Problems loading custom-compiled kernel via Grub

[jjohnson at sunrise-linux.com (miah)]

Alot of the newer linux distros (Redhat Especially) use LABEL in /etc/fstab.  This is whats causing the problem.  Chances are you didn't enable LVM in your kernel.  You can change LABLE to whatever the actual device is and this will go away.  It has nothing to do with grub.

-miah

On Tue, Dec 30, 2003 at 04:38:13PM -0500, Don Levey wrote:
> In preparation for upgrading my wife's laptop kernel for better device
> support, I'm testing my first custom kernel compile.  As far as I can tell,
> I've managed to configure it, compile and install modules, and compile the
> kernel itself.  The problem is in the Grub loader.
> 
> I'd previously run v2.4.20-20, which is what I fall back upon to make any
> changes to config files, etc.  I'm trying to load v2.4.23.  This is a RH9
> distro, which I'm told may (or may not) have some custom stuff built in
> regarding kernel load.  Here's the error I get when loading the new kernel:
> 
> VFS: Cannot open root device "LABEL=/" or 00:00
> Please append a correct "root=" boot option
> Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 00:00
> 
> (actually, now I don't get ANYTHING - it hangs on "GRUB Loading stage2..")
> 
> ...and here's the grub.conf:
> # grub.conf generated by anaconda
> #
> # Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
> # NOTICE:  You do not have a /boot partition.  This means that
> #          all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /, eg.
> #          root (hd0,0)
> #          kernel /boot/vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/sda1
> #          initrd /boot/initrd-version.img
> #boot=/dev/sda
> default=0
> timeout=10
> splashimage=(hd0,0)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz
> title Custom-Compiled Linux (2.4.23)
>         root (hd0,0)
>         kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.23 ro root=LABEL=/ vga=793
> 	initrd /boot/initrd-2.4.23.img
> title Red Hat Linux (2.4.20-27.9)
> 	root (hd0,0)
> 	kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.20-27.9 ro root=LABEL=/
> 	initrd /boot/initrd-2.4.20-27.9.img
> title Red Hat Linux (2.4.20-24.9)
> 	root (hd0,0)
> 	kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.20-24.9 ro root=LABEL=/
> 	initrd /boot/initrd-2.4.20-24.9.img
> title Red Hat Linux (2.4.20-8)
> 	root (hd0,0)
> 	kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.20-8 ro root=LABEL=/
> 	initrd /boot/initrd-2.4.20-8.img
> 
> The only thing I've found via Google is the suggestion that replacing
> "=LABEL=/" with the drive device designation should help.  It doesn't.  I've
> tried root=sda, sda1, sda0, with no change.
> 
> I suspect I'll wipe the thing and start again from scratch; I'd like to get
> this down before I start on a machine that is actually *used*.  Any
> suggestions would be appreciated...
> Thanks,
>  -Don
> 
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