Cannot create a bootable Fedora Core 2 kernel

[Ron Barak]

Hi,

I'm trying now to compile a Linux Fedora Core 2 kernel, and the boot fails with the following:

ds:no socket drivers loaded!
kmod: failed to exec /sbin/modprobe -s -k block-major-8, errno = 2
VFS: Cannot open root device "sda2" or 08:02
Pleas append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernal panic: VFS :Unable to mount root fs on 08:02

1. I searched extensively on the internet, but could not find which item in 'make xconfig' enables the "ds/socket drivers"
2. My root filesystem is on /dev/sda2 (/boot is on /dev/sda1): I tried both these entries on the kernel line of grub.conf, but both give similar errors.

Since I suspected the problem is connected to the SCSI drivers, I chose in 'make xconfig' everything in the SCSI section, but the kernel still fails the boot with the same errors as above.

Have you any ideas how can I make this kernel a bootable kernel ?

Thanks,
Ron.

P.S.: I built the above mentioned kernel doing the following:

make mrproper

I then copied the config file from i686 subdirectory of /usr/src/linux-2.4 and then

make xconfig
make dep
make clean
make bzImage
make modules
make modules_install
make install

And the last line, in addition to installing the kernel files in the /boot directory, also executes the /sbin/new-kernel-pkg script that builds a new initrd image and adds new entries to the boot loader configuration file.

Indeed, a .img was created and was put in the correct initrd line of grub.conf (the current kernel .img size is ~300K, while the .img of the kernel I built is ~170K).

[Stuart Browne]

What SCSI controller are you using in this system?

[Ivajlo Yanakiev · Accepted solution]

it happen :)

go to
/usr/src/linux-2.4/configs

and copy come config file
#cp kernel-x.x.xx-i686.config ../.config
and start over

[Vitaly Karasik_1]

Ron,

- Does original kernel work OK?
- did you try compile kernel using "make oldconfig" - I mean, based on your current confuguration?

Rgds,
Vitaly

[Ron Barak]

Hi Stuart,
My SCSI card is AHA-2940U/UW/D /AIC-7881U (I use the Adaptec aic7xxx driver).

Hi Ivajlo,
Okay, I'll try your suggestion.

Hi Vitaly,
- My original Kernel works fine.
- I tried compiling with "make oldconfig", and received the same errors.

Thanks for the prompt answers,
Ron.

[Ron Barak]

Hi Ivajlo,

In my original message I wrote: "... I then copied the config file from i686 subdirectory of /usr/src/linux-2.4 and then ..."

Bye,
Ron.

[Vitaly Karasik_1]

I suggest to compare list of modules[drivers] in the old and new initrd.
Probaly make sense to re-create initrd manually [mkinitrd]?


Regarding 1) - it seems to be related to pcmcia .
Do you use laptop?

Rgds,
Vitaly
BTW, in modern [>=2.4] kernels there are almost no cases when we have to re-compile kernel. Most of customization tasks may be done without recompilation.

[Ron Barak]

Hi Vitaly,

The kernel is built on a desktop, not laptop.

As for your comment "... BTW, in modern [>=2.4] kernels there are almost no cases when we have to re-compile kernel. Most of customization tasks may be done without recompilation...": I need to create a replacement for socket.c (in net/socket.c) which includes added capabilities not found in the original socket.c of Fedora.

My original idea was to create the added functionality as a Loadable Kernel Module. However, this approach meant that the sys_call_table symbol needed to be exported in the kernel.
Alas, as of Linux kernel 2.4, sys_call_table is no longer exported, and thus, I could not use LKMs for the added functionality.

Bye,
Ron.

[Vitaly Karasik_1]

- regarding "cannot open root device" error - I suggest to rebuild initrd

- as for "ds" problem - according to ds.c in kernel sources, it's related to pcmcia support.
So I recommend or ignore this error or disable all pcmcia support in your custom kernel.