In order to get genkernel generated initrd and kernels to work, you must compile the filesystems used for the initrd and your /boot and / into the kernel. This is the cause of most of the kernel booting errors that occur at "Stage 4: mouting root file system" output. This is not mentioned anywhere in the genkernel documentation. Although this is a requirement of using the initrd, not genkernel, since genkernel uses initrd by default, it is essential that the genkernel documentation mention this for people not used to using initrd, especially in either the handbook or the install documentation. There are a number of inconclusive forum threads on the subject, but it is not easy to search for as it is often classed as an "error in booting". Reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: 1. Search forums, fail to find answer quickly :-) 2. Read documentation, fail to find solution 3. Actual Results: Booting problem not solved Expected Results: Solution for problem found quickly
You added this to the "Handbook" component, but you talk about the genkernel document. The Gentoo Handbook states this: """ Note that, if your boot partition doesn't use ext2 or ext3 as filesystem you need to manually configure your kernel using genkernel --menuconfig all and add support for your filesystem in the kernel (i.e. not as a module). """ The genkernel document itself doesn't mention it, but it isn't the main goal of genkernel.xml anyway. As you said before, it's not genkernel's fault.
