Lenny: Unable to mount initrd

[Peter Senna Tschudin]

Dear Members,

I've downloaded Lenny installation files for s390 from:
http://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/lenny/main/installer-s390/current/images/generic/

I've uploaded files to the System Z but kernel was not able to mount
the initrd. The most strange is that normally after the word "tried:"
there is ext2, ext3 and cramfs.

See the output error:
Ý17179570.039030¨ RAMDISK: Compressed image found at block 0
Ý17179570.491238¨ List of all partitions:
Ý17179570.491262¨ No filesystem could mount root, tried:
Ý17179570.491281¨ Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount
root fs on unknown-block(1,0)

What can I do?

Regards,

Peter

[Frans Pop]

Post by Peter Senna Tschudin
http://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/lenny/main/installer-s390/current/im
ages/generic/
I've uploaded files to the System Z but kernel was not able to mount
the initrd.

Please see: http://lists.debian.org/debian-s390/2009/07/msg00003.html

Cheers,
FJP

[Peter Senna Tschudin]

Frans,

Thank you.

How can I check if the kernel supports ext2, ext3 and cramfs? Looks
like it does not...

The most strange is that normally after the word "tried:" there is ext2, ext3 and cramfs.

Peter

Post by Peter Senna Tschudin
http://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/lenny/main/installer-s390/current/im
ages/generic/
I've uploaded files to the System Z but kernel was not able to mount
the initrd.

Please see: http://lists.debian.org/debian-s390/2009/07/msg00003.html
Cheers,
FJP
--

[Frans Pop]

(No need to CC me.)

Post by Peter Senna Tschudin
How can I check if the kernel supports ext2, ext3 and cramfs? Looks
like it does not...

$ cat /proc/filesystems

But note the the installer will only get some file system modules
available when additional installer components are loaded in the step
after a mirror has been selected. The initrd is an initramfs (compressed
cpio archive) and thus does not require any of these file systems, and
thus they may not be enabled/included in the generic kernel and initrd.

[Peter Senna Tschudin]

Frans,

My guess is that ext2, ext3 and cram fs are compiled as module for the
Lenny installer kernel. If so, it will not work if initrd contains
compressed ext image.

I know that the initrd images are build using cpio. The problem is
that etch kernel for s390 is not able to mount initrd if it is built
using cpio. I need to create a compressed file containing ext2
filesystem in order to be able to install etch.

This is the procedure I used:

cd /tmp; wget http://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/etch/main/installer-s390/current/images/generic/initrd.debian
cd /tmp; rm -rf initrd initrd.gz; dd if=/dev/zero of=initrd
bs=10000000 count=1; /sbin/mke2fs -F -m0 initrd; mount -t ext2 -o loop
initrd /mnt
cd /mnt; cat /tmp/initrd.debian |gzip -d | cpio -i
cd /tmp; umount /mnt; gzip -9 initrd
mv initrd.gz initrd.debian

This is the only method I found to install Debian etch.

Why does Lenny install kernel does not say that it tried: ext2, ext3
and cramfs as Etch install kernel does?

Peter

Post by Frans Pop
(No need to CC me.)

Post by Peter Senna Tschudin
How can I check if the kernel supports ext2, ext3 and cramfs? Looks
like it does not...

$ cat /proc/filesystems
But note the the installer will only get some file system modules
available when additional installer components are loaded in the step
after a mirror has been selected. The initrd is an initramfs (compressed
cpio archive) and thus does not require any of these file systems, and
thus they may not be enabled/included in the generic kernel and initrd.
--

[Frans Pop]

Post by Peter Senna Tschudin
My guess is that ext2, ext3 and cram fs are compiled as module for the
Lenny installer kernel. If so, it will not work if initrd contains
compressed ext image.

Correct, but possibly cramfs isn't selected at all anymore. Not sure.

Post by Peter Senna Tschudin
I know that the initrd images are build using cpio. The problem is
that etch kernel for s390 is not able to mount initrd if it is built
using cpio. I need to create a compressed file containing ext2
filesystem in order to be able to install etch.

Eh? That's completely new to me.

Post by Peter Senna Tschudin
cd /tmp; wget
http://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/etch/main/installer-s390/current/images/generic/initrd.debian
cd /tmp; rm -rf initrd initrd.gz; dd if=/dev/zero of=initrd bs=10000000
count=1; /sbin/mke2fs -F -m0 initrd; mount -t ext2 -o loop initrd /mnt
cd /mnt; cat /tmp/initrd.debian |gzip -d | cpio -i
cd /tmp; umount /mnt; gzip -9 initrd
mv initrd.gz initrd.debian
This is the only method I found to install Debian etch.

I've always installed Etch, and Lenny, and now Squeeze generic images
without needing any such trickery... And I've never seen any other
reports of anybody else doing that either.

Post by Peter Senna Tschudin
Why does Lenny install kernel does not say that it tried: ext2, ext3
and cramfs as Etch install kernel does?

Either because the drivers for those file systems are not available, or
because of changes in the upstream kernel code between .18 and .26...

But IMO that's not really relevant. It seems to me that there must be
something subtly wrong in your configuration of how D-I gets loaded which
results in the failure to load the standard initramfs initrd.
I think it's better value for money trying to track that down than
worrying about file systems that should not be needed at that stage.

In other words: I think you're trying to work around the symptoms instead
of solving the cause.

Cheers,
FJP

[Peter Senna Tschudin]

Frans,

Post by Frans Pop
I've always installed Etch, and Lenny, and now Squeeze generic images
without needing any such trickery... And I've never seen any other
reports of anybody else doing that either.

I have ultra wide experience with System Z. My first access was about
30 days ago. :-)

Post by Frans Pop
But IMO that's not really relevant. It seems to me that there must be
something subtly wrong in your configuration of how D-I gets loaded which
results in the failure to load the standard initramfs initrd.
I think it's better value for money trying to track that down than
worrying about file systems that should not be needed at that stage.
In other words: I think you're trying to work around the symptoms instead
of solving the cause.

I think you may be right about this. My goal is to install Debian on
the System Z. As the System Z is complete new thing to me, I try to
fix the problems in the domain I'm more confortable with that is
Debian.

But isn't it just download files from
http://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/etch/main/installer-s390/current/images/generic/,
upload files to the CMS, and then type debian?

I'm curious about what am I doing wrong about the initrd and Debian etch. Ideas?

Thanks again!

Peter

[Frans Pop]

Post by Peter Senna Tschudin
I'm curious about what am I doing wrong about the initrd and Debian
etch.

Problem is that my experience with s390 is limited to the Hercules
emulator. I suspect that your definition of the device to IPL may be the
problem. For Hercules I have the following:
000C 3505 kernel.debian parmfile.debian initrd.debian autopad eof

With that I actually start the installer using 'ipl c'.

Maybe others can help better with this, but it would probably help if you
gave more details about how exactly you did things. I doubt things are as
simple as "just upload files to the CMS, and then type debian".

[Bastian Blank]

Post by Peter Senna Tschudin
I've uploaded files to the System Z but kernel was not able to mount
the initrd.

Which way do you used to upload the files (which exactly?) to the Z? Do
you use z/VM?

Post by Peter Senna Tschudin
The most strange is that normally after the word "tried:"
there is ext2, ext3 and cramfs.

The lenny images uses an initramfs, aka compressed cpio archive, no real
filesystem.
Please show the complete log.

Bastian

[Peter Senna Tschudin]

Bastian,

Thank you for the help.

Which way do you used to upload the files (which exactly?) to the Z? Do you use z/VM?

I uploaded the files using x3270-x11. See screenshots below. Yes I do use z/VM.

The lenny images uses an initramfs, aka compressed cpio archive, no real filesystem.

Yes! Etch does it too, even for non s390 initrd. Those compressed cpio
images are not working for me at s390, it only works if I convert
compressed cpio to compressed ext2 fs.

See the md5 of the files I'm using:
6b5916fd12e2cba507aa0c1c30bddd5e debian.exec
e44c86d77a98828dd2a2cd98317aa7aa initrd.debian.org
7d98a305248690ddcdec98736dacd864 kernel.debian
302e01bd4901aa2eb46eb2ce0eee826e parmfile.debian.org

The complete output is at:
http://petersenna.com/4linux/s390/s390

Upload screenshots for file is at:
Loading Image...
Loading Image...
Loading Image...
Loading Image...

Thanks,

Peter

Post by Peter Senna Tschudin
I've uploaded files to the System Z but kernel was not able to mount
the initrd.

Which way do you used to upload the files (which exactly?) to the Z? Do
you use z/VM?

Post by Peter Senna Tschudin
            The most strange is that normally after the word "tried:"
there is ext2, ext3 and cramfs.

The lenny images uses an initramfs, aka compressed cpio archive, no real
filesystem.
Please show the complete log.
Bastian
--
It is a human characteristic to love little animals, especially if
they're attractive in some way.
               -- McCoy, "The Trouble with Tribbles", stardate 4525.6
--

[Martin Grimm]

I had similar problems some time ago.

Peter, could you try a different transfer method (ftp for example).
x3270-x11 at least for me seems to corrupt the uploaded data sometimes.

Greetings,
Martin

Post by Peter Senna Tschudin
Bastian,
Thank you for the help.

Which way do you used to upload the files (which exactly?) to the Z? Do you use z/VM?

I uploaded the files using x3270-x11. See screenshots below. Yes I do use z/VM.

The lenny images uses an initramfs, aka compressed cpio archive, no real filesystem.

Yes! Etch does it too, even for non s390 initrd. Those compressed cpio
images are not working for me at s390, it only works if I convert
compressed cpio to compressed ext2 fs.
6b5916fd12e2cba507aa0c1c30bddd5e debian.exec
e44c86d77a98828dd2a2cd98317aa7aa initrd.debian.org
7d98a305248690ddcdec98736dacd864 kernel.debian
302e01bd4901aa2eb46eb2ce0eee826e parmfile.debian.org
http://petersenna.com/4linux/s390/s390
http://petersenna.com/4linux/s390/debian.exec.png
http://petersenna.com/4linux/s390/initrd.debian.png
http://petersenna.com/4linux/s390/kernel.debian.png
http://petersenna.com/4linux/s390/parmfile.debian.png
Thanks,
Peter

Post by Peter Senna Tschudin
I've uploaded files to the System Z but kernel was not able to mount
the initrd.

Which way do you used to upload the files (which exactly?) to the Z? Do you use z/VM?

Post by Peter Senna Tschudin
The most strange is that normally after the word "tried:"
there is ext2, ext3 and cramfs.

The lenny images uses an initramfs, aka compressed cpio archive, no real filesystem.
Please show the complete log.
Bastian
--
It is a human characteristic to love little animals, especially if
they're attractive in some way.
-- McCoy, "The Trouble with Tribbles", stardate 4525.6
--

Ciao,
Martin
--
---( Martin Grimm )-------------------------------------------------
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| PGP fingerprint: 1C83 5E23 1DD1 5788 601C 76D0 6745 A1FA 96E1 C484 |
--------------------------------------------------------------------

[Bastian Blank]

Post by Peter Senna Tschudin

Which way do you used to upload the files (which exactly?) to the Z? Do you use z/VM?

I uploaded the files using x3270-x11. See screenshots below. Yes I do use z/VM.

Are you sure that the default record format is fixed?

Bastian