From: Werner Almesberger (almesber@nessie.cs.id.ethz.ch)
Date: 12/13/92


From: almesber@nessie.cs.id.ethz.ch (Werner Almesberger)
Subject: Re: lilo boot problem with 0.98p5 SLS
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 01:35:41 GMT

In article <Bz6KK3.Jps@acsu.buffalo.edu> jchen@acsu.buffalo.edu (Jonathan Chen) writes:
> partition table ok
> MINIX-fs: unable to read superblock
> EXT-fs: unable to read superblock
> MSDOS bread failed
> kernel panic: Unable to mount root

*Sniff,sniff* ... I smell a new FAQ.

This happens if a) your kernel has no or the wrong boot device set and
b) you didn't tell LILO to override the boot device setting of the kernel.

To fix a) use rdev aka setroot, e.g. rdev /linux /dev/hda1
(or change the value of ROOT_DEV in the top-level kernel Makefile,
rebuild the kernel and - of course - run /etc/lilo/install.)

To fix b) (the preferred solution):

   If you're using old-style configuration, append ,<rootdev> to the
   descriptor of your kernel, e.g. /linux,/dev/hda1

   If you're using new-style configuration, add the variable
     root = <rootdev>
   after the image = ... variable in your /etc/lilo/config, e.g.

   image = /linux
     root = /dev/hda1

   Then run /etc/lilo/install to copy the settings into the map file.

- Werner

-- 
   _________________________________________________________________________
  / Werner Almesberger, ETH Zuerich, CH      almesber@nessie.cs.id.ethz.ch /
 / IFW A44  Tel. +41 1 254 7213                 almesberger@rzvax.ethz.ch /
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