Lars wrote on 3/10/2005 10:18:
> "Eef Hartman" <E.J.M.Hartman@math.tudelft.nl> wrote in message
> news:9c08a$42306b30$82a1d217$7267@news2.tudelft.nl ...
>
>>In alt.os.linux.slackware Lars <noemail@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>>When I boot, I hold down the left shift key to get the boot prompt and
>
> then
>
>>>specify "mount root=/dev/hda3" but it still prompts for root floppies.
>
> What
>
>>>am I missing??
>>
>>I think you must specify the ram disk option too, to prevent it from
>>putting its root ON that ramdisk.
>>Forgot what the exact syntax was (initrd=no or such), but the help
>>text did always mention it.
>
>
> Thanks for your replies, guys. I have tried the following at the boot
> prompt:
>
> vmlinuz root=/dev/hda3

Is there a valid filesystem on hda3? And is it recognized?
root=/dev/whatever-partition-to-boot-from should work.
It does here.
I also put 'ro' there to prevent the complaint from e2fsck that the root
partition is writable when it is checked.

-Joe

In alt.os.linux.slackware Lars <noemail@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks a lot! A boot disk by mkrescue did the trick.
>
> Is it possible that the kernel that was on the other boot floppy (the
> generic kernel used by the installation program) was too bare-bone and
> simply ignored all the parameters I tried?

No, as far as I know the kernel can always read boot parameters.
The problem must be somewhere else.

Yours,
Laurenz Albe

> > Is it possible that the kernel that was on the other boot floppy (the
> > generic kernel used by the installation program) was too bare-bone and
> > simply ignored all the parameters I tried?
>
> No, as far as I know the kernel can always read boot parameters.
> The problem must be somewhere else.

Ok, but just for my edification: What else could possibly have caused the
problem? I mean, I tried all these supposedly valid parameters, but none
worked. Then I create another boot disk (with a less bare-bone kernel), and
now all parameters work fine.

Another difference was that the installation boot disk did not use LILO (but
syslinux) while the new boot disk used LILO. Could it be that syslinux was
not passing the arguments to the kernel properly?

Thanks,
Lars

Thomas Overgaard wrote:
> Lars wrote :
>
>
>>With Slackware 10, I am trying to figure out how to boot from floppy (in
>>case of LILO problems, etc.)
>
>
> The easiest way is to make a bootdisk for your system. This can be done
> using either the 'makebootdisk' or the 'mkrescue' command.

I have tried this with Mandrake (mkbootdisk), and it seems that I need a
pre-formatted 1.7 MB disk. Can't find those at Wallmart, so how to make one?

Michael

--
RLU #352695
35.14N - 101.50W

Michael Hearne wrote:

To answer your header.
Yes, I experienced this condition today, trying to access my Slack 10
install using the boot floppy.
It went on the install asking for the root disk.
OK, pulled the floppy out and inserted Slack 9.x floppy, this one
executed the command as expected.
So I think something is wrong with the 10 version.

>>> With Slackware 10, I am trying to figure out how to boot from floppy (in
>>> case of LILO problems, etc.)
>>
>>
>>
>> The easiest way is to make a bootdisk for your system. This can be done
>> using either the 'makebootdisk' or the 'mkrescue' command.
>
>
> I have tried this with Mandrake (mkbootdisk), and it seems that I need a
> pre-formatted 1.7 MB disk. Can't find those at Wallmart, so how to make
> one?

Hey, this IS Slackware, so if you installed mtools you have a formatting
application that can do it. Try mformat as root.

>
> Michael
>

Have fun

Stanislaw
Slack user from Ulladulla.

Michael Hearne wrote :

> I have tried this with Mandrake (mkbootdisk), and it seems that I need a
> pre-formatted 1.7 MB disk. Can't find those at Wallmart, so how to make
> one?

I don't know which device files is present in Mandrake but you can check
if you got the ones you need this way:
'ls -1 /dev/fd0u1*'

The ones to look for is /dev/fd0u1680 or /dev/fd0u1722 and if one or
both is present you can make a 1.7 MB disk this way (being root):
Format the disk at the size of 1722KB
'fdformat /dev/fd0u1722'

Make a filesystem on the disk:
'mkfs -t vfat /dev/fd0u1722'
--
Thomas O.

This area is designed to become quite warm during normal operation.