfs on dev (03:40 block 8 size 10read_super_block: Can't find reiserfs on dev (03:40 block 64 size 1024
read_super_block: Can't find reiserfs on dev (03:40 block 8 size 1024
Kernel Panic: VFS Unable to mount root fs on (03:42)24
Kernel Panic: VFS Unable to mount root fs on (03:42)
Did you enable reiserfs support in the kernel?
Do you have any weird hardware? RAID? SATA?
It looks like root isn't reiserfs to me.
If everything's as it should be, then I have no idea.
03ramguy
12-04-2003, 12:16 PM
Originally posted by je_fro
[B]Did you enable reiserfs support in the kernel?
Aside from the whole 'emerge -k mkreiserfsprogs' stuff, and all that, is there some OTHER place I need to enable support for it? I'm following the directions that come with the disk (same ones on gentoo.org) to the letter.
Do you have any weird hardware? RAID? SATA?
It looks like root isn't reiserfs to me.
See, I'm beginning to think that. I create root (/dev/hdb2) as reiserfs but when I go into my /etc/fstab it appears as ext3, I believe. I want to know what the heck is going on. LOL
Anyways...it comes down to, I think, making sure reiserfs is enabled. I create the partition as reiserfs, and I emerge -k mkreiserfsprogs, I think the command is (it's in the installation setup readme file). Anything else I need to do?
je_fro
12-04-2003, 12:30 PM
You don't actually create it as reiserfs...you make the partition with cfdisk (as ext2 or whatever), and then come back afterwards and do "mkreiserfs /dev/hdb1", and "mkreiserfs /dev/hdb2"
And if you're following the install to the letter, then you have hdb1=/boot, hdb2=swap, and hdb3=/.
/etc/fstab also doesn't "end up" saying ext3 for some random reason...it's just in there to start...you have to change it to reiserfs. I wish there was a way you could copy and paste EXACTLY what you have in grub.conf and fstab. I'm sure the mistake is there somewhere.
It's a longshot, but when you did "make menuconfig" are you sure you enabled "reiserfs support" under:
File systems ---> <*> Reiserfs support
Does it have a * there? Probably so, or you'd get a different error.
03ramguy
12-04-2003, 12:39 PM
Originally posted by je_fro
You don't actually create it as reiserfs...you make the partition with cfdisk (as ext2 or whatever), and then come back afterwards and do "mkreiserfs /dev/hdb1", and "mkreiserfs /dev/hdb2"
And if you're following the install to the letter, then you have hdb1=/boot, hdb2=swap, and hdb3=/.
You're right. LOL I just am not doublechecking what I'm writing closely.
/etc/fstab also doesn't "end up" saying ext3 for some random reason...it's just in there to start...you have to change it to reiserfs.
Which I did. No joy.
I wish there was a way you could copy and paste EXACTLY what you have in grub.conf and fstab. I'm sure the mistake is there somewhere.
It's a longshot, but when you did "make menuconfig" are you sure you enabled "reiserfs support" under:
File systems ---> <*> Reiserfs support
Does it have a * there? Probably so, or you'd get a different error.
Ok, don't shoot me, but I do not remember the 'make menuconfig' part. Hmm....I'm wondering if that's not in an area of the manual that says "Advanced users shouldn't have a problem with this but n00bs should leave this alone, and it will probably run fine.
And I can't really copy/paste what I have in grub.conf and fstab, but when I get home tonight, I will go to reinstall the program, and I will copy down *exactly* what is in there, and then post both of them. :)
03ramguy
12-04-2003, 12:44 PM
AHA! I searched the instructions...and noticed that the 'make menuconfig' command is right after the part that says
Manual kernel configuration
If you opted not to use genkernel to compile your kernel, this section will guide you through the process of configuring and compiling a kernel by hand. Please note that /usr/src/linux is a symlink to your current emerged kernel source package and is set automatically by Portage at emerge time. If you have multiple kernel source packages, it is necessary to set the /usr/src/linux symlink to the correct one before proceeding.
Ok....I used the 'gentoo-sources' kernel (I think it was) and used genkernel to automatically compile my kernel. (I'm doing Stage 3 GRP.) I've never compiled a kernel manually before so I'm sorta scawed. :p
It would appear that this may be the problem. So, this being said...
1) Can I still use a Stage 3 GRP install AND do the 'make menuconfig' thing so that I can go in and enable reiserfs support? Or must I do a Stage 3 (no GRP) install and make menuconfig and enable reiserfs support?
And if I must manually compile a kernel, how tough will it be? Like I said, never done that.
Thanks for all your help! I really do appreciate it. :)
je_fro
12-04-2003, 12:55 PM
...genkernel sucks. It is, however, intimidating for a n00b to compile his own kernel....even though you'd be shocked by how easy it is. All you need to know is what kind of hardware you have. You can find this out by doing "dmesg | less" (spacebar to scroll, q to quit) and reading all the goodies about your hardware. Google your MoBo...which chipset? Type of processor? Look at the gentoo docs for Manual Kernel Configuration. There's not much to it if you've adequately Googled everything.
I have to leave for awhile...since this thread is taking a turn, maybe someone *cough* Hayl *cough* could jump in and help you out. If I'm around when you're trying, I'll help, but school is forcing me to kick it into overdrive.
If you know how to use IRC, goto irc.freenode.net and "/join #justlinux". There are a bunch of kind souls in there who can also help.
See You Later....
03ramguy
12-04-2003, 01:04 PM
Originally posted by je_fro
...genkernel sucks. It is, however, intimidating for a n00b to compile his own kernel....even though you'd be shocked by how easy it is. All you need to know is what kind of hardware you have. You can find this out by doing "dmesg | less" (spacebar to scroll, q to quit) and reading all the goodies about your hardware. Google your MoBo...which chipset? Type of processor? Look at the gentoo docs for Manual Kernel Configuration. There's not much to it if you've adequately Googled everything.
I have to leave for awhile...since this thread is taking a turn, maybe someone *cough* Hayl *cough* could jump in and help you out. If I'm around when you're trying, I'll help, but school is forcing me to kick it into overdrive.
If you know how to use IRC, goto irc.freenode.net and "/join #justlinux". There are a bunch of kind souls in there who can also help.
See You Later....
Yeah, I guess genkernel DOES suck. *LOL* And I do know what kinda hardware I have. :) (Intel 845 Chipset, i810 audio, Microsoft Trackball Optical, Std Keybd, some hard drives, an Epson C60 printer, etc.) I'll give it a try tonight and see what I can do. Not a TOTAL n00b but the first time I do it I like to have real accurate and descriptive documentation. Once I've done it once, I'll never be intimidated by it again. Guess it's time to roll up my sleeves. Thanks for all your help. :D
justlinux.com
Copyright Internet.com Inc. All Rights Reserved.