----- Original Message -----
From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 06, 2001 12:29 AM
Subject: [expert] Problems with 2.4.1 kernel, will not boot.
>
>
>
> I have just installed the 2.4.1-2 version of the kernel, but my
system
> will no longer reboot. It hangs at the point when it says "Loading
> Linux".
Make sure that when you do make menuconfig (or whichever you use) that you
select the correct processor (In the first or second option set). It
defaults to Pentium 3, and if you don't have one, the kernel will hang at
boot just like you describe.
> If i try to boot off a floppy created with the 2.4.0-12 kernel in
> place, the system boots, but I get error messages saying reiserfs is
> not supported, supermount is also not supported, along with an
> abundance of "file not found" messages due to the reiserfs
> filesystems. Then, when I get a prompt, I am unable to log on. I
> enter the user, but am not asked for a password and am told "login
> incorrect."
It sounds like it can't find the root file system . This is actually coded
into the kernel, although you can change it.
For future reference:
#rdev /boot/<name of kernel image>
will tell you which partition is coded in as root. To change it:
rdev /boot/<name of kernel image> /dev/<root partition>
If the kernel your booting is on the root partition, it shouldn't matter
whats coded into it, but, if its on a floppy, it critical.
One way to recover is to get hold of http://www.toms.net/rb/ (tomsrtbt - a
linux distribution on a floppy - great tool kit - can be transfered to
floppy from either linux or Dos), and boot up with it. You can then mount
your root partition (lucky its not reiserfs here, tomsrtbt doesn't support
it), remove the floppy (tomsrtbt loads into a ramdisk), then rename your old
kernel and system.map or copy a good kernel from floppy into /boot. You did
back-up your old kernel before installing the new one, didn't you?
> I have also tried booting from a floppy created under the 2.2.17-21
> kernel but get the same message. All my filesystems are reiserfs
> except for root.
>
> Is my system recoverable, and if so, how?
This is Linux, almost anything is recoverable. Hope I've been of help.
> Ben Greenfield
>
> System Administrator
> Brake Bros Foodservice Ltd
> Tel: 01233 206603
> Fax: 01233 206172
> e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
>
