First Kernel Config isn't booting

[4761]

Hey there!
I have been using Gentoo for a bit now, and finally wanted to try my hand at configuring my own kernel.
I took @Pietinger's great 'Installation Guide for Paranoid Dummies' as a reference, as it is the most detailed guide I could find.
This is the second iteration of my first kernel config, as the first already wasn't able to boot, but after double checking everything, I still couldn't get it working :(
If anyone here would be so kind and tell me the relvevant locations of logs or the kernel's config in a human-readable format, I'll gladly post them as a reply here, because just me saying 'my machine won't boot' isn't really helping much. :)
P.S: I'm trying it in a VM, so that I can make save states and what not.

Thanks so much in advance! :D

[pietinger]

If you try booting a kernel in a VM then you must take care to enable all virtual kernel modules which are necessary. So please check which (virtual) hardware your VM provides !

Do you have any output (errors) from this kernel ? (If not then it is possibly a problem with graphics modules)

(If you are able to boot another live distribution in your VM then do a "lspci -k" (first important) and a lsmod (2nd important) to check which modules are needed)

If your boot is reaching the point where it creates a systemlog, then you can look into /var/log/messages (but its unlikely).

(Booting a kernel IN a VM can be different than booting it on bare metal, because it is possible you need different modules)


(P.S. Thanks a lot for your compliment )

[NeddySeagoon]

4761,

Booting you first hand made kernel is hard. That it doesn't work is not a surprise.

Practising in a VM adds a layer of complexity and gives you a kernel that probably won't work on the real hardware too.
Virtualisation solutions can work in two ways.
They will all expose virtual hardware, which is not related to your real hardware at all.
Try

[4761]

Thank you! I didn't actually look into lsmod (must have overread that :P).
It might actually be a graphics issue then, because I after grub I get Gentoo-6.1.28 ... and the screen just turns black.
I do have some logs in /var/log/messages, but I am not sure whether these are related to this boot or the initial chroot.
Thank you for pointing that out, NeddySeaGoon! I was trying to do everything from scratch as my laptop isn't currently running Gentoo, but I'm planning to. Are there things that weren't covered in @pietinger's guide regarding notebook compatibility?
Also, I probably need WIFI and bluetooth to work, is not removing them from the USE-Flags enough for them to work without much hassle? :)
@Pietinger, in your guide you mention to activate Intel's IOMMU support for Intel CPUs. I cannot find that option within the current kernel's config, did it get removed?
Thanks to both of you! I will keep this in mind, but since I already spent a couple of hours tinkering with this VM, I want to at least get it to boot properly. :P
I am going to depart from some of the things pietinger recommends in his guide, while hoping that it doesn't break anything. :D

[4761]

There actually are loads of messages in the /var/log/messages after all!
Should I just paste them here, or is something like pastebin more appropriate here?
The last error that is being shown is this:

[NeddySeagoon]

4761,

WiFi is not straight forward. Bluetooth is a bit easier.
They are both in several parts. The kernel part, the firmware, the user space tools and the configuration. All the parts need to come together in the right order.

There is a wiki page for Wifi. I'll let you find it.
I don't use Bluetooth.

Grub prints something like

[pietinger]

4761,

Configuring your own kernel needs some experience ... the first I would recommend is: Read always the help ... not only the text ... moreover the last section ... where you can find something like "Selects", and/or "Selected by" and/or "Depends on:"

The second recommendation is the use of /

Search with / (in "make menuconfig") for the text: "INTEL_IOMMU"

Here you will get the same output as you would get with <Help> WITHOUT help-text, BUT you will get the important last section where you can see:

[NeddySeagoon]

4761,

You can't put the entire log here. It's far too big. The forums silently truncate long posts at 64k.

Install wgetpaste and put big things onto a pastebin site.
It can be used for both files and command output.
Helpers know to quote the interesting bits.

The entire log would be good to see as it probably contains error messages.
While we are guessing though, I'm with pietinger on missing/broken framebuffer support.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

[pietinger]

In the meantime you might check if you have all settings from here:
https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/User:Pietinger/Tutorials/Manual_Configuring_Kernel_Version_6.1#Part_3_-_Must_Haves

... and if this gives you no output enable additionally these both:

[4761]

[NeddySeagoon]

4761,

What virtualisation solution are you using?
Is it configured to offer BIOS or UEFI to the guest?

It rooks like whatever it is, it matches Grub as grub starts.
It can matter for framebuffer support.

Only UEFI can use EFI_Framebuffer.
Only BIOS can use VESA or VGA16.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

[4761]

I am currently using VirtualBox, it is configured to use UEFI. :)

[pietinger]

Surely you have found yourself that you have not enabled even one framebuffer module ... Just do it

These both are needed only in your VM:

[4761]

Okay, so I did add the options that @pietinger recommended, and I can login now!!
Thanks a lot, I'm going to play around with it now and come back here if some things aren't going as expected.
This is a nice feeling to have a custom kernel (somewhat?) running for the first time.

[NeddySeagoon]

4761,

In that case it will use EFI Framebuffer.

You will want

[pietinger]

[4761]

[pietinger]

4761,

before a month I have got my new machine ... and - as always - I have logged all my actions.

Because you know my german guide you maybe interested in my steps. I have copied it here:

https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/User:Pietinger/temp/delete_me

[4761]

[NeddySeagoon]

4761,

How have you set up the Virtualbox network. (In Virtualbox).
In the Network settings for your VM, there is a dropdown Attached to:

Choose Bridged adapter if you want the guest to be like any other system on your network.
This is the most useful but it requires another IP address. You may not be allowed that on eduroam.

Choose NAT Network to hide the guest behind the VirtualBox provided NAT.
This works for connections initiated by the guest.
It shares the hosts IP address.
To reach the guest from the host, or anywhere outside of the host, you will need to set up port forwarding in VirtualBox.

The other options are mostly not useful.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

[4761]

[4761]

[pietinger]

[NeddySeagoon]

4761,

The VM has no networking of its own. The host has to provide it.

As well as the two ways I described, there is a third way. If the host supports it, the host can "pass through" real hardware to the guest.
The downside of that is that the host cannot use that hardware, so "pass through" is often not useful.

You can practice NetworkManager in the VM. The underlying transport is almost irrelevant.
To practice setting up real hardware, the real hardware needs to be available. That's often not possible in a VM.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

[4761]

I do have another question.
I'm not at the point where I'll be installing the DE (in my case KDE). It tells me that there are circular dependencies and how to fix them.
The question that I now have is:
Should I install this single dependency with the