• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Linux install problem

B

Bleep

Diamond Member
I have been using mandrake 10 and have used Debian and Red Hat also.
I want to try Suse that I got with the free deal from Novell, I generated the ISO's from the first DVD and got a kernel panic on the install. I tried the latest fedora core and got the same problem. I wrote zeros to the drive thinking that having man10 installed may be causing the problem.
I then upgraded the memory to 512megs with no help. Got the same kernel panic so I tried my mandrake 10 and it installed with no problem.
Sure could use a little advice on solving this problem.

Bleep
 
Does the kernel panic offer any hints or error messages that might help find the problem? Where does the kernel panic happen?

Out of curiosity, in case it is relevant, can you list the hardware?
 
If I remember correctly Suse has a "safe mode" option in the bootloader that has acpi, apm, and a few other options turned off... Do you have a kernel panic with that safe mode, too? (maybe it was failsafe?)


(usually when a kernel panics during bootup, its from it's probing the hardware trying to find a configuration. Acpi, Apm, Apic are some optional kernel stuff that is made to manipulate the hardware for powermanagement, irq interrupts and stuff like that)
 
OK I tried safe mode in suse and that did not help. Fedora does not offer this option.
The hardware is 6.4 gig WD hard drive 1200 duron-everything on board Biostar MB, 3com network card. This is my software test machine. It is so strange that this does not happen with either mandrake or Debian, I had slackware on it once also without any problem. I might also mention that this machine has 2 hard drives with the other one having win2000 installed. The win2000 hard drive is on the secondary dma channel. The 6.4 for linux is master on the primary dma channel.

The error statements are:
Cannot open root device "Null" on unknown block {72,3}
Please append a correct "Root=" boot option
Kernel Panic
VFS unable to mount root FS on {72,3} unknown block.

Bleep
 
Block Major 72 is the cciss driver for the Compaq Intelligent drive array. It seems very unlikely that you would get that error at all, let alone from both distros. The only reason I can think of that you would get that, is because the kernel was made on a box that had it's root on that drive so the kernel tries that since there was no root= line on the kernel parameters. Generally intsall CDs pass 'root=/dev/ram intird=blah.img' so that the initrd is used for the root and scripts on the initrd can start the installer, or mount the CD and then start the installer for bigger GUI installers like Fedora uses. If the CD uses syslinux there should be a syslinux.cfg file on the root of the CD, make sure it's there and contains actual entries and not garbage.
 
well making progress a little, I reburnt the media and no longer get the kernel panic. but get input not supported.
The first disks I burnt were not burnt correctly, I used DeepBurner 1 and it did not burn the ISO files correctly. I also reburnt the Fedora ISO's using Nero and it will now boot into anaconda but stuck there. What a mess! I will just keep working at it and eventually will get everything going.
Update I managed to get fedora core installed, I am going to put a dvd drive in the machine and boot the dvd install disk, hope this will get suse going.
Thanks

Bleep
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top