Nothing in /dev after installation on AlphaStation ev6

BaNJaX · n00b Joined: 25 May 2004 Posts: 6

I'm installing Gentoo Alpha from live cd, gentoo-alpha-2004.0-20040313.iso. I boot the CD no problem, create my partitions and extract the stage3 archive. This archive does not contain any files in /dev. Not necessarily a problem. I get right to kernel build (genkernel) and it bombs because it can't find the loop device. I found a forum thread that says i must use mount -o bind /dev /mnt/gentoo/dev to get my dev files in place but surely this is a short term fix - and it is. The kernel then builds. I get to the end of the installation and use swriteboot to install the aboot loader which looks like its sucessful but when I try and boot from the disk I get:

VFS: Cannot open root device "sda2" or 08:02
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel Panic VFS unable to mount root fs on 08:02

This is not at all suprising as /dev/ is empty! I have followed the Alpha installation handbook to the letter. I've even tried booting back off the CD, chroot'ing to the fix disk's root, going into /dev and running MAKEDEV to manually add the special files but this does not work either.

How do I install Gentoo onto a disk along with the necessary dev files?

TIA

avendesora · Posted: Tue May 25, 2004 5:57 pm Post subject:

If devfs works on alpha (I have no idea), make sure you have it and it is set to mount on boot - it populates /dev all by itself.

You do get the drive detected when booting, right? (It should appear somewhere in the boot messages)

nixnut · Posted: Tue May 25, 2004 5:59 pm Post subject:

Did you enable devfs? Devfs should create the devices on bootup
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BaNJaX · n00b Joined: 25 May 2004 Posts: 6

I'm not sure about devfs, i used genkernel as its my 1st pass at Linux on Alpha and didn't want to build a broken kernel. mseigneurin: it reads the bootstrap code from the scsi disk, finds the kernel in /boot etc, the kernel messages fly off the top of the screen. I'm left with md: raid0 personality, raid5 measuring checksum speed, then the NET4 stuff then the panic. I dont actually see any positive messages regarding my SCSI controller or disks found. I've only had this machine since Friday and I'm not sure about the exact config of controllers and disks. Might need to pop the case open and take a look.

I'll boot of the liveCD again, chroot and rebuild the kernel, specifically adding devfs support.

avendesora · Posted: Tue May 25, 2004 6:18 pm Post subject:

Make sure you have the right SCSI drivers in there too, while you're at it.
If the LiveCD detects it ok, do an lsmod to see what modules got loaded (if any) and make sure those are in your config also.

BaNJaX · n00b Joined: 25 May 2004 Posts: 6

ok well the fact SCSI support was a module probably didnt help ;-)

. While i was there i added my NIC into the kernel and the disk controller oh and devfs. I guess you can't beat manual kernel configuration. Thanks guys.

Deathwing00 · Posted: Tue May 25, 2004 6:50 pm Post subject:

Moved from Installing Gentoo.