Problem in configuring & booting Lilo

[Azadeh]

Hi All,
I have a new compiled kernel-2.6.12.3 on the CENTOS 4.4 with kernel-2.6.9-42. the   lilo configuration is : /etc/lilo.conf :

prompt
timeout=20
default=linux
boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
message=/boot/message
linear

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.12.3-divert
     label=linux
     initrd=/boot/initrd-2.6.12.3-divert.img
     read-only
     root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00
     append="rhgb quiet"

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.9-42.ELsmp
     label=oldlinux
     initrd=/boot/initrd-2.6.9-42.ELsmp.img
     read-only
     root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00
     append="rhgb quiet"

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.9-42.EL
     label=linux-up
     initrd=/boot/initrd-2.6.9-42.EL.img
     read-only
     root=/dev/VolGroup00/LogVol00
     append="rhgb quiet"

and then I run in /etc:    lilo -t
the result was :

Added linux *
Added oldlinux
Added linux-up
The boot sector and the map file have *NOT*  been altered.

and by runing "lilo -v" I got:

LILO version 21.4-4, Copyright (C) 1992-1998 Werner Almesberger
'lba32' extensions Copyright (C) 1999,2000 John Coffman

Reading boot sector from /dev/hda
Merging with /boot/boot.b
Mapping message file /boot/message
Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.12.3-divert
Mapping RAM disk /boot/initrd-2.6.12.3-divert.img
Added linux *
Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.9-42.ELsmp
Mapping RAM disk /boot/initrd-2.6.9-42.ELsmp.img
Added oldlinux
Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.9-42.EL
Mapping RAM disk /boot/initrd-2.6.9-42.EL.img
Added linux-up
/boot/boot.0300 exists - no backup copy made.
Writing boot sector.

but as I restarted and wanted to boot with new kernel (2.6.12.3-divert) I got this message:

PCI:Can not allocate resorce region 4 of device 0000:00:07.1
audit(1182733192.101:0):initialized
Kernel panic-not syncing:VFS:Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(253,0)

and It will stop here!
Any suggestions?any ideas is appreciated.tnx.

Azadeh

[Kunio]

Hi,

This is not a divert specific problem.

It looks like your kernel or initrd file is missing support functions to access your filesystem (/dev/Volgroup/ etc). You may need to carefully look at and modify .config with your working kernel and make the divert kernel again.

Please not that
I had a similar problem with SATA HDD on Dell PCs, which cannot be
read without a correct initrd file.
But I am not so sure in this case.

1) .config is probably located as /lib/modules/kernel-version(2.6.2 etc.)/build/.config or in the top of the kernel source directly.

Compare .config for divert kernel and .config of the original/working kernel. You may directly edit .config file, but standard
way is to select the function (Multi device support RAID and LVM?) with
"make menuconfig". If CONFIG_SOMETHING=y or m in the old(working) .config,
choose the same in the new kernel.

Kernel module names are probably included in /etc/modprobe.conf.
In my case,
alias scsi_hostadapter ata_piix

2) If 1) is already OK. Then check the initrd file for the new kernel. If the kernel module for your filesystem is not included in the
initrd file, the kernel cannot access the root file system.

Is it automatically created? (The Linux distribution I use does not
create initrd when a new kernel is installed.)

If not, make initrd with

  /sbin/mkinitrd kernel-version OUTPUTFILENAME

(Note kernel-version is the character string in
   /lib/modules/kernel-version/)

To take a look at the contents of the initrd file (probably gzipped)
  gunzip -c initrd-version.img > initrd-test
  mkdir /mnt/loop (if not exist)
  mount initrd-test /mnt/loop -o loop
  (you may cd to /mnt/loop and take a look at the files)
  when you have done.
  cd / (exit from /mnt/loop
  umount /mnt/loop

Kernel module names required are probably included
in /etc/modprobe.conf.

In my case,
alias scsi_hostadapter ata_piix
is required and it is included in initrd.img.

Hope this helps,

Kunio