Command String Question

Ok - it looks like I was installing the Alternate Install CD, not the Desktop CD. That seems to by why I got the message to run the "oem-config-prepare" command.

I downloaded the 6.06 Desktop CD, checked the hash, and burned it. However, unlike the Alternate CD, which installed properly, but wouldn't let me write to a hard drive, this version will not install. Instead, I'm getting a message that states "Kernel panic - not syncing: No init found. Try passing init= option to kernel."

I've tried looking in the help files for how to resolve this issue with no luck so far. Any suggestions?

I've seen this same error now with 6.06, 6.10, and Linux Mint. I'm trying to install this on my old Dell Smartstep 250, which has an ATI Mobility M6 graphics card, if that helps.

 

So to clarify, you are unable to get into the LiveCD on a perfectly downloaded & burned version of 6.10?

Sorry, never seen that before. Doing a Google search for "Kernel panic - not syncing: No init found" gets me a lot of responses, however. Here is an example of one place where the help may be useful.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/showthread.php?postid=1402241

 

OK, here's a few more details.

I'm attempting to install Ubuntu on my old Dell Smartstep. I mistakenly downloaded the alternate CD, and was able to install the OS, but was unable to write to my hard drive. I then downloaded and burned the regular 6.06 Ubuntu after hash checking it. When I attempted to install it, I saw the following message "Kernel panic - not syncing: No init found. Try passing init= option to kernel." I then tried the same thing with Ubuntu 6.10, and Linux Mint.

When I attempt to boot from the hard drive, I see the following:

Booting 'Ubuntu, kernel 2.6.15-26-386'

root (hd0,0)
Filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 0x83
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.15-26-386 root=/dev/hda1 ro quiet splash
[Linux-bzImage, setup=0x1c00, size=0x15787d]
initrd /boot/intrd.img-2.6.15-26-396
[Linux-initrd @ 0x1f979000, 0x676697 bytes]
savedefault
boot
Uncompressing Linux... Ok, booting the kernel.
[ 40.250702] Kernel panic - not syncing: No init found. Try passing init= option to kernel.
[ 40.250754]

I saw this when attempting to boot the hard drive with the Linux Mint CD in the drive. When attempting to simply boot and install from the CD, I just see "Kernel panic - not syncing: No init found. Try passing init= option to kernel."

 

I also tried to install Freespire, and, in all Liveboot and install options available, I get the same messages -

RAMDISK: Compressed image found at block 0
invalid compressed format (err=1)
Suspend2 2.2-rc15: Resume2 parameter is empty. Suspending will be disabled.
Suspend2 2.2-rc15: Missing or invalid storage location (resume2=parameter. Please correct and rerun lilo (or equivelant) before suspending.
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(1,0)

This is getting a bit frustrating - I can install the Alternate Ubuntu, and get it to run (except for writing to a hard-drive), install new software, and everything else, but, so far, no other Linux recommended for a novice.

Any suggestions or recommendations?

 

You guessed it! Yet another "kernel panic" message. This time with SabayonLinux 3.2 MiniEd. However, this time, I think we're close to an answer. Reason? Optimism - I WILL get Linux to load properly, darn it!!

I got the following error message:

specify port
Kernel panic - not syncing: No init found. Try passing init= option to kernel.

Here's the command string I need to edit to do this:

root=/dev/ram0
initrd=/boot.sabayon.igz
unionfs
init=/linuxrc
cdroot
doslowusb

with a bit more after that.

Suggestions, hints, answers, all will be greatly appreciated. (Unless it's to give up - that'll go over like a pregnant pole vaulter... not too well, that is)

I'm in rare form tonight...

 

LOL! - hilarious!

Hope all goes well. I don't know why you keep getting Kernel panic messages, but I hope you figure it out.

 

are you just trying different distros out, or do you have a particular use for this computer in mind?

 

I'm trying to put Linux on it to see if I can get more mileage out of it - under XP, my older Dell just seems to be getting slower with every update - plus, I'm hoping to have a computer relatively safe from a virus - I almost lost several years worth of accumulated aircraft wiring diagrams and maintenance manuals to one a short while back.

Plus, I've heard a lot of good things about Linux, and thought I'd give it a try for myself. If nothing else, it's been a great learning experience...

 

Is this a live CD? If so, it's probably a bug.

And did you put in that commandline, or did it fail and then ask you to make one?

 

I've seen this error with several different versions of Linux. I'm beginning to think that this might have something to do with the system's architecture.

I tried changing the "init=/linuxrc" to "init=/kernel" with no luck. I've also tried editing the command string in Ubuntu, with no luck. Same error.

 

It looks like it's missing a kernel= line... Not sure where the kernel is located though. Someone with Sabayon could help here?

- Trip

 

Does a LiveCD work? Can you mount your hard drives and such from the LiveCD?

Init is the command that is passed to the kernel, the first command that is run after it boots. Often it's a script to start up system services, but it could be as simple as "init=/bin/bash". Try that first, and see if it even boots. If so, you just need to find the location of the init scripts for default on Sabayon. I'd bet that it is something to do with the architecture. What hardware are you installing this on, your M1210?

 

Actually, I'm attempting to install Linux on my older Dell Smartstep 250N, which is a P4-2.4, 2G Memory, 40 GB drive, DVD-DL (I've modified it a bit ).

I've attempted thus far to load Ubuntu 6.06 and 6.10, Linux Mint, Freespire, and Debian. I got the following results:

Ubuntu 6.06 Alternate: Successfully installed, but I was unable to write to the hard drive, as the OS did not recognize me as the owner (not sure why, as I was the only user, and I'd gone through the oem-config-prepare command.

Ubuntu 6.10 Alternate: Same as 6.06 Alternate.

Ubuntu 6.06 Regular - Kernel panic - not syncing: No init found. Try passing init= option to kernel.
Ubuntu 6.10 Regular - same as 6.06 regular.

Linux Mint - same as Ubuntu 6.06/6.10 regular

Freespire 1.0.13: Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount roos fs on unknown-block(1,0)

Debian: VFS: Cannot open root devide "hda1" or 03:01
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 03:01

I'm wondering if this computer is just unable to install Linux for some reason....

 

@Khiamal - This may seem silly, but I think it may work. I remember you told us that you upgraded your old notebook to 2GB of ram. I think its possible that it's over the RAM cap for that Dell, and that's why the LiveCD won't boot. LiveCDs use up a lot of ram to decompress apps/OS... try removing a stick of ram and going back to 1GB and see if the LiveCD boots.

 

I actually agree with this. It didn't even hit me until he said it, but a lot of older laptops have a cap of 1GB of memory because that's all they can handle. It seems feasible, but I'm not sure why you would be able to have installed the previous Ubuntu versions.

 

If it doesn't hit the "unstable" parts of memory, then it won't worry about it on the LiveCD, but when it boots up for "real", it could start trying to load data into the extended mem, and it'd die. At least, that's my theory

 

Well, here's the end result:

It turns out that, evidently, Linux likes to utilize all avialable memory in a machine, but (unlike XP), won't actually recognize more than 1 Gig memory in a machine this old.

I downgraded to 1 Gig of memory, and was able to install Ubuntu. Still haven't been able to write to a hard drive successfully, but it DID install.

WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!! Finally, one problem down, hopefully few to come.

Thanks for the help, everyone! Now, on to bigger, and better things - I'm installing Freespire right now - and it's installing fine so far. I'll let you know how well it works on the old Smartstep

 

@Khiamal - Glad to be of help, even though I thought I couldn't be. LiveCD's tend to use the entire gamut of available memory, so it looks like it hit areas it couldn't read and that caused your "Kernel Panic"