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Bug 31383 - kernel: (IDE ATA-2) VFS: doesn't find root or infinite loop
Summary: kernel: (IDE ATA-2) VFS: doesn't find root or infinite loop
Status: VERIFIED FIXED
Alias: None
Product: Gentoo Linux
Classification: Unclassified
Component: [OLD] Core system (show other bugs)
Hardware: x86 Linux
: Normal critical (vote)
Assignee: x86-kernel@gentoo.org (DEPRECATED)
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2003-10-17 16:57 UTC by Ioannis Aslanidis (RETIRED)
Modified: 2003-10-18 16:24 UTC (History)
0 users

See Also:
Package list:
Runtime testing required: ---


Attachments
Kernel config file (config-laptop,28.13 KB, text/plain)
2003-10-18 05:32 UTC, Ioannis Aslanidis (RETIRED)
Details

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Description Ioannis Aslanidis (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2003-10-17 16:57:49 UTC
All right. I don't know what's going on. Before this I could compile perfectly the 
kernel on my lapton and it worked and now it can't. I have found the exact kernel 
config problem. 
 
Main Laptop Specs: 
Pentium P-IV 2,4 512 KB Cach
Comment 1 Ioannis Aslanidis (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2003-10-17 16:57:49 UTC
All right. I don't know what's going on. Before this I could compile perfectly the 
kernel on my lapton and it worked and now it can't. I have found the exact kernel 
config problem. 
 
Main Laptop Specs: 
Pentium P-IV 2,4 512 KB Caché 
512 MB DDR RAM 
hda 40 GB HDD 
hdc DVD-RW 
 
Anyway, let's go stright to the point: 
 
 
[ ]   Use old disk-only driver on primary interface 
<*>   Include IDE/ATA-2 DISK support 
[*]     Use multi-mode by default 
[ ]     Auto-Geometry Resizing support 
 
 
If I have those options disabled, the boot ends with a kernel panic: VFS: cannot find 
root and so. Something logical as it is needed. 
But if I enable those options, the at that point the kernel enters an infinite loop 
showing lots of "[<c00000000> (c0000000)]" well, not exactly that, it's plenty of 
different numbers that fulfill the screen and neve stop, just for a while, about 10 ms, 
where it shows something like a text... 
 
Anyhow now I cannot have my kernel compiled in my laptop and I need it to work, 
so I am forced to ask for a solution here... 
 
BTW, the same kernel, kernel config (obviously not the processor type) has been 
compiled on my home box and it works great. So I don't know what's going on! 
 
REMARK: Could that be some kind of APM/ACPI issue? 

Reproducible: Always
Steps to Reproduce:
1. compile kernel 
2. boot the system 
Actual Results:  
Kernel panic or kernel infinite loop 

Expected Results:  
correct kernel load, correct system boot
Comment 2 Tim Yamin (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2003-10-18 04:08:17 UTC
We can't tell you anything unless we get a stack dump. Please manually write
down the OOPS and send it to us, attach the kernel .config, and provide us
information with which kernel you are using.

Also, this may be a fault with your LILO/GRUB/... configuration. Make sure
the IDE controller is *selected*, and make sure you have partitioned, and
mkXfs'ed your partitions. Also make sure your filesystems are enabled and
compiled in [as non-modules] into the kernel.
Comment 3 Ioannis Aslanidis (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2003-10-18 05:31:17 UTC
We can't tell you anything unless we get a stack dump. Please manually write
down the OOPS and send it to us,

>>If the kernel enters an infinite loop I cannot read anything

 attach the kernel .config, and provide us
information with which kernel you are using.

>>Attaching... (look at attachements)

Also, this may be a fault with your LILO/GRUB/... configuration. Make sure
the IDE controller is *selected*, and make sure you have partitioned, and
mkXfs'ed your partitions. Also make sure your filesystems are enabled and
compiled in [as non-modules] into the kernel

>> GRUB configuration is the same (as partitions and configs are the same)
as my other computer, no typos, no mistakes,...
>> IDE controller is selected and reiserfs, ext2, ext3, jfs are built-in
>> The fact that IDE controller is selected for that I understand what Isaid
before:

<*> ATA/IDE/MFM/RLL support
--->
<*> Enhanced IDE/MFM/RLL disk/cdrom/tape/floppy support
--- Please see Documentation/ide.txt for help/info on IDE drives
[ ]   Use old disk-only driver on primary interface
<*>   Include IDE/ATA-2 DISK support
[*]     Use multi-mode by default
[ ]     Auto-Geometry Resizing support
< >   Include IDE/ATAPI CDROM support
< >   Include IDE/ATAPI TAPE support
< >   Include IDE/ATAPI FLOPPY support
<*>   SCSI emulation support
[ ]   IDE Taskfile Access


And this config makes kernel enter an infinite loop but watch out: I have
compiled a kernel for 5/686 and it works on my home box, but it doesn't in
my laptop. I have also selected the correct chipset (SiS), checked for APM
and ACPI.
Comment 4 Ioannis Aslanidis (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2003-10-18 05:32:06 UTC
Created attachment 19393 [details]
Kernel config file
Comment 5 Tim Yamin (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2003-10-18 05:50:22 UTC
... and what kernel are you using?
Comment 6 Ioannis Aslanidis (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2003-10-18 07:30:03 UTC
gentoo-sources

also tried before with wolk sources with a different config and still similar
problem: infinite loop.

It's strange indeed, because the LiveCD's kernel works, but when I try to
compile it, it always stops with errors.

REMARK: Before having to reinstall Gentoo, I was using XFS filsystem with
XFS-sources, anythings special about that?
Comment 7 Ioannis Aslanidis (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2003-10-18 07:34:24 UTC
Just an aclaration, when I boot with the kernel, it loads till ide devices
more or less, and then enters the infinite loop, in a point closer to where
I got the VFS error. And the worse of that is to see the screen filled with
something like this:

[<c0300986> <c0309584> <c0395939> <c0395849>
...

Those things on every line... just wondering if I'm the first person who
has this problem...
Comment 8 Ioannis Aslanidis (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2003-10-18 07:37:52 UTC
And one more thing... look at this page:
http://lists.arm.linux.org.uk/pipermail/linux-arm-kernel/2001-October/005413.html
Al right, it's like the OOPSes that you said before but, for this pages case,
it stops after the OOPS, in my case the text of the OOPS is repeated indefinitely.
Comment 9 Tim Yamin (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2003-10-18 12:59:31 UTC
Try these: these may absolutely do nothing, but they might just as well help.

1) Set processor family to P4 and why do you need SCSI support?
2) Try a vanilla kernel
3) [ Eeek. ] Try a precompiled kernel

Finally, don't bother Googling for OOPSes with the stacks you get as they
are unique for every kernel compilation unless you use some precompiled barf
:-)
Comment 10 Ioannis Aslanidis (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2003-10-18 13:10:04 UTC
I need SCSI emulation in order to be able to toast CD/DVD in my laptop.

I just thought... if the kernel of the LiveCD works, this means that that
kernel has got something my kernels don't have... so I'll try to use genkernel
(my shame). After that, having my system running, I'll try to change slowly
little things in the kernel and recompile... I know it'll take me lots of
time, but I see no other solution.

Just 2 question:
- What about 2.5.xx / 2.6.xx kernels?
- When you say precompiled kernels, which ones do you mean?
Comment 11 Tim Yamin (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2003-10-18 13:18:08 UTC
1) Please go ahead with a 2.6 and see if that works
2) Barfed binary images which vendors like RedHat/SuSE put out. Prebuilt
kernels, i.e. like a LiveCD kernel where everything is pretty much selected
for everything.
Comment 12 Ioannis Aslanidis (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2003-10-18 15:25:44 UTC
First step worked... I used genkernel and yes! It booted! Now I have reconfigured
some things of genkernel in order to make the kernel more appropiat to my
needs.

BTW, 'Clock skew detected', is that a serious warning?

(After making 2.4.22_pre7 kernel work [gss-sources], I'll try to compile
2.6.x kernel, but I see the develpment-sources are 2.6.0_beta7 ... shall
I take it directly from http://www.kernel.org ?)
Comment 13 Tim Yamin (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2003-10-18 15:40:14 UTC
>> BTW, 'Clock skew detected', is that a serious warning?

Means that something's strange with the [ system || BIOS ] clock.

If using 2.6-testX use whatever version, if you get the portage version you
just won't have to bother with manually extracting the tarball.

... Interesting, it looks like something must be missing in your .config

... Can you try compiling in a bunch of filesystem and other drivers
... and see if that helps?
Comment 14 Ioannis Aslanidis (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2003-10-18 15:42:58 UTC
About initrd: first time I see this file... is it really important? Where
do I find it?
Comment 15 Tim Yamin (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2003-10-18 15:45:11 UTC
initrd contains a bunch of pre-init code. Essentially genkernel does not
make a .config but instead compiles some initial code, which can load the
initrd, which then does the job of detecting storage/... hardware necessary
for bootup: this is how the LiveCDs work. It should be generated by genkernel
[and even automatically stuck into your bootloader configuration].
Comment 16 Ioannis Aslanidis (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2003-10-18 15:54:16 UTC
All right! My configuration worked this time... Finally! I noticed the following:

- Machine check exception: disabled
- High Memory support: off
- Include IDE/ATA-2 DISK support: built-in
- Use multi-mode by default: disabled
- Auto-resizing support: built-in

Now I'll fine-tune the 2.4.23_pre7 kernel and, after that, proceed on make
oldconfig on a 2.6.0 kernel.
Comment 17 Tim Yamin (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2003-10-18 16:10:03 UTC
... We seem to have this fixed :- )
Comment 18 Ioannis Aslanidis (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2003-10-18 16:11:51 UTC
VERIFIED: Yes we have! :) Thanks for your attention and help and patience
and...! Just adding something else:

Clock skew warning went away after re-emerging gs-sources!
Comment 19 Tim Yamin (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2003-10-18 16:24:28 UTC
- Closing -