Mailing List Archive: Gentoo: User

Laptop resurrection...

Index | Next | Previous | View Threaded

bm_witness at yahoo

Dec 2, 2009, 6:13 AM

Post #1 of 8 (193 views)
Permalink

Laptop resurrection...

I'm still working to get my laptop back up; I have one more thing to try.

Presently, I am having a problem with the compiling a 2.6.30-gentoo-r8 kernel that actually works. It might be a processor issue - linux reports it as a Pentium M which is what I have selected during 'make menuconfig', but the the grub keeps reporting that it is not a recognized format or something to that effect, so it won't load it.

Questions:

1) I am using the Gentoo 2007.0 LiveCD to boot with, then chroot'ing into my installation to build the kernel. I shouldn't need a newer LiveCD, correct?
2) Grub doesn't need to be re-run (e.g. running the grub prompt and going through the install procedure) after changes to the menu file, correct?

TIA,

Ben

michaelkintzios at gmail

Dec 2, 2009, 8:26 AM

Post #2 of 8 (183 views)
Permalink

Re: Laptop resurrection... [In reply to]

2009/12/2 BRM <bm_witness [at] yahoo>:
> I'm still working to get my laptop back up; I have one more thing to try.
>
> Presently, I am having a problem with the compiling a 2.6.30-gentoo-r8 kernel that actually works. It might be a processor issue - linux reports it as a Pentium M which is what I have selected during 'make menuconfig', but the the grub keeps reporting that it is not a recognized format or something to that effect, so it won't load it.
>
> Questions:
>
> 1) I am using the Gentoo 2007.0 LiveCD to boot with, then chroot'ing into my installation to build the kernel. I shouldn't need a newer LiveCD, correct?

Correct as long as it recognise your hardware.

> 2) Grub doesn't need to be re-run (e.g. running the grub prompt and going through the install procedure) after changes to the menu file, correct?

Correct, assuming you have installed GRUB correctly in the first
instance - which makes me ask:

What is your exact error message?

--
Regards,
Mick

marcusw at cox

Dec 2, 2009, 10:42 AM

Post #3 of 8 (176 views)
Permalink

Re: Laptop resurrection... [In reply to]

On 12/2/2009 11:26 AM, Mick wrote:
> 2009/12/2 BRM <bm_witness [at] yahoo>:
>
>> I'm still working to get my laptop back up; I have one more thing to try.
>>
>> Presently, I am having a problem with the compiling a 2.6.30-gentoo-r8 kernel that actually works. It might be a processor issue - linux reports it as a Pentium M which is what I have selected during 'make menuconfig', but the the grub keeps reporting that it is not a recognized format or something to that effect, so it won't load it.
>>
>> Questions:
>>
>> 1) I am using the Gentoo 2007.0 LiveCD to boot with, then chroot'ing into my installation to build the kernel. I shouldn't need a newer LiveCD, correct?
>>
>
> Correct as long as it recognise your hardware.
>
>
>> 2) Grub doesn't need to be re-run (e.g. running the grub prompt and going through the install procedure) after changes to the menu file, correct?
>>
>
> Correct, assuming you have installed GRUB correctly in the first
> instance - which makes me ask:
>
> What is your exact error message?
>
I got that error when I copied the wrong kernel image to /boot, make
sure you are copying the one detailed in the gentoo handbook (chapter 7,
I think).

Marcus

marduk at letterboxes

Dec 2, 2009, 10:44 AM

Post #4 of 8 (185 views)
Permalink

Re: Laptop resurrection... [In reply to]

On Wed, 2009-12-02 at 06:13 -0800, BRM wrote:
> the the grub keeps reporting that it is not a recognized format or
> something to that effect, so it won't load it.

Please post the exact error message (write it down if need be). Simply
saying "or something to that effect" tends to lead to errors in
responses (or something to that effect ;).

-a

bm_witness at yahoo

Dec 2, 2009, 12:52 PM

Post #5 of 8 (174 views)
Permalink

Re: Laptop resurrection... [In reply to]

----- Original Message ----

From: Mick <michaelkintzios [at] gmail>
> 2009/12/2 BRM <bm_witness [at] yahoo>:
> > I'm still working to get my laptop back up; I have one more thing to try.
> > Presently, I am having a problem with the compiling a 2.6.30-gentoo-r8 kernel that actually works. It might be a processor issue - linux reports it as a
> > Pentium M which is what I have selected during 'make menuconfig', but the the grub keeps reporting that it is not a recognized format or something to that effect, so it won't load it.
> > Questions:
> > 1) I am using the Gentoo 2007.0 LiveCD to boot with, then chroot'ing into my installation to build the kernel. I shouldn't need a newer LiveCD, correct?
> Correct as long as it recognise your hardware.

Thanks.

> > 2) Grub doesn't need to be re-run (e.g. running the grub prompt and going through the install procedure) after changes to the menu file, correct?
> Correct, assuming you have installed GRUB correctly in the first instance

Thanks

> - which makes me ask:
> What is your exact error message?

I'll post that tonight.

----- Original Message ----
From: Marcus Wanner <marcusw [at] cox>
> I got that error when I copied the wrong kernel image to /boot, make
> sure you are copying the one detailed in the gentoo handbook (chapter 7, I think).

The last kernel I copied in I copied the file specified by the kernel's README: arch/<arch>/boot/bzImage - <arch> being x86.

Though according to http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/kernel-config.xml it should be arch/i386/boot/bzImage...not sure which is right off hand.
Will check into it tonight.

Ben

rdalek1967 at gmail

Dec 2, 2009, 2:34 PM

Post #6 of 8 (180 views)
Permalink

Re: Laptop resurrection... [In reply to]

BRM wrote:
> ----- Original Message ----
>
> From: Mick <michaelkintzios [at] gmail>
>
>> 2009/12/2 BRM <bm_witness [at] yahoo>:
>>
>>> I'm still working to get my laptop back up; I have one more thing to try.
>>> Presently, I am having a problem with the compiling a 2.6.30-gentoo-r8 kernel that actually works. It might be a processor issue - linux reports it as a
>>> Pentium M which is what I have selected during 'make menuconfig', but the the grub keeps reporting that it is not a recognized format or something to that effect, so it won't load it.
>>> Questions:
>>> 1) I am using the Gentoo 2007.0 LiveCD to boot with, then chroot'ing into my installation to build the kernel. I shouldn't need a newer LiveCD, correct?
>>>
>> Correct as long as it recognise your hardware.
>>
>
> Thanks.
>
>
>>> 2) Grub doesn't need to be re-run (e.g. running the grub prompt and going through the install procedure) after changes to the menu file, correct?
>>>
>> Correct, assuming you have installed GRUB correctly in the first instance
>>
>
> Thanks
>
>
>> - which makes me ask:
>> What is your exact error message?
>>
>
> I'll post that tonight.
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Marcus Wanner <marcusw [at] cox>
>
>> I got that error when I copied the wrong kernel image to /boot, make
>> sure you are copying the one detailed in the gentoo handbook (chapter 7, I think).
>>
>
> The last kernel I copied in I copied the file specified by the kernel's README: arch/<arch>/boot/bzImage - <arch> being x86.
>
> Though according to http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/kernel-config.xml it should be arch/i386/boot/bzImage...not sure which is right off hand.
> Will check into it tonight.
>
> Ben
>

This may not be the problem but I ran into this a while back. Some
times when I build a kernel, the bzImage in */i386/boot is actually a
link, not the bzImage itself. Naturally copying a link will not boot,
especially if it breaks the link or /usr is on a separate partition and
not mounted yet.

I ran into this twice with two different kernels. I can't recall the
version tho. You may want to check that before you copy the bzImage
over, just to make sure it is a file and not a link.

Oh, don't forget to mount /boot too. Very common thing to forget.

Dale

:-) :-)

michaelkintzios at gmail

Dec 2, 2009, 3:04 PM

Post #7 of 8 (180 views)
Permalink

Re: Laptop resurrection... [In reply to]

On Wednesday 02 December 2009 20:52:35 BRM wrote:
> ----- Original Message ----
>
> From: Mick <michaelkintzios [at] gmail>
>
> > 2009/12/2 BRM <bm_witness [at] yahoo>:
> > > I'm still working to get my laptop back up; I have one more thing to
> > > try. Presently, I am having a problem with the compiling a
> > > 2.6.30-gentoo-r8 kernel that actually works. It might be a processor
> > > issue - linux reports it as a Pentium M which is what I have selected
> > > during 'make menuconfig', but the the grub keeps reporting that it is
> > > not a recognized format or something to that effect, so it won't load
> > > it. Questions:
> > > 1) I am using the Gentoo 2007.0 LiveCD to boot with, then chroot'ing
> > > into my installation to build the kernel. I shouldn't need a newer
> > > LiveCD, correct?
> >
> > Correct as long as it recognise your hardware.
>
> Thanks.
>
> > > 2) Grub doesn't need to be re-run (e.g. running the grub prompt and
> > > going through the install procedure) after changes to the menu file,
> > > correct?
> >
> > Correct, assuming you have installed GRUB correctly in the first instance
>
> Thanks
>
> > - which makes me ask:
> > What is your exact error message?
>
> I'll post that tonight.
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Marcus Wanner <marcusw [at] cox>
>
> > I got that error when I copied the wrong kernel image to /boot, make
> > sure you are copying the one detailed in the gentoo handbook (chapter 7,
> > I think).
>
> The last kernel I copied in I copied the file specified by the kernel's
> README: arch/<arch>/boot/bzImage - <arch> being x86.
>
> Though according to http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/kernel-config.xml it
> should be arch/i386/boot/bzImage...not sure which is right off hand. Will
> check into it tonight.

After you finish compiling your kernel scroll up a few lines and you should
see something like:

arch/x86/boot/bzImage completed

(I'm going from memory here) - this is what you want to copy into /boot/
--
Regards,
Mick

Attachments:

signature.asc (0.19 KB)

bm_witness at yahoo

Dec 2, 2009, 5:39 PM

Post #8 of 8 (177 views)
Permalink

Re: Laptop resurrection... (solved) [In reply to]

----- Original Message ----
From: Mick <michaelkintzios [at] gmail>
> On Wednesday 02 December 2009 20:52:35 BRM wrote:
> > ----- Original Message ----
> > From: Mick <michaelkintzios [at] gmail>
> > > 2009/12/2 BRM <bm_witness [at] yahoo>:
> > > - which makes me ask:
> > > What is your exact error message?
> > I'll post that tonight.

Exact error message was:

ERROR 13: Invalid or unsupported executable format

Well, I mounted the drive again - and didn't go into the chroot shell.
I had been doing all the copying from within the chroot before.
I found the arch/i386/boot/bzImage, which does just point to arch/x86/boot/bzImage.

I had copied arch/x86/boot/bzImage but for whatever reason the md5 hashes of the image
and what I had copied didn't match. So I copied it, rebooted, and viola it worked.
Odd...not sure what was up with it; but it's working. Now to update the environment.

----- Original Message ----
From: Dale <rdalek1967 [at] gmail>
> Oh, don't forget to mount /boot too. Very common thing to for

True; however I don't setup /boot that way unless I absolutely have to - namely for older systems that couldn't access the whole hard drive until after the kernel was loaded, or some other explicit reason. I haven't had a system like that in a long time. And it wasn't needed on this system.

Thanks!

Ben

Index | Next | Previous | View Threaded

Interested in having your list archived? Contact Gossamer Threads