# New kernel won't boot

## kly84g

I'm trying to upgrade from 2.6.19-gentoo-r5 to 2.6.23-gentoo-r9.

I have created new kernels manually using make menuconfig and using genkernel, and both methods produce a kernel which will not boot at all: I boot into the new kernel from grub, and immediately the screen blanks and the system freezes, with no messages at all.

I'm probably making some obvious mistake, but it's not obvious to me.  I've upgraded kernels often in the past (though not on this machine) without problems, and I can't even figure out an approach to diagnosing the problem.

The computer is a Dell D520 laptop with Intel T7200 2GHz processor, 2GB RAM, and Intel graphics driving a 1280x1024 display.

I am configuring for x86_64 and SMP.  My 

```
make.conf
```

 is:

```
CFLAGS="-march=nocona -O2 -pipe"

CHOST="x86_64-pc-linux-gnu"

CXXFLAGS="${CFLAGS}"

FFLAGS="${CFLAGS}"

MAKEOPTS="-j3"

ACCEPT_KEYWORDS=""

USE="  X acpi alsa amd64 apache apache2 apm arts avi berkdb bitmap-fonts bzip2 cairo cdr cli crypt cups dbus d

lloader doc dri dvd dvdr dvdread eds elibc_glibc emboss encode esd examples fam fftw firefox fortran gdbm gif

gnome gpm gstreamer gtk gtk2 hal imlib imagemagick input_devices_evdev input_devices_keyboard input_devices_mo

use ipv6 isdnlog jpeg kde kernel_linux latex ldap libg++ ilm_sensors mad mikmod mp3 mpeg mysql ncurses nls npt

l nptlonly nsplugin ogg opengl oss pam pcre pdf pdflib perl php pmu png ppds pppd python qt3 qt3support qt4 qu

icktime readline reflection sdl session spell spl ssl tcpd tetex tiff truetype truetype-fonts type1-fonts udev

 unicode usb userland_GNU vorbis wifi wmf xml xorg xv zlib"

FEATURES=""

GENTOO_MIRRORS="http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distributions/gentoo/ http://www.gtlib.gatech.edu/pub/gent

oo http://ftp.ucsb.edu/pub/mirrors/linux/gentoo/ "

INPUT_DEVICES="keyboard mouse"

VIDEO_CARDS="i810"

LINGUAS="en en_GB es"

APACHE2_MODULES="auth_dbm auth_anon authz_host alias file-cache charset-lite cache disk-cache mem-cache ext-fi

lter deflate mime-magic cern-meta expires headers usertrack unique-id proxy proxy-connect proxy-ftp proxy-http

 info include cgi cgid dav dav-fs vhost-alias speling rewrite log_config logio env setenvif mime status autoin

dex asis negotiation dir imap actions userdir so filter unique_id"
```

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

----------

## cyrillic

Your /etc/make.conf only affects things that are compiled through portage.

The kernel is compiled separately, and its configuration is in /usr/src/linux/.config

You probably want to start your debugging by turning off the framebuffer so that you can see whatever error messages the kernel is spitting out.

----------

## mv

There is not enough information to make some guess. Anyway, you should also mention which gcc you are using, see this bug. Removing all graphics-related kernel parameters (to avoid using framebuffer) and trying the kernel parameters noapic and acpi=off is always a good idea.

----------

## kly84g

Removing all graphics-related parameters has me at least pointed in the right direction.  Thank you.  I now see what the basic problem is: the disk devices on my running system with the 2.6.19 kernel are all /dev/sda?, but my new kernel is apparently looking for /dev/hda?.  Editing grub.conf to reflect this allows the kernel to boot, but now it runs into problems with device names when it tries to mount the disks in /etc/fstab.

So, something in my new .config is setting up the devices differently.  What would that be?

Oh, I'm using gcc-4.1.2

----------

## cyrillic

 *kly84g wrote:*   

> the disk devices on my running system with the 2.6.19 kernel are all /dev/sda?, but my new kernel is apparently looking for /dev/hda? 

 

You probably have CONFIG_IDE=y in your kernel .config

Get rid of this, and your harddrive will go back to being /dev/sda

----------

## kly84g

 *Quote:*   

> You probably have CONFIG_IDE=y in your kernel .config
> 
> Get rid of this, and your harddrive will go back to being /dev/sda

 

Well, yes, I do.  But I also have it in my old kernel . . . and it finds the /dev/sda? devices when it boots.

----------

## cyrillic

 *kly84g wrote:*   

> But I also have it in my old kernel . . . 

 

2.6.19 was quite a long time ago.  Things have changed.  :Wink: 

----------

## ali3nx

assuming you were still using the config selections for sata from pre 2.6.20 kernels most if not all sata device support migrated out of scsi into Serial ATA which has it's own sub menu in device drivers. if the new sata driver is not present the next best "guess" will likely be used or you need to be completely certain you have disabled the incorrect driver favoring the new drivers likely found in the subsection below.

```
< > Serial ATA (prod) and Parallel ATA (experimental) drivers
```

----------

## kly84g

 *ali3nx wrote:*   

> assuming you were still using the config selections for sata from pre 2.6.20 kernels most if not all sata device support migrated out of scsi into Serial ATA which has it's own sub menu in device drivers. if the new sata driver is not present the next best "guess" will likely be used or you need to be completely certain you have disabled the incorrect driver favoring the new drivers likely found in the subsection below.
> 
> ```
> < > Serial ATA (prod) and Parallel ATA (experimental) drivers
> ```
> ...

 

Yes, I have that selected, and the old driver unselected.

So my question is now: this driver apparently creates /dev/hda? devices; is there a way of making it create /dev/sda? devices?  At least temporarily, so I can test it thoroughly before retiring my 2.6.19 kernel.

If this can't be done, does anyone have a simple suggestion for making my system bootable with either kernel?  My first thought is to have two versions of /etc/fstab, and move the correct one to fstab when the boot fails and I'm given the option of entering the root password to get a prompt.

----------

## cyrillic

 *kly84g wrote:*   

> So my question is now: this driver apparently creates /dev/hda? devices; is there a way of making it create /dev/sda? devices? 

 

I already told you how.

----------

## kly84g

 *cyrillic wrote:*   

>  *kly84g wrote:*   So my question is now: this driver apparently creates /dev/hda? devices; is there a way of making it create /dev/sda? devices?  
> 
> I already told you how.

 

So you did (thank you!).  And I thought I had done that -- but it seems I haven't.  I suppose I'm not very good at correlating the menuconfig items with the entries in the .config file.  I know you can get the information from the Help button, but it seems I end up missing what I'm looking for.

----------

