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Bug 100846

Summary: genkernel-3.3.3: "Can't open /etc/startup.conf" and kernel panic with initramfs
Product: Gentoo Hosted Projects Reporter: Paul Taylor <birder>
Component: genkernelAssignee: Gentoo Genkernel Maintainers <genkernel>
Status: RESOLVED INVALID    
Severity: normal    
Priority: High    
Version: unspecified   
Hardware: All   
OS: Linux   
URL: http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-p-2613372.html
Whiteboard:
Package list:
Runtime testing required: ---

Description Paul Taylor 2005-07-30 15:40:33 UTC
As discussed in the linked Gentoo Forums thread, attempting to boot a
genkernel-3.3.3 generated kernel (gentoo-sources-2.6.12-r6) with initramfs
support fails with the following error messages:

   .: 8: Can't open /etc/startup.conf
   Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill init! 

The problem occurs on both my amd64 and x86 (Athlon XP) systems.

Initially, this was thought to be related to enabling genflash, but the problem
persists when gensplash and splash-related boot parameters are removed.

I have not tried rolling back genkernel to an earlier version (3.3.3 is marked
stable.)


Here is an example of a grub entry that generates the error:

title Gentoo Linux (2.6.12-gentoo-r6)
        root (hd0,0)
        kernel /kernel-genkernel-x86-2.6.12-gentoo-r6 root=/dev/ram0
init=/linuxrc real_root=/dev/hda3 video=vesa:ywrap,pmipal,mtrr,1280x1024-32@85
splash=verbose,theme:default CONSOLE=/dev/tty1 quiet
        initrd /initramfs-genkernel-x86-2.6.12-gentoo-r6


And the workaround:

title Gentoo Linux (2.6.12-gentoo-r6)
        root (hd0,0)
        kernel /kernel-genkernel-x86-2.6.12-gentoo-r6 root=/dev/hda3
video=vesa:ywrap,pmipal,mtrr,1280x1024-32@85 


Output from emerge info (for the x86 box):

Portage 2.0.51.22-r2 (default-linux/x86/2005.0, gcc-3.4.4, glibc-2.3.5-r1,
2.6.12-gentoo-r6 i686)
=================================================================
System uname: 2.6.12-gentoo-r6 i686 AMD Athlon(tm) XP 1800+
Gentoo Base System version 1.6.13
dev-lang/python:     2.4.1-r1
sys-apps/sandbox:    1.2.11
sys-devel/autoconf:  2.13, 2.59-r7
sys-devel/automake:  1.4_p6, 1.5, 1.6.3, 1.7.9-r1, 1.8.5-r3, 1.9.6
sys-devel/binutils:  2.16.1
sys-devel/libtool:   1.5.18-r1
virtual/os-headers:  2.6.11-r2
ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="x86 ~x86"
AUTOCLEAN="yes"
CBUILD="i686-pc-linux-gnu"
CFLAGS="-march=athlon-xp -O3 -pipe -ftracer"
CHOST="i686-pc-linux-gnu"
CONFIG_PROTECT="/etc /usr/kde/2/share/config /usr/kde/3.4/env
/usr/kde/3.4/share/config /usr/kde/3.4/shutdown /usr/kde/3/share/config
/usr/lib/X11/xkb /usr/share/config /var/qmail/control"
CONFIG_PROTECT_MASK="/etc/gconf /etc/splash /etc/terminfo /etc/env.d"
CXXFLAGS="-march=athlon-xp -O3 -pipe -ftracer"
DISTDIR="/usr/portage/distfiles"
FEATURES="autoconfig distlocks sandbox sfperms strict"
GENTOO_MIRRORS="http://distfiles.gentoo.org
http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/distributions/gentoo"
LANG="en_AU"
LC_ALL="en_AU"
MAKEOPTS="-j2"
PKGDIR="/usr/portage/packages"
PORTAGE_TMPDIR="/var/tmp"
PORTDIR="/usr/portage"
SYNC="rsync://rsync.au.gentoo.org/gentoo-portage"
USE="x86 3dnow X alsa apache2 apm arts avi bash-completion berkdb bitmap-fonts
chroot crypt cscope cups curl dvd emboss encode fam foomaticdb fortran gdbm gif
gnome gpm gtk gtk2 imap imlib ipv6 java jpeg kde libg++ libwww lm_sensors mad
maildir mikmod mmap mmx motif mp3 mpeg ncurses nls nptl nptlonly nvidia ogg
oggvorbis opengl oss pam pdflib perl png python qt quicktime readline samba sdl
slang snmp spamassassin spell ssl svga tcpd tiff truetype truetype-fonts
type1-fonts userlocales virus-scan vorbis xml2 xmms xv zlib userland_GNU
kernel_linux elibc_glibc"
Unset:  ASFLAGS, CTARGET, LDFLAGS, LINGUAS, PORTDIR_OVERLAY
Comment 1 Chris Gianelloni (RETIRED) gentoo-dev 2005-07-30 15:54:11 UTC
*sigh*

Be sure to emerge sync before filing bugs... this one is resolved in 3.3.4 and 3.3.5, which should be hitting 
portage shortly, but 3.3.4 has been in for a while.
Comment 2 Henk Poley 2005-07-30 16:18:22 UTC
Hmm, I emerged genkernel this morning (~7hrs ago). What do you call "has been 
in for a while"? 
 
Anyways, thanks for fixing it :-) 
Comment 3 Paul Taylor 2005-07-30 16:24:54 UTC
3.3.4 wasn't on the local (Australian) mirror when I posted the bug, but it
appears to be there now.