Involuntary Exit from Chroot

[stoa]

Hi everyone:

I've a strange problem. I tried installing today, using the same install disk and AMD64 handbook I've used before sucessfully on a different box. However, each time (3) I reached the last step described in section 8c, i.e., re-loading the shell environment, I was kicked out of the chroot environment.

I tried tro re-enter the chroot, only to be told /mnt/gentoo does not exist, which, after checking, it in fact did not. I eventually had to mkdir /mnt/gentoo (which you don't have to do in the first place), as, from section 4f, "mount /dev/sdax /mnt/gentoo" returned the error that "/mnt/gentoo" did not exist. I was then able to re-mount all temporary filesystems and chroot back in and finish the install, which is now working.

However, the final (working) install I did was with genkernel, which I don't want (it includes as mandatory modules things I want compiled in the kernel), so any help in resolving this would be appreciated. After three installs in one day, I've had enough, so I'd like to figure this out before wiping the drive and installing again with a "clean" kernel.

PS - sha512sums were good, so there was no problem with my disk or the tarball.

[John R. Graham]

If all you want to change is the kernel, then don't wipe & re-install. In fact, just don't. It's a bad habit you picked up from a certain other OS who's name starts with W. Over the life of your Gentoo install, you'll do dozens of kernels and you will never have to re-install (well, almost; there are a few specific exceptions which you may encounter). For instance, my home server has never been re-installed once since early 2005. It's on its 3rd motherboard.

Just build your more minimalistic kernel following the instructions in the Handbook. Modify your grub configuration so that you can boot from either one (your known working kernel and the new one you're building). Then tweak to your heart's content without re-installing. If your work-in-progress kernel doesn't boot, then fall back to (i.e., boot from) your working kernel and try again.

- John
_________________
I can confirm that I have received between 0 and 499 National Security Letters.

[stoa]

Thanks, John. I'd love to take your advice - in fact, I've been sitting here tweaking the genkernel for a while. Problem is, some things (e.g., my intel graphics driver) were set by genkernel as a module, and it won't allow me to change to in-kernel complilation because "this feature depends on another which has been configured as a module" - but does not tell me what that feature is so I could change it. I've reviewed all three kernel configulation wikis and the genkernel wiki and I don't believe they deal with that. I've also tried the help in the menuconfig and I can't find it there, either. Any hints?

Also, any idea why I got kicked out of chroot in the first place?

Thanks again.

[John R. Graham]

On the question of being bumped out of the chroot, I don't have any brilliant ideas, but it doesn't really matter: you're past that. You don't want to try to tweak the genkernel-provided .config file. Start over with a sane minimal config such as one from Kernel Seeds. Add the drivers & filesystems you need and you're done.

- John
_________________
I can confirm that I have received between 0 and 499 National Security Letters.

[stoa]

Thanks for that site and the threads, John - something new everyday! I'll see if I can pull it off.