# init(?) says my kernel is too old

## froonk

Hi,

I don't know if this is a kernel issue, it could also fit to 'installing gentoo'.

The setting: I did a fresh install of gentoo 2006.1 with kernel 2.6.17 and gcc-4.1.1 for a friend of mine who uses a PCI modem. Unfortunately I didn't check before, whether the modem could be installed or not. It can't. At least not with a 2.6 kernel, it is only supported until 2.4. So I emerged gentoo-sources-2.4.x, being informed, that I need gcc-3. Now that I've compiled everything new with an older Version, the kernel panics with the words

 *Quote:*   

> 
> 
> FATAL: kernel too old
> 
> Kernel panic: Attempted to kill init!
> ...

 

Should I downgrade init? (The oldest version in portage is 2.86-r3, the newest 2.86-r5)

Thank you

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## Keruskerfuerst

If you use udev, you need kernel 2.6.

I think this is the problem.

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## NeddySeagoon

froonk,

Its worth trying kernel 2.6 with ndiswrapper and the Windows XP driver for your friends modem.

Some work, some dont.

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## froonk

Thank you for your responses.

ndiswrapper didn't work, I had many unresolved symbols in the windows-driver. And my kernel is still too old, even using devfsd.

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## crash3k

i am having this same issue.

I'm thinking that i will use an older stage to install.. one i know works, then upgrade.

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## NeddySeagoon

froonk,

It sounds like you are not using the 2.6 kernel.

Run lspci and tell us what it says about the modem.

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## irondog

That's not the kernel. That's glibc screaming murder.

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## crash3k

 *Quote:*   

> It sounds like you are not using the 2.6 kernel. 

 

He isn't, he's using 2.4.. same as I. I'll know the verdict of whether what I'm doing fixed the problem or not soon.

irondog: explain ?

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## rmh3093

you could get a new modem that works in linux for 1$

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## NeddySeagoon

irondog,

Yep true, but the cause is swapping 2.6 to 2.4 kernels.

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## crash3k

i don't think this thread is so much about getting the modem to work, as it is getting 2.4 to work using a 2006.1 stage.

My issue is the same, caused because for some reason the computer I'm installing on won't boot 2.6 kernels, of any kind. Not off live cds, not after install, not from any distro.. hangs after decompressing the bzImage.

Something in the 2006.1 stage doesn't like 2.4 (i'm guessing it's gcc 4.1.1). So far I have everything  working via downloading a 2006.0 stage, then upgrading portage and baselayout, then continuing with the rest of the gentoo install, then upgrading the rest of my packages including GCC after first boot.

Hope this helps you froonky.

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## NeddySeagoon

crash3k.

What CPU do you have and what LiveCD ?

The original 2006.1 CDs and stages would not work on <i686. Thats fixed now, so you may want to download a new image?

Unforunately, you can only tell old and new ones apart by the file dates. We didn't get a -r1

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## crash3k

it's not just Gentoo Livecd's or distro's

I can't run fedora, mandrake, knoppix, etc.

It's a normal Pentium3 on a PIIXn chipset. Nothing abnormal, and should work. But for some unexplained reason, on just this 1 computer, doesn't lol.

I've come to terms with it, and use gentoo anyway so 2.4 has never been an issue yet.

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## NeddySeagoon

crash3k,

Boot the gentoo liveCD with 

```
gentoo nodetect
```

This turns off all the hardware detection, network setting up and so on.

If it gets as far as Entering Runlevel 3, press I and control services starting by hand. 

When you find one that breads, reboot and do not start it next time.

At the console prompt, when you eventually get there, you can manually detect your hardware, load modules, and away you go.

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## crash3k

nothing to do with a services or hardware detection.

I can't get past Decompressing the bzImage, It stalls before it even enters those.

There's nothing that can be done to get this machine to run 2.6, trust me on this one. Just won't do it, but I am still curious why the 2006.1 stage errors when you want to use the 2.4 kernel.

Using my method described above, i have a working 2.4 system now.

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## NeddySeagoon

crash3k,

The 2.4 kernel cannot support udev or /sys or nptl. 

The 2006.1 glibc is 2.4, which only has nptl, pthreads is dropped entirely.

The 2006.0 stages will work with a 2.4 kernel and there is a 2006.1 profile that allows you to stay with a 2.4 kernel. So you have an upgrade path so far.

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