RE: Problems with Compaq DL380G2 running Redhat 7.2

[Yeo Eng Hee]

I don't think that the hot-plug is even recognised at this moment, as I
understand that the kernel version does not support the hot-plug scsi
tape on the compaq smart array.  Tha's the reason why I downloaded a
later kernel and compiled it.  The original kernel is still there,
untouched, and if I did not meddle with grub-install, it could boot the
original kernel correctly.

The main problem I encounter was that grub did not seem to recognise the
changes I did to /etc/grub.conf (I edited it manually).  This is what I
thought would have worked:

1) Compile kernel, compile and install modules under /lib/modules
2) place the bzImage as /boot/vmlinuz-XXXXX
3) modify grub.conf to point to the correct vmlinuz file
4) reboot

However, when I rebooted, and chose the new kernel, I got the kernel
panic.  That's when I tried to see if new-kernel-pkg and grubby could
help me configure grub correctly.  In the process, I tried grub-install,
thinking that it would set the new kernel correctly.  However, as you
have mentioned, it could have messed up the MBR in the process.

I have a new option now, which is to upgrade this system to RedHat 7.3,
and let the RedHat installer to correct the MBR in the process.  Would
this be a better idea than to waste time figuring out how to set the MBR
manually on the command line?

Eng Hee


-----Original Message-----
From: Thierry Laronde [mailto:address@hidden 
Sent: Friday, May 31, 2002 2:02 AM
To: Yeo Eng Hee
Cc: address@hidden
Subject: Re: Problems with Compaq DL380G2 running Redhat 7.2


On Thu, May 30, 2002 at 05:21:43PM +0800, Yeo Eng Hee wrote:
> I am encountering a problem with the bootloader.
> 
> Everything worked fine until I had to compile and install my own 
> kernel. (I needed to run Linux 2.4.22 kernel to access the hot-plug 
> tape that comes with the DL380G2).
> 
> I tried configuring grub using new-kernel-pkg and grubby, but when I 
> reboot, I got a kernel panic with a message saying the my root fs is 
> not mounted, "cciss/c0d0p1" not valid and to set root= properly (I am 
> writing this from memory).

I think some people from RedHat are listening to the list. Because since
`new-kernel-pkg' and `grubby' are neither part of the GRUB vanilla or
standard on other distributions, it will be difficult to debug without
knowing exactly what these utils do...

Apart from this, is the hot-plug tape your root device (do you boot from
this) or are you still booting from the hard disk? If this is the
latter, either change the default root device of your kernel via
`rdev(8)' and read `bootparam(7)' in order to know what boot time
configuration parameters are needed for your kernel/devices.

Since the kernel is loaded, GRUB has done its job well. The remaining
errors are wrong arguments passed to the kernel.

For the second time problems, it seems to me that the informations in
stage1 have been spoiled by the failed `grub-install'. If, here, only
the vanilla `grub-install' has spoiled its data (writing something
without being sure to he able to run), there is a bug. But I'm a bit
suspicious about this one too. Is the `grub-install' on RedHat modified
in order to query from the kernel the root partition (invoquing rdev for
example)?

So, the diagnostic (looking without having a RedHat system). GRUB is
able to load the kernel --- I guess from the disk, but the parameters
are wrong (and this will not be solved by another bootloader, since this
is not a bootloader problem). When recompiling your kernel, your tape
has been taken as the root device (which is probably wrong), and a
version of `grub-install' (alone or via another front-end? vanilla or
not?) seems to have taken this info and spoilt the MBR.
Hence three levels of responsability:

1) Has a _vanilla_ `grub-install' spoilt a MBR? --- not sure
2) Has RedHat changed something? --- sure for a part, but unsure that
these parts are at fault in this very case
3) User (_you_): you have recompiled the kernel, which is special and
needs boot time info via the bootparameters, bootparameters that you
have not provided: this is the initial root of the problems and the
explanation of the initial `panic'.

So getting the correct parameters for your kernel, and reinstalling a
bootloader (GRUB has demonstrated that it is working) with the correct
bootparameters will solve the problem. But questions 1 and 2 need to be
clarified.

Cheers,
-- 
Thierry Laronde (Alceste) <address@hidden>
Key fingerprint = 0FF7 E906 FBAF FE95 FD89  250D 52B1 AE95 6006 F40C

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