Kernel Panic with RH 8.0

[Saptech]

I'm just trying out some of these new distros that's coming out and boy, am I having problems. It seems that good ole Slack is the one and only for me that works! :D

Anyhow, I just installed RH 8.0 as a dual boot setup with Win XP Pro on a Maxtor 40gb hd. XP (NTFS) is on /dev/hda1 and then I have /dev/hda2 as extended. A FAT32 partition on /dev/hda5.

RH layout is this:
/dev/hda6 = /boot = ext2
/dev/hda7 = /root = ext3
/dev/hda8 = /home =ext3
/dev/hda9 = /swap

Everything installed fine till time to do first real dual boot using Grub as bootloader. If i choose XP it loads without any problems, but when I choose RH, I get this error:

Kernel panic: No init found. Try passing init = option to kernel

I also get this error message if I try to use the boot floppy disk.

What does this mean? When I look at how Grub is setup, I see it show root (hd0,5). Shouldn't root be (hd0,6)? This is the first time I've used grub so, I'm not familar with it.

Thnx.

[mdwatts]

You already asked

I see it show root (hd0,5). Shouldn't root be (hd0,6)?

in another forum/thread, so I won't bother.

'No init found' has been posted a few times here. Did you try a forum search?

Did the install fail at some point?

You may be better off just reinstalling...

[Saptech]

Yes I did post the root question again because no one seem to answer this one. I thought root should have been hd0,6 also but its showing as hd0,5 for some reason.

But I know you would get around to it. :D

Since these post, I have reinstalled and I'm getting the same error messages.

After all the messages appear, it seems that it can't find root partition for some reason. And I'm getting similar error messages with MKD9 also.

This hard drive may have bad sectors or something. But Win XP is booting without problems. I just may wipe the whole drive clean and start over and add linux closer to the beginning of the drive.

Thnx for the help.

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by Saptech
Yes I did post the root question again because no one seem to answer this one. I thought root should have been hd0,6 also but its showing as hd0,5 for some reason.

But I know you would get around to it. :D



I was snoring at the time you posted this and usually in the morning I don't have enough time to get through all the threads in all the forums before I have to leave for work. So some have to wait until I get home. :(

:)

Could you please post the contents of your Grub config? You should be able to boot using a bootdisk or installation cd in rescue mode.

If you cannot get into your system, then at the Grub prompt, press 'e' and then make a note of the boot/kernel lines and post them here.

Did you install Grub in the mbr?

You can try...


The following instructions explain how to boot to different runlevels using grub:

1. Boot up to the grub menu screen.

2. Highlight the linux os that you would like to boot and press the letter e to edit the entry.

3. Highlight the second line on this next screen and press e to edit it.

4. Cursor over all the way to the end of the line and press the spacebar and enter the runlevel to boot into:

a. 1 = single user mode

b. 2 = Multiuser mode

c. 3 = Full Multiuser mode

d. 5 = X11

5. After you have entered the runlevel desired, press the enter key and then the letter b to boot the linux os.

[mdwatts]

Also check your bios settings.

See if disabling power management will help. That seems to ring a bell.

[Saptech]

Here's the deal. I re-partition my drive to see if moving RH closer to the front would help but it didn't seem to, since I get the same error message as above.

Now my linux partition is set as:

/dev/hda1 = winxp
/dev/hda2 = /root
/dev/hda3 = /home
/dev/hda4 = extended partition
/dev/hda5 = /swap

I wasn't having any luck with RH using rescue mode either, but, when I used Slackware's 8.0 cd to boot and then typed mount root=/dev/hda2, I was able to get into RH and choose Failsafe mode to tinker around with RH's partitions.

I noticed my fstab file didn't display / and /home partitions the way I think they should be. Instead of showing root as (/dev/hda2) it showed as LABEL=/ and /home showed the same way, LABEL=/home.

I don't think that is correct so I changed them to be /dev/hda2 & /dev/hda3. But I'm still getting the same kernel panic error.

Also I noticed when I edited Grub, it is showing this:

kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.18-14 ro root=LABEL=/

The same for the initrid file also has the LABEL=/ at the end of the linke.

Why is it showing this and what should it be?

Thnx.

PS. Why is Slackware 8.0 letting me get into RH but RH cd will not?

I guess slackware is going to make me a true blue Slacker...I can't wait till 9.0 comes out, I'm going to buy the full cd set! :D

[mdwatts]

I noticed RH uses LABEL= when I was asked to look into a scsi problem we were having with Redhat Advanced Server at work. I prefer the good ole standard /dev.

Use what I posted earlier to edit the kernel and initrd lines in Grub and change ALL occurances of LABEL= to what they should be.

Did you try disabling power management in the bios? Try that first...

[Saptech]

I've been busy over this pass weekend, so I will have to try your suggestions during the coming week.

I can say I went to Maxtor's website and got their diagnostic software and ran it on the drive, and it came back completely clean without any problems. So I guess it's not the drive.

I will keep you posted on the progress.

[Saptech]

Well, I've come to the conclusion that I may have bad cd burns and that may be the problem installing RH & MDK. Someone else burned them for me, they may not have checked the MD5 either.

So, I've ordered MDK 9.0 from Cheapbytes.com (http://www.cheapbytes.com) and my problems should be over.

Thnx for all who helped.

[slapNUT]

You're welcome.

Well actually I did nothing... but I was rooting for you. :D

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by slapNUT

Well actually I did nothing... but I was rooting for you. :D

:D :D

Glad to at least try to help.

Let us know how you make out with the new cd's

[Saptech]

Ok guys/gals, the saga continues. I got the new cds for MDK 9.0 and still having problems installing. Now I noticed during the bootup process that these errors are appearing, {DriveReady SeekComplete Errors}, then the install continues. This is happening when I used the ISOs I had burned for me, so maybe it wasn't the ISOs after all. It happen with RH 8.0 & MDK 9.0 ISOs disc.

After I get to the part to partition my hard drive, it nevers recognize my empty space and wants to install over my existing Win XP partition. But using RH, it would let me partition and then install everything till the final reboot, then I get the panic error msg.

Do you think the drive could be going bad or something?

[Saptech]

I decided to repartition the whole 40gb hd and start fresh. I installed WinXP to hda1, created an extended partition then tried installing MDK 9.0 (cheapbytes disc)...when it gets to the part about partition, it says my partition drive is bad and wants to take over the whole drive, so I cancel it.

I try the RH 8.0 ISOs again and it does basically the same as mention in earlier posts, goes through the motions but won't let me boot, init not found error.

Now I'm really pissed so I pull out the good ole Slack 8.0 cd and low & behold, it installs without any problems. In fact, i'm writing this post using Slack. I guess I'm just a slacker deep down! :cool:

I give up on the other distros for now.

[mdwatts]

We all knew you were a slacker. :D

Any of the install options/parms help? nodma, noapic etc.?

[Saptech]

All the suggestions that was mention, I tried and none would work. I don't know why my computer is having problems with these versions of RH 8.0, MDK 9.0 and Lycoris.

But Slack is working like a charm! :)

Can't wait for 9.0 comes out.