Re: Kernel Panic, Part 2

On Sun, 2003-09-28 at 04:51, Ellis D. Cooper wrote:
> 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.
But for authoritative advice for free?  Linux is free as in Freedom for
free as in beer you will get guess and try.  Also as a computer
professional I rarely say this is the problem do this and it will fix it
(there are too many unknowns involved and saying do this and it is fixed
is very stupid-except when the other person is a known and has an
understanding that computer science is cannot be narrowed down to one
solution for a problem.) <who knows maybe you have a messed up set of
pionters in your file system-maybe you made the /bin into a separate
filesystem frankly there is not enough info in your post to give you a
solid answer.
> 
> 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.
Be nice answers like this are from experience. (yes they may have come
from books or the Internet-but no one talks like this unless that
experience has become their own through experience) 
> 

> 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.
As stated after the first persons response there is not one answer for a
particular error.  Either person could be correct. (don't ask for advice
and then lecture people who provide it-In Aristotle you would be labeled
an unjust person for being less than civil.  They are trying to help
criticizing their help is unethical being you asked for it in the first
place)
> 
> 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.
Then send back and ask nicely-they responded out of kindness, and you
attack in response.  If you ask nicely I would also be willing to
respond kindly-but even your initial post is inflammatory in nature. 
Posting like this gets you black holed to /dev/null.  I have several
people I help on a regular basis all non-gratis because they ask nicely.
> 
> 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.
being you are asking for free advice this is not a nice or polite way to
ask.
> 
> 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.
> 
yes but as per proper list etiquette you should list these area you have
looked up you would be surprised you could get new terms and phrases to
look up that will really help you in finding the answer.  Not all terms
are apparent when looking things up (in any OS).  From your post I am
guessing you are a do it yourself type person.  as such post I have
looked up "kernel panic" "...." and "...." on google and have been
unable to find the cause of my system being unable to boot.  (without
the listing of what you have searched we don't know what you really
looked up and might have a term that does come up with an authoritative
published fix on such and such a web site.

If you really want an authoritative response and want to be able to
berate the people trying to help you out that is what computer companies
are for.  Call one and yell and scream and they will charge you by the
hour for the fix. And will explain a lot less to you about the fix then
you get here but on these list please ask nicely.
> EDC
> 
> 
> 
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