Grub causing kernel panic [SOLVED!]

sall · Guru Joined: 08 Jun 2008 Posts: 314 Location: WV, USA

I am getting an error after trying to setup grub on my new gentoo install. On boot it causes kernel panic. Here is some output:

minor_prophets · Apprentice Joined: 07 Oct 2007 Posts: 281

Sall,
Can you give us anymore info, bud??

:arrow:

Please don't take this the wrong way, but your post is rather sparse and you're now exactly a newbie to the forum anymore

sall · Guru Joined: 08 Jun 2008 Posts: 314 Location: WV, USA

I don't know what more info to provide? Please, let me know some output you need. Thanks!
_________________
Sall

* AMD Turion(tm) 64 Mobile Technology ML-32
* 1Gb RAM
* 2.6.27-gentoo-r8 x86_64
* Xfce4

DONAHUE · Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:08 am Post subject:

edit /boot/grub/grub.conf changing hda3 to sda3 ---new kernels don't use hda nomenclature
if that still fails provide grub.conf, lspci -nnk, emerge --search grub outputs
before the error msg provided was there a line about available partitions?

sall · Guru Joined: 08 Jun 2008 Posts: 314 Location: WV, USA

Changing from /dev/hda3 to /dev/sda3 does no good. My hard drives are seen as /dev/hda.

Here is my /etc/fstab:

minor_prophets · Apprentice Joined: 07 Oct 2007 Posts: 281

Also, post your kernel config. It will be particularly helpful in the area of the Device Drivers...ATA / SATA sections.

Sorry. Edited it. Start up sshd from the install PC, make note of your ip address, change the root password to something your remember and ssh into the LiveCD instance. Chroot into your install environment. Copy and paste should be easy at that point.

I do apologize about the tongue and cheek earlier.

sall · Guru Joined: 08 Jun 2008 Posts: 314 Location: WV, USA

Alright, I'll try that. In the meantime I'm going to try one other thig and insert my UUID into grub.cong as for a read on another thread from elsewhere. I will get back with you though regardless of whether I can copy and paste these outputs you requested. and haha i take it with a grain of salt i misread things all the time...
_________________
Sall

* AMD Turion(tm) 64 Mobile Technology ML-32
* 1Gb RAM
* 2.6.27-gentoo-r8 x86_64
* Xfce4

cyrillic · Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 1:59 pm Post subject:

sall · Guru Joined: 08 Jun 2008 Posts: 314 Location: WV, USA

I've read several places that this is because there is no initrd because I did not use genkernel kernel and configured my own kernel using make && make modules_install.

this is relevant lspci output:

DONAHUE · Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 8:23 pm Post subject:

initrd or not is not the problem.

make a system rescue cd http://www.sysresccd.org/Download or a fresh ubuntu livecd http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download boot it and once it is booted run lspci -nnk and copy and paste the result here. This will tell us what exactly your equipment is and what drivers a working system with a current kernel is using.
Also run and post fdisk -l output.

then mount your root and boot partitions (mkdir /mnt/gentoo if using ubuntu) and extract a copy of your config file and post here

cyrillic · Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 2:36 am Post subject:

sall · Guru Joined: 08 Jun 2008 Posts: 314 Location: WV, USA

The only option I have to choose from in the kernel configuration under ATA/ATAPI/MFM/RLL support is Enhanced IDE/MFM/RLL disk/cdrom/tape/floppy support (NEW). I just did a fresh install and now trying to compile this kernel again properly without the use of genkernel. Any ideas on why I don't have:

DONAHUE · Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 8:25 pm Post subject:

Because the kernel developers want to use libata for all ata hard drives.
I have a 2.6.27-r7 that still shows

sall · Guru Joined: 08 Jun 2008 Posts: 314 Location: WV, USA

Alright, I do somewhat understand what you are saying now. But fdisk sees my drives at /dev/hda how is changing everything to /dev/sda going to make a difference, sda is typically what all my usb devices were named. I would assume it will assign another /dev/ for them such sdb or something lf the like. Anyways, I will try exactly what you have stated when I get the chance. Hectic few days. I'll let you know the results.
_________________
Sall

* AMD Turion(tm) 64 Mobile Technology ML-32
* 1Gb RAM
* 2.6.27-gentoo-r8 x86_64
* Xfce4

sall · Guru Joined: 08 Jun 2008 Posts: 314 Location: WV, USA

There was no result for the output of lspi -nnk:

DONAHUE · Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 12:05 am Post subject:

lspc1 -nnk requires a newer system than that provided by the gentoo cd's
as you have posted the 2.6.27-r8 kernel does not natively support non libata ata (ide) hard disk drivers in menuconfig. Manual editing of the config file might well allow use of the older ata drivers, I don't know.
When the libata drivers are used they use the scsi protocol and the sda nomenclature.
The cd you are using has a kernel of 2.6.24-r5 vintage and uses the libata drivers only for sata drives. It uses another older set of drivers for ata(ide) drives. Thus every time you boot the cd your drives will be hdx. But when you finally boot a kernel 2.6.27-r8 your drives will be sdx.
You could use UUID in grub and fstab but that won't help until you have a driver installed in the kernel.

sall · Guru Joined: 08 Jun 2008 Posts: 314 Location: WV, USA

I completely understand now what you are saying. Sorry for being hard headed. The Gentoo CD I have is using an old kernel and doesn't use the same support as my current kernel being built. The whole switching from /dev/hda* to /dev/sda* makes sense after your explanation. However, I do not understand that when I used genkernel I did not have this problem ( just installed with same cd a month ago ) and had no problems with the same kernel version and everything was read as /dev/hda hard drive wise. I am currently building my kernel now with the support you suggested. I will proceed then to rename everything in grub.conf and fstab from /dev/hda* to /dev/sda*. I will post an update as soon as I install grub, reboot, and cross my fingers!

Thanks for your help and explanations thus far!

**UPDATE**

I compiled kernel as I mentioned. Installed grub-static. Edited grub.conf and fstab from /dev/hda* to /dev/sda*. I then go to install grub and get this error:

Hu · Administrator Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 21706

DONAHUE · Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 5:01 am Post subject:

reboot: A big BTW, you had a working grub, it should still be working since grub-install is failing. You may only need to boot. If not able to boot from grub menu on reboot:
when the grub menu appears, enter c to go to a command line
enter:
find /boot/grub/stage1
the return should be:
(hd0,0)
if so enter:
root (hd0,0)
the return should be like: Filesystem type is e2fs, partition type 0x83 , if so enter:
setup (hd0)
the return should resemble:
Checking if "/boot/grub/stage1" exists... yes
Checking if "/boot/grub/stage2" exists... yes
Checking if "/boot/grub/e2fs_stage1_5" exists... yes
Running "embed /boot/grub/e2fs_stage1_5 (hd0)"... 16 sectors are embedded
.
succeeded
Running "install /boot/grub/stage1 d (hd0) (hd0)1+16 p (hd0,0)/boot/grub/stage
2 /boot/grub/menu.lst"... succeeded
Done.

The important words being embedded succeeded and done.
press Esc twice to return to the grub menu,
enter b to boot

if this process does not work:
boot the cd
enter the chroot:(shortform of the handbook)

mjpark · n00b Joined: 22 Feb 2009 Posts: 4

Hi. I'll make the bet that there is nothing wrong with your grub.conf and that the kernel panic is correct. I apologize in advance if you already mentioned this, (tired and using vim/w3m to reply), but are you able to boot into genkernel still? You can lsmod and get a hint what modules have been loaded, dmesg also helps to understand what you might need to include as far as kernel configurations go, as well as lspci -v. If you can run your system with genkernel, then you can run it using your customized one, you just need to configure it properly. The thing is, you _really_, and I mean REALLY(tm), need to know your hardware to its bone. What type, controllers, etc... Save your config files, rename it if want, make clean / make distclean etc... load and try again with different settings. Deselect things you really don't need so that the build will go faster. But yeah, the kernel does not have the right information concerning your IDE controller so that it can read it. No worries, you'll get it!

EDIT: and if you have legacy IDE drive, than hda1,2,3,4 is correct. kernel is fine with that.

sall · Guru Joined: 08 Jun 2008 Posts: 314 Location: WV, USA

I finally got an ubuntu live cd downloaded and burnt to a disc. Here is some of the output requested a post or two ago.

lspci -nnk output:

DONAHUE · Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 7:32 pm Post subject:

sall · Guru Joined: 08 Jun 2008 Posts: 314 Location: WV, USA

Alright so from a previopusx post I completely missed:

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 7:46 pm Post subject:

sall,

If you use the old IDE driver, like the CD kernel, you need /dev/hd... to describe your partitions to the kernel.
When you use the new libata drivers under SATA, you need /dev/sd... to describe your partitions to the kernel.

Grub neither knows nor cares, the kernel is not running when grub is working. It asks the BIOS what drives you have and knows them by their BIOS detection order. Thus all hard drives are (hd...) to grub.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

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

DONAHUE · Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 7:50 pm Post subject:

have you tried a simple boot of the hard drive to see if grub still starts a kernel?
if/when look for available partitions message

I would strongly suggest the /etc/fstab and /boot/grub/grub.conf use sdx nomenclature. You are stuck with keeping mental track while working with the gentoo cd that any drive/partitionfile commands will be using the old kernel and the old hdx nomenclature.
BTW: You can do chroot from the ubunu live cd which will eliminate any further need to think hda.