Continuing the saga: F9alpha AMD-64 HP DC7700 SFF switch_root: no filesystems

[John Summerfield]

Michal Jaegermann wrote:
> On Wed, Mar 12, 2008 at 01:40:42AM -0400, Will Woods wrote:
>>
>> So, nearly all of the "cannot find /dev/root" problems we've seen have  
>> been mkinitrd-related. So davej is correct: it is very likely to be a  
>> mkinitrd bug.
> 
> It is not entirely clear from what John writes what happens
> with what kernel and when.  If you see in dmesg, like a fragment
> which he included recently (not clear from which kernel):
It's perfectly clear to me:-)

> 
> ata1.00: ATA-7: ST3320620AS, 3.AAK, max UDMA/133
> ata1.00: 625142448 sectors, multi 16: LBA48 NCQ (depth 0/32)
> ata1.01: ATA-8: WDC WD5000AAKS-00YGA0, 12.01C02, max UDMA/133
> ata1.01: 976773168 sectors, multi 16: LBA48 NCQ (depth 0/32)
> 
> and booting fails then most likely initrd is at fault.

That fragment is from the most recent kernel that works, 2.6.24.1-28.fc9



> 
> If, OTOH, like in this fragment of dmesg for

That was captured from a failing kernel by use a crossover serial cable, 
a second computer and minicom.

> 2.6.25-0.90.rc3.git5.fc9 which John added to bugzilla, you have
> 
> ata1: SATA link down (SStatus 221 SControl 300)
> 
> then it is hard to even consider initrd as there is no chance
> for it to be ever loaded since disks are "invisible".
> 
>> It *might* actually be something in the sata driver..  

_I_ think it is. The initrd _does_ load, it's loaded by grub using BIOS 
calls.

I eventually got busybox in it and not being erased (another thread) and 
had a look around. It contains the same sata modules as the kernel that 
works.

So I figure the mkinird is working and making the same decisions as 
before, but that something's changed in the driver code.


> 
> That second piece points to that although it is possible that
> in this case both show up.
> 
> Of course when you see a screen picture with the last few lines
> which say that / is not there, and all other information scrolled
> out a long time ago, then the most natural reaction is
> "uh-hu, that initrd is messed up" just because a kernel managed
> to get that far so in a sense it already "booted".

I posted the photo because, at that time, I couldn't locate the serial 
cable. It depicts the same problem, and it does seem to have all the ata 
stuff there.



> 
>    Michal
>