# Genkernel and initramfs [Solved]

## grooveman

Hi,

Let me be clear:  I do not use genkernel to configure my kernel.  I only use it to create an initramfs because I have my /root on an lvm device.  I've had it this way for years with no issues.  In the past, to create the ram disk, all I had to do was execute: "genkernel --lvm", and it always gave me a good, working initramfs.  Now it doesn't boot, complaining about not being able to find the "slash" volume (that is the name of the "/" volume).  I can get my system to boot, if I use the initramfs that I was using for my previous kernel, but as soon as I switch back to the appropriate initramfs, it won't boot again.

I have checked, and my /usr/src/linux link looks like:

```
linux -> linux-2.6.38-gentoo-r6
```

Which is what I want, since that is the kernel I am now running.

I double checked that all my links are good in my boot directory, and I've checked and re-checked my grub.conf -- which looks like:

```
default 0

timeout 3

splashimage=(hd0,0)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz

title=Gentoo

root (hd0,0)

kernel /boot/kernel udev domdadm dolvm real_root=/dev/vg/slash root=/dev/ram0 video=uvesab:mtrr:1,ywrap,1024x768-16x85 vga=791 rootfstype=ext3

initrd /initramfs
```

So, I have unpacked the last known good initramfs (initramfs-genkernel-x86_64-2.6.37-gentoo-r4) and the new initramfs (initramfs-genkernel-x86_64-2.6.38-gentoo-r6) into separate directories, and I have been looking them over for inconsistencies, but for the life of me, I cannot find any difference between the two except for the kernel versions.

Everything seems to check out... which makes me think that genkernel might be broken somehow...  Anyone else having a similar problem with it?

Thanks.

G

----------

## DONAHUE

try

```
genkernel --menuconfig --lvm initramfs
```

When menuconfig appears edit to:

```
General setup  --->  

Kernel compression mode (Gzip)  ---> 

[*] Initial RAM filesystem and RAM disk (initramfs/initrd) support

()   Initramfs source file(s)

Built-in initramfs compression mode (Gzip)  --->
```

The genkernel dev fell in love with lzma but ...

First report of your particular problem that I've seen.

----------

## grooveman

 *DONAHUE wrote:*   

> try
> 
> ```
> genkernel --menuconfig --lvm initramfs
> ```
> ...

 

Thank you Donahue, but like I said, I'm not using genkernel to configure my kernel -- only to create the initramfs.

However, I have checked, and re-checked that initramfs support is compiled in the kernel and that CONFIG_RD_GZIP=y is set.  I have also decompressed both the previous initramfs and the current initramfs files using gunzip, and used the 'file' command to ensure that the archives are gzipped.

I should probably  mention that the version of initramfs I am now using (as of today) is genkernel-3.4.16.

Incidentally, issuing the command you gave, did not take me to a menu, but just rebuilt the initramfs like before... strange, but then again, I'm not accustomed to using genkernel for that.

----------

## wcg

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> kernel /boot/kernel udev domdadm dolvm real_root=/dev/vg/slash root=/dev/ram0 video=uvesab:mtrr:1,ywrap,1024x768-16x85 vga=791 rootfstype=ext3
> 
> 

 

Should that be

```

video=uvesafb;

```

(Typo in grub.conf?)

----------

## grooveman

 *Quote:*   

> Should that be
> 
> ```
> 
> video=uvesafb;
> ...

 

Not that I'm aware of.  Maybe it has changed over the years, but that is what I've used for the past decade.  Maybe my method is deprecated, but it doesn't cause any problems, and certainly doesn't keep the system from booting.

I still haven't gotten anything to work with this version of genkernel, I'll try going back a version and see if that does any better....

----------

## grooveman

Okay.  It is not broken, it just likes things spelled out a little more clearly than past versions.  I haven't updated my kernel in probably over six months, so I don't know when (in which version) this occurred, but in the past the --lvm flag was enough.  Now, when building an initramfs it wants more:

```
genkernel initramfs --lvm --mdadm --mdadm-config=/etc/mdadm.conf
```

And everything works beautifully.  

Thank you.

G

----------

