[syslinux] booting from USB key

[Geert Stappers]

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On Thu, Dec 01, 2005 at 11:52:08AM -0500, James_Martin at ao.uscourts.gov wrote:
> syslinux-bounces at zytor.com wrote on 11/30/2005 04:42:04 PM:
> 
> Thanks for responding!

 ;-)

> > How did you generate the initrd?
> 
> I built the initrd on a machine running the same kernel version as the USB 
> stick with the following command:
> 
> 
> mkinitrd --with-usb --preload=ehci-hcd --preload=usb-storage 
> --preload=scsi_mod --preload=sd_mod usbinitrd-`uname -r` `uname -r`
> 
> 
> > Have you told the kernel to use that initrd?
> > ( show us your extlinux configuration file )
> 
> serial 1 9600
> default usbboot
> prompt 1
> timeout 150
> 
> 
> label usbboot
>  kernel boot/vmlinuz-2.4.21-37.ELsmp
>  append initrd=boot/usbinitrd-2.4.21-37.ELsmp.img devfs=mount 
> root=/dev/sda1
            ^^^^

> label serial
>  kernel boot/vmlinuz-2.4.21-37.ELsmp
>  append initrd=boot/usbinitrd-2.4.21-37.ELsmp.img devfs=mount text 
> console=tty0 console=ttyS1,9600 root=/dev/sda1
                                            ^^^^

> My extlinux.conf and extlinux.sys sit in /.  There is only one partition 
                                                        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

> on my USB key, and it is the full 1GB. 
                           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

> Below is a more detailed dump of the kernel messages when it errors out 
> (starting at the point when the kernel launches the initrd)

Okay, the initrd comes alive ...

>  FYI, there is 
> a 30-60 second pause during the "Partition Check" of sda:
                                   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> 
> 
> RAMDISK: Compressed image found at block 0
> Freeing initrd memory: 385k freed
> VFS: Mounted root (ext2 filesystem).
> Red Hat nash version 3.5.13.6 starting
> Mounted /proc filesystemusb.c: registered new driver usbdevfs
> 
> Loading usbcorusb.c: registered new driver hub
  <snip> modules from the initrd come alive </snip>
> Partition check:
>  sda:<3>hub.c: USB device not accepting new address (error=-71)
> scsi: device set offline - not ready or command retry failed after bus 
> reset: host 0 channel 0 id 0 lun 0
> SCSI disk error : host 0 channel 0 id 0 lun 0 return code = 70000
>  I/O error: dev 08:00, sector 0
>  I/O error: dev 08:00, sector 2
>  I/O error: dev 08:00, sector 0
>  unable to read partition table
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

> Loading diskdumplib.o module
> Loading sym53c8xx.o module
> /lib/sym53c8xx.o: init_module:
> Hint: insmod errors can be caused by incorrect HP CISS Driver (v 
> 2.4.58.RH1)
  <snip>CISSStuff</snip>
> Journalled Block Device driver loaded
> Loading ext3.o module
> Creating block devices
> Creating root device
> Mounting root filesystem
> mount: error 6 mounting ext3
> pivotroot: pivot_root(/sysroot,/sysroot/initrd) failed: 2
> umount /initrd/proc failed: 2
> Freeing unused kernel memory: 232k freed
> Kernel panic: No init found.  Try passing init= option to kernel.
> 
> 
> 
> Any cciss should be ignored (i'm not using the local disk).. or should 
> they?  Is it trying to mount c0d0 instead of the usb device?  In the 
> meantime I'll rebuild an initrd without the CCISS module.


Has the USB memory stick really a partition table?
 ( try: `fdisk -l /dev/sda` on the device on another system )

> 
> Thanks,
> 
> James


GSt

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