[mdlug] Kernel upgrade problems

[Paul]

"Wojtak, Greg" <GregWojtak at quickenloans.com>, on Tue Dec 18, 2007 [04:13:22 PM] said:
> Maybe try removing the new kernel and reinstalling?
> 
> [root at host ~]# rpm -e kernel-2.4.21-53.ELsmp kernel-2.4.21-53.EL
> [root at host ~]# up2date -if kernel-smp
> 
> See if that helps at all.
> 
> 
> On 12/18/07 2:00 PM, "May, Mat" <MCMay at RGIS.com> wrote:
> 
> > Ok, now this is totally driving me crazy, and I am sure that it is going
> > to be something really simple that I have overlooked once I pull my
> > forehead off the wall.
> >  
> > I tried the entry that you listed below, and the system panicked again.
> > After some quick digging and few pushes of the power button I have the
> > following information:
> >  
> > The / partition is /dev/sda3
> > The /boot partition is /dev/sda1
> > Both the vmlinuz-2.4.21-53.ELsmp and initrd-2.4.21-53.ELsmp.img files
> > reside in the "/boot" directory (sorry if I am explaining things
> > everyone already knows)
> > Using e2label I have verified the following:  "/dev/sda1" is "/boot" and
> > "/dev/sda3" is "/"
> > Here are the results from various grub.conf configurations:
> >  
> > Boot using:       title Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS (2.4.21-53.ELsmp)
> >                         root (hd0,0)
> >                         kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.21-53.ELsmp ro
> > root=/dev/sda3
> >                         initrd /initrd-2.4.21-53.ELsmp.img
> > Result:          
> >             Creating block devices
> >             Kmod: failed to exec /sbin/modprobe -s -k block-major8,
> > errno = 2
> >             VFS: Cannot open root device "sda3" or 08:03
> >             Please append a correct "root=" boot option
> >             Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 08:03
> >  

	Hi;

	Well, the above message shows the kernel trying to load a module
to handle block-major8 and failing. Devices have a major and minor
numbering scheme; major 8 == scsi disk, minor 3 == partition 3. Since
you are using an initrd, there could be some problem with that image.
(or it could just be the kernels desparate attempt to get get a driver
to handle this device because for whatever reason it was unable to.)
If you can see earlier boot messages you might see if the kernel ever
detects your scsi disk. Because it appears that when it gets to the
point of trying to mount the root filesystem, it hasnt found a scsi
disk of that description.

Paul
set at pobox.com