Kernel Panic with Latest AS v.4 update

[Jeff Murphy]

i'm having a similar problem. 

i've just installed RHAS4 and then installed the kernel source per the
instructions in the release notes for RH4.

i copied the i686.config (non-SMP), changed EXTRAVERSION in the
Makefile, did the build, installed it and the modules. and the kernel
panics with the "mkrootdev: label / not found" message on boot.
e2label confirms the label is there. the original kernel boots just
fine. the grub.conf entries are virtually identical (see below). i
also tried the i686-smp.config with similar results.



default=1
timeout=10
splashimage=(hd0,0)/grub/splash.xpm.gz
title Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS (2.6.9-netpass)
        root (hd0,0)
        kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-netpass ro root=LABEL=/
        initrd /initrd-2.6.9-netpass.img
title Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS (2.6.9-5.EL)
        root (hd0,0)
        kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-5.EL ro root=LABEL=/
        initrd /initrd-2.6.9-5.EL.img



[root at npw2-d l2]# e2label /dev/sda1
/boot
[root at npw2-d l2]# e2label /dev/sda2
/



On Mon, Feb 21, 2005 at 11:20:21AM -0500, Smith, Albert wrote:
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: redhat-list-bounces at redhat.com 
> > [mailto:redhat-list-bounces at redhat.com] On Behalf Of Dean Landry
> > Sent: Monday, February 21, 2005 10:38 AM
> > To: redhat-list at redhat.com
> > Subject: Kernel Panic with Latest AS v.4 update
> > 
> > The RHN just released an update to my kernel 
> > (2.6.9-5.03.ELsmp).  I installed it using up2date and then 
> > restarted the machine.  I got a Kernel Panic when I restarted 
> > so I've rebooted into the old kernel (2.6.9-5.ELsmp). 
> > 
> > The lines leading up to the error were:
> > 
> > Red Hat mash version 4.1.18 starting
> > Mounted /proc filessystem
> > Mounting sysfs
> > Creating /dev
> > starting udev
> > Loading jbd.ko module
> > Loading ext3.ko module
> > Creating root device
> > mkrootdev: label / not found

This means that the volume isn't labeled or doesn't match what's in
grub.conf.

> > Mounting root filesystem
> > mount: error 2 mounting ext3
> > mount: error 2 mounting none
> > Switching to new root
> > switchroot: mount failed: 22
> > umount /initrd/dev failed: 2
> > Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill init!
> > 
> > How do I start to troubleshoot this?
> > 
> 
> When you put the new kernel in did you create a new ramdisk?

That's done automatically by the post-install scripts for the kernel.
You can see this with:
$ rpm -q kernel --scripts

As for the original poster, let's have a look at /etc/grub.conf.  Please
don't tell us you're still running lilo.