Kernel Panic, Part 2

Hello, annoyed people. In response to my query about wanting to know 
exactly what a kernel panic error message
means (and by implication, what to do about it) according to a Linux 
authority, I have received four replies. Let me
comment on each one.

PERSON 1 SAID
 > I'm guessing that you compiled something the kernel needs to boot as a 
module but you didn't make the initrd.  Try
 > this:

I do not consider a "guess" and "try this", however well meant, what I 
expect from an authority. Furthermore, PERSON 1 did not explain the error 
message. But thank you for your kind thoughts.

PERSON 2 SAID
 > It means that the following commands could not be found by the kernel:
 >
 > /sbin/init
 > /etc/init
 > /bin/init
 > /bin/sh
 >
 > The usual reason is that the kernel has been unable to mount the root 
(/) filesystem. The usual reason for /that/ is
 > that root uses a filesystem type that hasn't been compiled into your 
kernel, or it's on a device, that requires a driver
 > that hasn't been compiled into your kernel.

Now, that's more like it. What I would want to know is exactly how the 
error message relates to PERSON 2's interpretation. I would want to know, 
furthermore, how PERSON 2 knows that. Did PERSON 2 take a course in Linux, 
or have a few years of experience and "everybody knows this," or is there a 
textbook answer readily available if only one knows where to look, or what? 
Furthermore, and unfortunately, I just don't know how, say, xconfig, allows 
me to "compile a filesystem type into the kernel". I am an old man with 
poor eyesight, limited attention span, and although I used to be pretty 
smart I think I am losing it. :-) That's why I need all the help I can get.

PERSON 3 SAID
 > From the error message, it's an ext3 filesystem on an IDE hard disk, so 
there shouldn't be any need for an initrd to
 > get it working (e.g. like there would if it was on scsi disks under 
hardware raid). There are two possible explanations:
 > either he's made a mistake in grub.conf (e.g. root=/dev/hda3 when / is 
on /dev/hda5). Unlikely as it's pretty easy to
 > copy the original entry. Or, ext2/ext3 support have been compiled as 
modules rather than compiled statically into the
 > kernel.

This seems to go against the PERSON 1's "guess". From everything I have 
seen by searching the web, reading posts to newsgroups, etc., I think 
PERSON 3 is putting the finger on the problem: I don't know how to use 
xconfig to compile ext2/ext3 support into the kernel. As I said above, I 
must be really blind to miss that.

PERSON 4 SAID
 > This rarely happens. Did you include the proper drivers for the console? 
(video and keyboard devices) Kernel panic:
 > no init found. Try passing init= option to kernel." Well, it said 
earlier that it had mounted an ext3 file system on root.
 > Maybe you mounted the wrong file system. (check out wat device ide0(3,1) 
refers to)

Right, okay, this seems to point in exactly the same direction as two other 
helpful comments. I do not know how to check out what device ide0(3,1) 
refers to, nor what that has to do with mounting the wrong file system.

I HAD WRITTEN
 > I want to know what is going on from an authority who can explain every 
line of this message. Not being able to
 > find an authority leaves me very annoyed.

PERSON 4 SARCASTICALLY BUT HUMOROUSLY COMMENTED
 > Linus is rather busy today. Maybe you could try Kofi Anan.

I have used languages where I can look up any error message and get a clue 
as to what is going on. Linux being open source and all that, I kind of 
assumed it would be easier, that I could easily find out where in the code 
the error messages are generated, and back out the problem. Not. So, I am 
annoyed with the entire Linux community that it concocts cryptic error 
messages that only Linus Torvalds could figure out.

EDC