[olug] Can't boot to 2.6 Kernel

[Daniel Linder]

CM Miller said:
> root at xanadu:/usr/src# ls -al | grep linux.2.6.3
> drwxrwxr-x   19 1046     1046          4096 Mar  6  09:44 linux-2.6.3
> -rwx------    1 root     knoppix  192737280 Feb 21  20:03 linux-2.6.3.tar

Ok, this shows me that the only entries in the /usr/src directory that
have "linux.2.6.3" in them are a directory named "linux-2.6.3" and a .tar
file of the same name.

So far, so good....

>> 2: "ls -al /usr/src/linux.2.6.3#"
> total 11540
> drwxrwxr-x   19 1046     1046         4096 Mar  6  16:26 .
> drwxrwsr-x    5 1000     knoppix      4096 Feb 21  20:18 ..
[snip...]
> drwxrwxr-x   15 1046     1046         4096 Feb 21 20:51 sound
> drwxrwxr-x    2 1046     1046         4096 Feb 21 20:28 usr
> -rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root      3238925 Feb 21 20:58 vmlinux

Ok, now this is odd...  From the first part, I would have expected the ls
command to return "ls: /usr/src/linux.2.6.3#: No such file or directory".

I'm still stumped by this... :)

I'll assume that the /usr/src/linux.2.6.3# exists and contains the correct
files we need.  (Big leap of faith here.)

>> When you run /sbin/lilo, and it has no errors, I
>> think it just spits back
>> the label of each kernel it found in the config
>> file.  If you run
>> "/sbin/lilo -v -t", what output does it spit back?

> root at xanadu:/sbin# ./lilo -v -t
> LILO version 22.5.8 (test mode), Copyright (C)
> 1992-1998 Werner Almesberger
> Development beyond version 21 Copyright (C) 1999-2003
> John Coffman
> Released 10-Oct-2003, and compiled at 15:58:18 on Oct
> 11 2003
> Compiled for Debian GNU/Linux.
>
> Reading boot sector from /dev/hda
> Using MENU secondary loader
> Calling map_insert_data
>
> Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.22-xfs
> Mapping RAM disk /boot/initrd.gz
> Added Linux *
>
> Boot image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.3
> Mapping RAM disk /boot/initrd.2.6.3.gz
> Fatal: Empty map section

Googling for "lilo Fatal: Empty map section" returns a link
(http://www.linuxchix.org/pipermail/techtalk/2001-September/008624.html)
with some hints.  It basically says that one of the files the lilo.conf
file is trying to use has a size of 0 bytes.  You might want to try
running lilo like this to see if it can help you pin-point the offending
file:
"lilo -t -v -v -v -v -v"

Again, I don't have a Lilo system to play with this on so this is kind of
a shot in the dark.

As another point of reference, can you copy your lilo.conf file into your
next e-mail?

Good luck!

Daniel Linder