FWD: [slackware] Boot kernel from CD & root fs on ext disc

[markus reichelt <ml@bitfalle.org>]

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Hi,


I'm trying to boot a recent kernel (2.4.27 or 2.6.7) from CD with the
root fs on external disc (usb). Can't boot off of external devices
because of old bios. All needed drivers are compiled in and working,
only thing I can't get to work is my prob with initrd described
below.

Looking desperately for help on this one.

- ----- Forwarded message from markus reichelt <ml@bitfalle.org> -----

Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2004 12:25:12 +0000
From: markus reichelt <ml@bitfalle.org>
To: slackware@mailman.lug.org.uk
Subject: Re: [slackware] Boot kernel from CD & root fs on ext disc

John Briggs <john@johneb47.id.au> wrote:
> I would first check and see if the scsi module you are using belongs in the
> second group and if so do an internet search for anyone who may have solved
> a similar problem.

I managed to create an initrd from scratch, this is what I use as
init-script:

#!/bin/bash
mount -t proc /proc /proc
mount -t sysfs none /sys
mount -r -n -t reiserfs /dev/sda10 /mnt
while [ $? -ne 0 ]
do
    /bin/mount -r -n -t reiserfs /dev/sda10 /mnt
done
cd /mnt
sleep 1
pivot_root /mnt /loader
umount -f /loader
exec chroot . /sbin/init


This works to some extend;  after some seconds /dev/sda10 is
available and can be mounted without any further errors. But now I'm
stuck again because pivot_root complains about "device or resource
busy". Next the kernel panics again ("attempted to kill init!"). I'm
lost here, an intensive google search went not as expected, not at
all.


Then I tried a different approach and patched a 2.6.7 vanilla kernel
with a blkdev_wakeup.patch, that basically repeats the mounting
operation after the kernel booted until the provided root=/dev is
available. I used the /sbin/makebootdisk script to create a bootdisk
with that kernel but unfortunately the code is immature and produces
a segfault late in the boot process.

This is killing me...

- -- 
Bastard Administrator in $hell


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- -- 
Bastard Administrator in $hell

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