# Still learnin' Gentoo, kernel 2.6.32-gentoo-r7 boot error

## Mr. Hibba

Hi all, 

I'm still learning Gentoo and decided to try updating my kernel with genkernel. It made the kernel file kernel-genkernel-x86_64-2.6.32-gentoo-r7 and the matching initrd file, both in the boot directory. So, I then update the grub.conf/menu.lst files to read: 

title Gentoo Linux (2.6.32-gentoo-r7)

root (hd0,0)

kernel /boot/kernel-genkernel-x86_64-2.6.32-gentoo-r7 root=/dev/ram0 real_root=LABEL=Gen2

initrd /boot/initramfs-genkernel-x86_64-2.6.32-gentoo-r7

When booting from that option, I get the error message: 

Determining root device

/init: line 477: blkid: Not found

!! Could not find the root block device in LABEL=Gen2. 

Please specify another value or : Press Enter for the same, type "shell" for a shell, or "q" to skip...

A similar error message occurs if I replace LABEL=Gen2 with what was the partitions original value, /dev/hdd6. If I use the shell option when booting, I find no mention of a /dev/disk , /dev/hdd (or hda), or /dev/sda. The previous kernel (version 2.6.31-gentoo-r10) still boots, so I'm not sure what I did wrong... (although I have it still set to /dev/hdd6, not sure if the labels would break it or not). 

Also, below is my /etc/fstab, not sure if it helps: 

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

# NOTE: If your BOOT partition is ReiserFS, add the notail option to opts.

LABEL=boot              /boot           ext3            default,noatime 1 2

LABEL=Gen2              /               ext3            noatime         0 1

LABEL=SWAP              none            swap            sw              0 0

LABEL=ubuntu            /ubuntu         ext2            noatime,noauto  0 1

/dev/hdd3               /Winduhs        ntfs            noauto,noatime  0 0

/dev/cdrom              /mnt/cdrom      auto            noauto,ro       0 0

/dev/ipod               /mnt/ipod       hfsplus         force,user,noauto,rw    0 0

#/dev/fd0               /mnt/floppy     auto            noauto          0 0

# glibc 2.2 and above expects tmpfs to be mounted at /dev/shm for

# POSIX shared memory (shm_open, shm_unlink).

# (tmpfs is a dynamically expandable/shrinkable ramdisk, and will

#  use almost no memory if not populated with files)

shm                     /dev/shm        tmpfs           nodev,nosuid,noexec     0 0

Thank you in advance for any help or advice, 

Mr. Hibba. 

[/list]

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## krinn

your hdd should be /dev/sdd6 (newer kernel, newer controller driver use sd* name for disk now)

for your label booting, i don't know anyone that success in doing it yet with gentoo, you need a patch to do that i think.

i would say else that your initrd file is missing blkid (that came with utils-linux)

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## Mr. Hibba

Ok, I think that makes sense... however, when I type in "shell" and look in the /dev folder, there isn't anything under hd* or sd*. This perhaps hints to me that I screwed up something in the kernel about sata hardware? 

I'll have to change it to not use the label in the bootloader. I tried it with the old hd* name, but that also failed... do you know how I can find out what the new partition identifiers are? (Such as /dev/sd*). 

As for the missing bikid, how would I make sure I have it? Just emerge utils-linux? 

Thank you for your reply! 

Mr. Hibba. 

 *krinn wrote:*   

> your hdd should be /dev/sdd6 (newer kernel, newer controller driver use sd* name for disk now)
> 
> for your label booting, i don't know anyone that success in doing it yet with gentoo, you need a patch to do that i think.
> 
> i would say else that your initrd file is missing blkid (that came with utils-linux)

 

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## jburns

Booting using disk labels works if you build the kernel using genkernel with the option to enable disk label processing.

Since you do not see /dev/hd... or /dev/sd... you should check that the driver for your disk is configured.  The new drivers require SCSI support to access the hard disk.  There are genkernel options that allow you to edit the configuration and to use the configuration file from your previous kernel as the basis for the new kernel.  genkernel --help will give you the available options.

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## Mr. Hibba

Thanks, I looked in menuconfig (using genkernel), and enabled some SCSI stuff under Device Drivers, I think, but it still did not show up in /dev when I used the shell. Could you point me in the direction of what I should look for or enable/disable in the kernel, please? 

Also, thanks, I had added the --disklabel option earlier, so maybe it could read from the disklabel after we get this fixed. 

Thank you!

Mr. Hibba. 

 *jburns wrote:*   

> Booting using disk labels works if you build the kernel using genkernel with the option to enable disk label processing.
> 
> Since you do not see /dev/hd... or /dev/sd... you should check that the driver for your disk is configured.  The new drivers require SCSI support to access the hard disk.  There are genkernel options that allow you to edit the configuration and to use the configuration file from your previous kernel as the basis for the new kernel.  genkernel --help will give you the available options.

 

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## jburns

For the new drivers you should have

```
CONFIG_SCSI=y

CONFIG_SCSI_DMA=y

CONFIG_SCSI_PROC_FS=y

CONFIG_BLK_DEV_SD=y

CONFIG_BLK_DEV_SR=y

CONFIG_BLK_DEV_SR_VENDOR=y

CONFIG_CHR_DEV_SG=m

```

You also need the SATA/PATA drivers for your system.

CONFIG_IDE should not be set.

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## Mr. Hibba

Thanks, I checked and I'm not sure what's wrong... I went in menuconfig and looked for the CONFIG_... ones that you mentioned, and they look set (except for CONFIG_IDE, I think it was set to "n"). I used lspci and found that I have a "00:11.0 SATA controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB700/SB800 SATA Controller [IDE mode]," but when I looked in menuconfig, I didn't see a specific ATI SATA option... there was a PATA one, but I'm not sure if that is what I am after. 

Thanks! 

Mr. Hibba. 

 *jburns wrote:*   

> For the new drivers you should have
> 
> ```
> CONFIG_SCSI=y
> 
> ...

 

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## jburns

Use the site http://kmuto.jp/debian/hcl/ to determine the correct drivers.

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## Mr. Hibba

Thanks. 

One of the lines it returned was "10024390	Yes	ATI Technologies Inc	SB700/SB800 SATA Controller [IDE mode]	ahci	v2.6.25-". I checked, and the "ahci" option appears to be enabled. Although, I did the check from Gentoo, I wonder if it would show up differently if I used a Debian LiveCD...

Mr. Hibba. 

 *jburns wrote:*   

> Use the site http://kmuto.jp/debian/hcl/ to determine the correct drivers.

 

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## Mr. Hibba

Hi all,

Found out that in my BIOS I had my SATA drive set up as IDE. Switched it to AHCI (I think was the name of it) and that did the trick, mainly. 

Thank you, krinn and jburns!   :Very Happy: 

Mr. Hibba.

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