New initrd way in SuSE-9.0

hugh

3 Nov 2003 3 Nov '03

12:17

There are some critical gotchas with SuSE-9.0. Durung the update initrd's are created for all kernel images registered in the /boot/grub/menu.lst. Once it is installed, and if I custom-compile my own kernel, I need to make the initrd-2.4.23-pre9 (e.g.) against the new kernel. and I do not know how to make it. The document /usr/src/linux/Documentation/initrd.txt is not sufficiently kind. The matter of the fact is that I need to figure out what to do under the SuSE environment. Can any one teach how to make it? Up to 8.2, creating a new initrd for every new custom-compiled kernel was not quite critical. It appears that things changed greatly. Thanks. Hugh

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Ed Harrison

3 Nov 3 Nov

12:47

New subject: [SLE] New initrd way in SuSE-9.0

** Reply to message from hugh on Mon, 03 Nov 2003 21:17:44 +0900

...

There are some critical gotchas with SuSE-9.0. Durung the update initrd's are created for all kernel images registered in the /boot/grub/menu.lst. Once it is installed, and if I custom-compile my own kernel, I need to make the initrd-2.4.23-pre9 (e.g.) against the new kernel. and I do not know how to make it.

The document /usr/src/linux/Documentation/initrd.txt is not sufficiently kind. The matter of the fact is that I need to figure out what to do under the SuSE environment. Can any one teach how to make it?

Up to 8.2, creating a new initrd for every new custom-compiled kernel was not quite critical. It appears that things changed greatly.

I ran into the same thing, but I think it has more to do with the kernels. I installed several new kernels under 8.2 that behaved this way. On the first I re-installed mkinitrd and ran it. Then, I found out it is not really necessary. I recompiled the kernel to get support for something I can't remember, left the initrd symlink in /boot alone, and it booted fine. I don't know if it was an all-encompassing initrd or what, but vmlinuz was a link to the newly compiled bzImage (using the same name the symlink pointed to) and it booted right up. I saved the original initrd-xxxxxxxxxxxx and the vmlinuz----------- to new names first, though. Ed Harrison SuSE 9.0, Kernel 2.4.21, KDE 3.1.4 PolarBar Mailer 1.25a

hugh

13:44

New subject: [SLE] New initrd way in SuSE-9.0

Ed Harrison wrote:

...

** Reply to message from hugh on Mon, 03 Nov 2003 21:17:44 +0900

...
There are some critical gotchas with SuSE-9.0. Durung the update initrd's are created for all kernel images registered in the /boot/grub/menu.lst. Once it is installed, and if I custom-compile my own kernel, I need to make the initrd-2.4.23-pre9 (e.g.) against the new kernel. and I do not know how to make it.

The document /usr/src/linux/Documentation/initrd.txt is not sufficiently kind. The matter of the fact is that I need to figure out what to do under the SuSE environment. Can any one teach how to make it?

Up to 8.2, creating a new initrd for every new custom-compiled kernel was not quite critical. It appears that things changed greatly.

I ran into the same thing, but I think it has more to do with the kernels.

I installed several new kernels under 8.2 that behaved this way. On the first I re-installed mkinitrd and ran it.

Then, I found out it is not really necessary. I recompiled the kernel to get support for something I can't remember, left the initrd symlink in /boot alone, and it booted fine.

You mean RAM disk support and INITRD support? Yes, both of those supports have always been ON. Something is not right with the kernel then?

...

I don't know if it was an all-encompassing initrd or what, but vmlinuz was a link to the newly compiled bzImage (using the same name the symlink pointed to) and it booted right up. I saved the original initrd-xxxxxxxxxxxx and the vmlinuz----------- to new names first, though.

Ed Harrison SuSE 9.0, Kernel 2.4.21, KDE 3.1.4 PolarBar Mailer 1.25a

Gavin Henry

13:47

New subject: [SLE] New initrd way in SuSE-9.0

On Mon, 03 Nov 2003 21:17:44 +0900 hugh wrote:

...

There are some critical gotchas with SuSE-9.0. Durung the update initrd's are created for all kernel images registered in the /boot/grub/menu.lst. Once it is installed, and if I custom-compile my own kernel, I need to make the initrd-2.4.23-pre9 (e.g.) against the new kernel. and I do not know how to make it.

Do you really need it? It is only used if you have a scsi disk or something that you can't access to mount root, hence the correct module is loaded before, so you can.

...

The document /usr/src/linux/Documentation/initrd.txt is not sufficiently kind. The matter of the fact is that I need to figure out what to do under the SuSE environment. Can any one teach how to make it?

Just don't compile in ramdisk and initrd support in your kernel ie. in: Block Devices, switch off RAM disk support and Initial RAM disk (initrd) support.

...

Up to 8.2, creating a new initrd for every new custom-compiled kernel was not quite critical. It appears that things changed greatly.

Then in /boot/grub/menu.lst take out the initrd option when you add your own lines.

...

Thanks.

Hugh

-- Check the headers for your unsubscription address For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com Also check the archives at http://lists.suse.com Please read the FAQs: suse-linux-e-faq@suse.com

-- Regards, Gavin Henry. Open Source. Open Solutions. http://www.suretecsystems.com

hugh

14:29

New subject: [SLE] New initrd way in SuSE-9.0

Gavin Henry wrote:

...

On Mon, 03 Nov 2003 21:17:44 +0900 hugh wrote:

...
There are some critical gotchas with SuSE-9.0. Durung the update initrd's are created for all kernel images registered in the /boot/grub/menu.lst. Once it is installed, and if I custom-compile my own kernel, I need to make the initrd-2.4.23-pre9 (e.g.) against the new kernel. and I do not know how to make it.

Do you really need it? It is only used if you have a scsi disk or something that you can't access to mount root, hence the correct module is loaded before, so you can.

It turned out that I really do not need it, as you said. What has been changed from 8.2 is the fact that the reiserfs.o module inside the initrd does not match with something in the current kernel tree. For this reason, I get a bunch of "undefined something in reiserfs.o" message during boot-up. That scared me greatly. I took the line out from /boot/grub/menu.lst which make the boot procedure takes the default initrd. This took care of the scary boot-up message. Thank you very much.

...

...
The document /usr/src/linux/Documentation/initrd.txt is not sufficiently kind. The matter of the fact is that I need to figure out what to do under the SuSE environment. Can any one teach how to make it?

Just don't compile in ramdisk and initrd support in your kernel ie. in:

Block Devices, switch off RAM disk support and Initial RAM disk (initrd) support.

...
Up to 8.2, creating a new initrd for every new custom-compiled kernel was not quite critical. It appears that things changed greatly.

Then in /boot/grub/menu.lst

take out the initrd option when you add your own lines.

...
Thanks.

Hugh

-- Check the headers for your unsubscription address For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com Also check the archives at http://lists.suse.com Please read the FAQs: suse-linux-e-faq@suse.com

Anders Karlsson

15:00

New subject: [SLE] New initrd way in SuSE-9.0

On Mon, 2003-11-03 at 13:47, Gavin Henry wrote: [snip: initrd]

...

Do you really need it? It is only used if you have a scsi disk or something that you can't access to mount root, hence the correct module is loaded before, so you can.

It also happens to be useful if you are booting with your rootfs on LVM. As SuSE's installer supports you doing this, keeping the ability to boot with initrd support could be a "Good Thing [TM]". If your rootfs is a partition (primary/extended) you probably do not _need_ initrd. mkinitrd is the command to build the initrd images you need. man is your friend. Regards, -- Anders Karlsson Trudheim Technology Limited

Joe Morris (NTM)

14:07

New subject: [SLE] New initrd way in SuSE-9.0

On 11/03/2003 08:17 PM, hugh wrote:

...

Durung the update initrd's are created for all kernel images registered in the /boot/grub/menu.lst.

Actually, unless I miss my guess, it builds an initrd for all kernel images in /boot. I really can't speak regarding 9.0, but I am testing 2.6 with 8.2, and it required an updated mkinitrd, and that is what it does.

...

Once it is installed, and if I custom-compile my own kernel, I need to make the initrd-2.4.23-pre9 (e.g.) against the new kernel. and I do not know how to make it.

Actually, this really hasn't changed. Try mkinitrd -h. To do what you want, try mkinitrd -k "kernel image filename" -i "initrd filename" -m "modules included in this initrd" -s "size of splash image", i.e to build my initrd for my 2.6, I used mkinitrd -k "vmlinuz26" -i "initrd26" -m "jbd ext3 sr_mod" -s 1024x768 and it worked for me. Note this is an updated 8.2, not 9.0.

...

Can any one teach how to make it?

Hope the above does that.

...

Up to 8.2, creating a new initrd for every new custom-compiled kernel was not quite critical. It appears that things changed greatly.

For me, it appears to be the same since I started (6.2). It would vary greatly on if your kernel needs modules to see the / filesystem. -- Joe Morris New Tribes Mission Email Address: Joe_Morris@ntm.org Web Address: http://www.mydestiny.net/~joe_morris Registered Linux user 231871 God said, I AM that I AM. I say, by the grace of God, I am what I am.

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Anders Karlsson
Ed Harrison
Gavin Henry
hugh
Joe Morris (NTM)