[PLUG] Busted computer

alan alan at clueserver.org
Thu Oct 18 15:55:18 UTC 2007


On Wed, 17 Oct 2007, John Jason Jordan wrote:

> On 17 Oct 2007 11:12:43 -0700
> Russell Senior <russell at personaltelco.net> wrote:
>
>>>>>>> "John" == John Jason Jordan <johnxj at comcast.net> writes:
>
>> If you get another one, please consider donating your cast off laptop
>> to PTP.  We are in need of portable computing devices for node
>> diagnostics and repair.  We can also use them *as* access points.  If
>> we can't use them, they'll go to Free Geek.
>
> I've been thinking of such things, but it will be a while before I get
> a new computer and am ready to part with this one. Still, consider
> yourself on my list.
>
>> John> Begin: Running /scripts/init-bottom ...  Done.  run-init:
>> John> /sbin/init: No such file or directory [ 35.786176] Kernel panic
>> John> - not syncing: Attempted to kill init!  [ 35.786242]
>
>> It is looking for /sbin/init.  That could be in the initrd file. (I
>> don't use initrd's typically, so forgive my uncertainty, and someone
>> smarter please correct me), or might be in the root filesystem.  You
>> could try substituting init with a kernel option in the grub kernel
>> line:
>>
>>   init=/bin/bash
>>
>> so, if you start with something like this:
>>
>>   title           Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.22-2-amd64
>>   root            (hd0,0)
>>   kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-2-amd64 root=/dev/hda1 ro
>>   initrd          /boot/initrd.img-2.6.22-2-amd64
>>   savedefault
>>
>> stop grub from booting automatically, and (following the on screen
>> directions), edit the kernel line to say this instead:
>>
>>   kernel          /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.22-2-amd64 root=/dev/hda1 ro
>> init=/bin/bash
>>
>> and see if it can find that.  That init option tells it to use bash
>> instead of the init program.
>
> I saw your note this morning, but have been too busy all day to try
> it. I just did and it didn't work. I still get the kernel panic:
>
> run-init: /bin/bash: no such file or directory
> [99.617976] kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill init!
> [99.618042]
>
> I rebooted to the Slackware live CD (love it, becoming my favorite
> rescue CD!) and navigated to /bin. There is definitely a bash
> executable there, so it's not that it's missing or located someplace
> else.
>
> Can I use something else besides bash?
>
> And if anyone else is running Ubuntu, what is the init program that
> grub is looking for?

I think this is not just confined to Ubuntu.  I have this problem with 
later versions of Fedora Core 6 kernels on the AMD64.  Same error with a 
kernel panic added in for fun.

Once I get a better monitor on that box, I will see if I can get better 
answers.  Try a kernel around 2.6.18 and see if it works.


-- 
Never trust a queue structure designed by a cryptographer.



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