Kernel panic: No console

[shul]

Hi all,
I have a problem concerning the installation of gentoo 1.4 on a 2.4 GHZ intel machine. I apologize in advance for the long post.

I have installed the OS 3 times already without any luck, each time with different parameters, never with any success...

First of all, here is my config:
P4 2.4, Intel MB.
80GB WD (primary)
40GB IBM (secondary)
RICOH CDR/W (x8) and Toshiba CD-ROM (x50).
Geforce 3 (asus,64MB).

I've tried using reiserfs and then switched. the current installation is using only ext3 for /boot (/dev/hda3) and / (/dev/hda5), the swap is on /dev/hda6. fstab follows:

Code: Select all

# <fs>          	<mountpoint>    <type>  	<opts>      		<dump/pass>

# NOTE: If your BOOT partition is ReiserFS, add the notail option to opts.
/dev/hda3		/boot		ext3		noauto,noatime		1 2
/dev/hda5		/		ext3		noatime			0 1
/dev/hda6		none		swap		sw			0 0
/dev/cdroms/cdrom0	/mnt/cdrom	iso9660		noauto,ro		0 0

# NOTE: The next line is critical for boot!
none			/proc		proc		defaults		0 0

# Adding the following line to /etc/fstab should take care of this:

none			/dev/shm	tmpfs		defaults		0 0

I go through the installation manual OK. didn't touch the make.conf at all, compiled my own kernel and configured (tried genkernel but read that console problems and kernel panics can be caused by it) using the cat proc/config feature ( I figured that if the live CD works on my machine I might as well use the configuration for the kernel ).

My lilo follows:

Code: Select all

boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
install=/boot.b
prompt
timeout=50
lba32
default=linux

image=/boot/bzImage
	label=linux
	read-only
	root=/dev/hda3

other=/dev/hda1
	label=windows

When I boot my windows is still working but gentoo does not. the kernel starts, checks for a couple of things and then panics, saying :
Waring: unable to open an initial console.
Kernel panic: No init found. Try passing init= option to kernel.

(a couple of lines above that it tells me that it loaded root as read only, is there any connection?)

I would appriciate any help, this is my third time and I'm starting to be a bit desperate. lilo and fstab documentation do very little to help...

Thanks,
me

EDIT: I am trying to reboot using root=/dev/hda5 (as it should be)... I'll report back

[cripwalk]

It looks like your mounting your /boot partition instead of your root partition in lilo.conf.

try changing
root=/dev/hda3 to root=/dev/hda5

[shul]

... well, checked the /dev/hda5 thing...

root should be the partition to which the root points to in the fstab...

I would suggest changing the installation manual (that is what got me off track) : in the manual /dev/hda3 is used for root, I use /dev/hda3 for boot, and so seeing root=/dev/hda3 in the lilo example was actually very natual , meddling with /dev/hda3 so much...

I suggest changing the manual to /dev/hdaB for boot (documenting that the user should put the right number of the partition there) and /dev/hdaR for root...

whadayasay ??