# Genkernel without initrd

## hadoque

Hi

 I wan't to compile a kernel with all the stuff that's in the gentoo-kernel, but without using initrd to boot. I tried building a kernel with make all and the genkernel generated .config file, but when trying to start with no initrd i get VFS:cannot open root device ---. Where it's clear that the kernel wants a ramdisk to mount as root. I've disabled support for initrd in the kernel, and the grub-line is working fine wit other kernel-builds. 

What else do i need to remove from the kernel to make it boot without initrd?

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## chainsawbike

did you change your grub.conf?

could you paste bin it?

also make sure your hdd drivers are compiled in

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## richard.scott

It sounds like you can't see your root FS due to not having the correct drivers included as static, not modules when you built your kernel.

This includes things like chipset drivers for motherboard, hard drive controllers, device-mapper, software raid, lvm etc etc.

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## hadoque

alright, I'll try identifying the drivers and compiling them into the kernel. Thanks

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## richard.scott

Just one question..... why the need to not use initrd??

IMHO it'll make your kernel bigger and use up more ram   :Shocked: 

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## hadoque

It's like this: I'm working on a new installation of gentoo on my amilo laptop. Most things are working now, but for some reason i can only get my synaptics pad to work properly when running the genkernel setup. I don't like genkernel, I wan't to compile my own lightweight kernel. So I'm hoping that the synaptics pad will work with the genkernel kernel but without initrd, because then i can start to strip down the genkernel kernel and see at what level the synaptics pad will fail.

 Long story short  :Wink: 

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## mv

 *richard.scott wrote:*   

> IMHO it'll make your kernel bigger and use up more ram

 

This is the first time that I have heard that to compile some module which you need anyway directly into the kernel would use more ram.

Or maybe I misunderstand you and you mean that with the ramdisk you can unload something which is only needed at boot time? What would this be (besides the ramdisk itself, of course)?

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## hadoque

no, sorry, i forgot to say. .The reason I don't want to use initrd is because i want to run tux on ice, and I've read that there are problems when using initrd. Also I don't feel like I'm in control when gentoo scans and autoloads stuff...

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## szczerb

Then just check what modules you use from the genkernel kernel and build them as static in your kernel. If you'll have them loaded all the time, why use modules at all?

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## hadoque

Now it starts up nicely. Thanks for the help.

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