[syslinux] Switchroot: mount failed: 22, Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted tp kill init!

[Jim Cromie]

Kosolapov Dmitry wrote:
> Hi, everybody!
>
> My pxelinux.0/default file is:
>
> LABEL linux
>   KERNEL vmlinuz-2.6.16
>   APPEND initrd=initrd-2.6.16.img
> root=192.168.4.110:/clients/192.168.4.100/root
>
>   
either you or mailer has wrapped that line. (you cannot).
you also cannot do shell-style \
line continuations like \
these.
Also, you cannot use both global and per-item APPENDs.

> When mounting I get:
>
> switchroot: mount failed: 22
> Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted tp kill init!
>
>   

do you actually need an initrd ?
Ive had one in my pxelinux.cfg/default file since ~ 2.6.11,
and the same entries worked until 2.6.16, at which point I got errors
like yours.  The light bulb went on when I realized the initrd was running
Redhat nash, on a debian box - IOW, the initrd was made on/for my FC-4
laptop, where I built kernels for the 266mhz debian box.

Once I removed the initrd=foo part of the APPEND, it just worked.
Forex, this works here.

LABEL   C 2.6.16-sk
  MENU LABEL    ^c.  2.6.16-sk
  KERNEL        vmlinuz-2.6.16-sk
  APPEND        console=ttyS0,115200n81 root=/dev/nfs 
nfsroot=192.168.42.1:/nfshost/soekris 
nfsaddrs=192.168.42.100:192.168.42.1:192.168.42.1:255.255.255.0:soekris:eth0 
panic=5

(I imagine this could be shorter, more implied parameter, yes/no ?)

FWIW, the nfsroot docs imply that you cannot put the nfs-root modules in
an initrd.  This seems an over-simplification of the truth;
why wouldnt all the nfs* modules, in an initrd, work properly ?
Anyone ever tried it ? (I havent yet, someday)