Strange Grub Hang

[sonic_beatnik]

I guess its an error since it doesnt boot, but There is no REAL error message to accompany my grub issue.
What I did was recompile my kernel 2.6.15 and reboot and choose the new kernel and then all I get is the grub config file and it hangs there.

this is what it says - which is exactly the same as my other kernel (stock 2.6.8 precompiled debian kernel) except different kernel name:

Booting 'Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.15.02-02-2006'
root (hd0,0)
Filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 0x83
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.15.02-02-2006 root=/dev/hda2 ro
[Linux-bzImage, setup=0x1c00, size=0x127b78]
savedefault
boot
and this is where it hangs. That part of the config file stuck on my screen with no keyboard input being recognized. freezes.

The other kernel boots just fine, Its just when I compile my own that I have problems.
But this is no kernel panic that I can see.
My boot partition is ext2 and the rest are ext3
The information in grub looks correct.
The / partition is on /dev/hda2
How do I find out (and fix) whats causing this hang??
I made sure all the correct option where chosen. IDE and Ext2/3 they all look fine.

I should also mention its 166mhz with 32 Mb RAM. The kernel should be MUCH smaller then the stock one since I removed every option I didnt need (this is for a router) So I dont think its a memory problem.

[je_fro]

I think you left something out of the kernel.

[sonic_beatnik]

No, I dont think so. Ive compiled it about different 8 times with no option overlooked. If it was an issue with what options are in the kernel I would have thought Id at LEAST get to the point where it says "uncompressing linux..." but I dont.
compiling for the ninth right now...
But then again, Ive never had Debian dpkg installer screw up when writing to grub.
hmmm
wait a sec... why are these showing up?

Unpacking linux-image-2.6.15-020406 (from linux-image-2.6.15-020406_2.6.15-020406-10.00.Custom_i386.deb) ...
Done.
Setting up linux-image-2.6.15-020406 (2.6.15-020406-10.00.Custom) ...

Hmm. There is a symbolic link /lib/modules/2.6.15-020406/build
However, I can not read it: No such file or directory
Therefore, I am deleting /lib/modules/2.6.15-020406/build


Hmm. The package shipped with a symbolic link /lib/modules/2.6.15-020406/source
However, I can not read it: No such file or directory
Therefore, I am deleting /lib/modules/2.6.15-020406/source

[sonic_beatnik]

well I added them. so they are just like the ones in the working 2.6.15 install on my other machine:
sts9@bane[3] 2.6.15.02-02-2006> ls -l
total 456
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 28 2006-02-02 10:07 build -> /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.15
drwxr-xr-x 9 root root 216 2006-02-02 10:02 kernel
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 82006 2006-02-02 10:07 modules.alias
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 69 2006-02-02 10:07 modules.ccwmap
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 60128 2006-02-02 10:07 modules.dep
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 73 2006-02-02 10:07 modules.ieee1394map
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 293 2006-02-02 10:07 modules.inputmap
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1929 2006-02-02 10:07 modules.isapnpmap
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 74 2006-02-02 10:07 modules.ofmap
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 18390 2006-02-02 10:07 modules.pcimap
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 295 2006-02-02 10:07 modules.seriomap
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 32779 2006-02-02 10:07 modules.symbols
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 235127 2006-02-02 10:07 modules.usbmap
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 28 2006-02-02 10:07 source -> /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.15


root@gateway[0] modules> cd 2.6.15-020406/
root@gateway[0] 2.6.15-020406> ls
kernel modules.alias modules.ccwmap modules.dep modules.ieee1394map modules.inputmap modules.isapnpmap modules.ofmap modules.pcimap modules.seriomap modules.symbols modules.usbmap
root@gateway[0] 2.6.15-020406> ln -s /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.15 build
root@gateway[0] 2.6.15-020406> ls
build kernel modules.alias modules.ccwmap modules.dep modules.ieee1394map modules.inputmap modules.isapnpmap modules.ofmap modules.pcimap modules.seriomap modules.symbols modules.usbmap
root@gateway[0] 2.6.15-020406> ln -s /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.15 source
root@gateway[0] 2.6.15-020406> ls /usr/src/
linux linux-image-2.6.15.02-02-2006_2.6.15.02-02-2006-10.00.Custom_i386.deb linux-source-2.6.15
linux-image-2.6.15.02-01-2006_2.6.15.02-01-2006-10.00.Custom_i386.deb linux-image-2.6.15-020406_2.6.15-020406-10.00.Custom_i386.deb linux-source-2.6.15.tar.bz2


But to no avail. still the same hang

[je_fro]

try a "make oldconfig" with your old .config and see if that'll boot...

[bwkaz]

Um... why is this:

root (hd0,0) in your grub config file stanza? Is there a /vmlinuz-2.6.15.02-02-2006 file on the filesystem on /dev/hda1? Because that's what (hd0,0) is, so that's where grub is looking. If it can't find it, it can't boot it. (I don't know if it hangs in this state, but it might.)