New Kernel Survival Strategies
Tim Burgess
tim.burgess at blazie.co.uk
Wed Oct 3 03:34:34 EDT 2001
Thanks Gina,
I'm going for another attempt this morning - fingers crossed!
Thanks again.
Tim
-----Original Message-----
From: speakup-admin at braille.uwo.ca
[mailto:speakup-admin at braille.uwo.ca]On Behalf Of Janina Sajka
Sent: 02 October 2001 22:28
To: speakup at braille.uwo.ca
Subject: RE: New Kernel Survival Strategies
Hi, Tim:
Congrats on getting the linux box back!
On Tue, 2 Oct 2001, Tim Burgess wrote:
> I booted from the boot disk generated at the end of the Slackware
> installation procedure and got access back right away.
Right on. That's exactly what it's for. I like to call it the "get out of
jail free disk."
<<<snip snip>>>
> 1 - When I'm booting a new kernel, can I redirect the screen output to a
> file so that I can review the messages generated (including any panics) to
> aid my trouble-shooting?
We have a spaghetti sauce here in the States that has a commercial which
uses the phrase:
"It's already in there."
So, Tim, take a look at /var/log and have at all the logs you need.
They're already in there.
> 2 - Once I've got a good (booting) 2.2.18, how do I update my wonderful
boot
> disk (or create a new one)?
>
Well, don't know about slackware, but on Redhat there's a script:
mkbootdisk
PS: I don't think you're a pain at all.
Janina
> Sorry to be a pain, but I promise I'll keep plugging at it until I
> understand this stuff and then I'll take my turn at helping others who are
> starting out. I'm saving all of the messages and I'll be using them to
> create a guide for new blinux-types on my up-coming web site.
>
> Tim
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: speakup-admin at braille.uwo.ca
> [mailto:speakup-admin at braille.uwo.ca]On Behalf Of Janina Sajka
> Sent: 02 October 2001 19:17
> To: speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> Subject: RE: New Kernel Survival Strategies
>
>
> Absolutely, all the way around.
>
> Bill's is an ftp site that you can access via anonymous
> ftp at
> ftp://speakup.octothorp.org.
>
> Once there, cd /pub/redhat and further as appropriate. There is indeed a
> full Redhat 7.1 installation set. The file you want, and it's path is:
>
> /pub/redhat-7.1/d1/images/boot.img
>
> This is the image for the floppy. If you don't already have it, you will
> also need rawrite which is at:
>
> /pub/redhat-7.1/d1/dosimages/rawrite.exe
>
> This is a DOS executable for creating floppies from floppy image files.
>
> NOTE: You may need to kill your screen reader while running rawrite in
> order to avoid data corruption on the floppy. It may also be advisable to
> run from an actual DOS boot, or a shutdown to MS-DOS as opposed to running
> in a DOS window in Windows.
>
> You can safely run your screen reader while answering questions from
> rawrite. It will ask you what file you want to use for the image, what
> drive to write to, and a third question probably like "press enter when
> ready." I don't recall the exact sequence, but it's OK to wait until the
> third question to kill speech. That way, you need only press enter and
> wait for the floppy to stop spinning.
>
> Good luck, and stay in touch about this. We'll get you up in linux yet!
> <grin>
> On Tue, 2 Oct 2001, Tim Burgess
> wrote:
>
> > Hi again,
> >
> > Do you have the URL for Bill's site and does he have such disks for
> > Slackware (7.1 in my case)?
> >
> > Thanks yet again.
> >
> > Tim
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: speakup-admin at braille.uwo.ca
> > [mailto:speakup-admin at braille.uwo.ca]On Behalf Of Janina Sajka
> > Sent: 02 October 2001 18:18
> > To: speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > Subject: RE: New Kernel Survival Strategies
> >
> >
> > Hi, Tim:
> >
> > Best avenue back to your broken linux system may well be a speakup
enabled
> > floppy that can take you into rescue mode. You could do this with the
> > Redhat installation boot floppies on Bill's site, for example:
> >
> > vmlinuz -s speakup_synth=ltlk
> >
> > or perhaps:
> >
> > vmlinuz rescue speakup_synth=dectlk
> >
> > Obviously, you would specify the correct synth you have.
> >
> > If you can get the machine up this way, your lilo.conf can be fixed.
> >
> > On Tue, 2
> > Oct 2001, Tim Burgess wrote:
> >
> > > Hi and thanks.
> > >
> > > I'll give it a study and try again - this time I got as far as a
> > successful
> > > compile based on 2.2.18 with SpeakUp 0.10a. However I got a kernel
> panic
> > > that's killed me and I don't know how to boot back to my
> /boot/vmlinuz.old
> > > as I messed up lilo.conf. Looks like another rebuild. If it's true
> that
> > we
> > > learn by our mistakes then I'm going to wind up a real guru at this
> rate.
> > >
> > > Best wishes.
> > >
> > > Tim
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: speakup-admin at braille.uwo.ca
> > > [mailto:speakup-admin at braille.uwo.ca]On Behalf Of Janina Sajka
> > > Sent: 02 October 2001 16:49
> > > To: speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > > Subject: RE: New Kernel Survival Strategies
> > >
> > >
> > > On Tue, 2 Oct 2001, Tim Burgess wrote:
> > >
> > > > Hi,
> > > >
> > > > This sounds like an excellent strategy to me. Would you be willing
to
> > > > provide your lilo.conf as a reference for us newbies who have just
> > fallen
> > > > foul of getting lilo.conf wrong?
> > > >
> > > No problem. Here it is. Beware, though, that your circumstances may be
> > > different, i.e. lba32, vga=, initrd's, and such things.
> > >
> > > The other important survival tool is a bootable floppy disk. Here's my
> > > /etc/lilo.conf:
> > >
> > > boot=/dev/hda
> > > map=/boot/map
> > > install=/boot/boot.b
> > > compact
> > > prompt
> > > timeout=500
> > > message=/boot/message
> > > lba32
> > > default=current
> > > serial=0,9600N8
> > >
> > > image=/boot/new
> > > label = new
> > > alias = n
> > > vga=0X317
> > > initrd=/boot/initrd.img-new
> > > read-only
> > > root=/dev/hda1
> > > append = "hdc=ide-scsi hde=ide-scsi"
> > >
> > > image = /boot/current
> > > label=current
> > > alias = c
> > > vga=0X317
> > > initrd=/boot/initrd.img
> > > read-only
> > > root=/dev/hda1
> > > append = "hdc=ide-scsi hde=ide-scsi"
> > >
> > > image = /boot/current
> > > label=express
> > > alias = x
> > > vga=0X317
> > > initrd=/boot/initrd.img
> > > read-only
> > > root=/dev/hda1
> > > append = "speakup_synth=dectlk hdc=ide-scsi hde=ide-scsi"
> > >
> > > image = /boot/current
> > > label=litetalk
> > > alias = l
> > > vga=0X317
> > > initrd=/boot/initrd.img
> > > read-only
> > > root=/dev/hda1
> > > append = "speakup_synth=ltlk hdc=ide-scsi hde=ide-scsi"
> > >
> > > image = /boot/current
> > > label=bns
> > > alias = b
> > > vga=0X317
> > > initrd=/boot/initrd.img
> > > read-only
> > > root=/dev/hda1
> > > append = "speakup_synth=bns hdc=ide-scsi hde=ide-scsi"
> > >
> > > image = /boot/previous
> > > label=previous
> > > alias = p
> > > vga=0X317
> > > initrd=/boot/initrd.img-previous
> > > read-only
> > > root=/dev/hda1
> > > append = "hdc=ide-scsi hde=ide-scsi"
> > >
> > > other=/dev/hda3
> > > optional
> > > label=dos
> > >
> > > table = /dev/hda
> > >
> > > > Thanks.
> > > >
> > > > Tim
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: speakup-admin at braille.uwo.ca
> > > > [mailto:speakup-admin at braille.uwo.ca]On Behalf Of Janina Sajka
> > > > Sent: 02 October 2001 14:53
> > > > To: speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > > > Subject: New Kernel Survival Strategies
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Well, since we're on the subject of new kernel strategies, I've
> changed
> > > > the subject line.
> > > >
> > > > Now, I'd like to modestly offer my strategy.
> > > >
> > > > Here's what I do:
> > > >
> > > > I have three entries in my lilo.conf, previous, current, and new.
> These
> > > > are the image labels. In my /boot directory, I symlink the
appropriate
> > > > vmlinuz to previous and current. New is actually symlinked to
> > > > /usr/src/linux/arch/i386/boot/bzImage, which does work with my lilo
> and
> > > > bios.
> > > >
> > > > Now, when I gen a new kernel, I have to actively select it during
> > > > boot--and I have to specify the speakup synth parm.
> > > >
> > > > Previous is there mainly in case I make a mistake copying a new
kernel
> > > > into current.
> > > >
> > > > PS: I use several synths on my laptop--including none. Each of these
> is
> > a
> > > > separate entry in lilo.conf pointing to current and differes only on
> the
> > > > append= line, of course.
> > > >
> > > > This has worked very well for me.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On Tue, 2 Oct 2001, Kirk Wood wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > On Tue, 2 Oct 2001, Martin G. McCormick wrote:
> > > > > > I second the advice to not fear configuring kernels. The
> > > > > > main thing is to first do no harm. If you have a working
kernel,
> > > > > > by all means, save it. .....
> > > > >
> > > > > Better yet, just leave it just as it is. After you compile your
new
> > > kernel
> > > > > copy/move it to the /boot directory (or partition) and then make
> > another
> > > > > entry in lilo.conf for the new kernel. You can copy everything
from
> > your
> > > > > current (hopefully working) entry changing the label and the name
of
> > the
> > > > > kernel itself. If this is the only modification, then you can boot
> > back
> > > by
> > > > > simply doing nothing. If you want to try the new kernel hit the
tab
> > key
> > > > > right as the computer starts to boot. Then type the label for hte
> new
> > > > > kernel and hit enter.
> > > > >
> > > > > Things to avoid are believing you need to name your kernel just
like
> > the
> > > > > one that is there (probably vmlinuz). This is great for making it
so
> > > that
> > > > > anyone can find it. But you can always refer to lilo as well. I
name
> > > mine
> > > > > with a combo of version info and other stuff (such as 2.2.17-music
> for
> > > > > when I configured to use the also drivers). This makes it easy for
> me
> > to
> > > > > tell what was for what. I like to keep multiple kernels arround.
If
> > > > > something goes goofy in hardware one may be able to get by the
> > problem.
> > > > >
> > > > > =======
> > > > > Kirk Wood
> > > > > Cpt.Kirk at 1tree.net
> > > > >
> > > > > "When I take action, I'm not going to fire a $2 million missle at
> > > > > a $10 empty tent and hit a camel in the butt. It's going to be
> > > decisive."
> > > > > - President George Bush
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > Speakup mailing list
> > > > > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > > > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > >
> > > > Janina Sajka, Director
> > > > Technology Research and Development
> > > > Governmental Relations Group
> > > > American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
> > > >
> > > > Email: janina at afb.net Phone: (202) 408-8175
> > > >
> > > > Chair, Accessibility SIG
> > > > Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF)
> > > > http://www.openebook.org
> > > >
> > > > Will electronic books surpass print books? Read our white paper,
> > > > Surpassing Gutenberg, at http://www.afb.org/ebook.asp
> > > >
> > > > Download a free sample Digital Talking Book edition of Martin Luther
> > > > King Jr's inspiring "I Have A Dream" speech at
> > > > http://www.afb.org/mlkweb.asp
> > > >
> > > > Learn how to make accessible software at
> > > > http://www.afb.org/accessapp.asp
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Speakup mailing list
> > > > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Speakup mailing list
> > > > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> > > >
> > >
> > > --
> > >
> > > Janina Sajka, Director
> > > Technology Research and Development
> > > Governmental Relations Group
> > > American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
> > >
> > > Email: janina at afb.net Phone: (202) 408-8175
> > >
> > > Chair, Accessibility SIG
> > > Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF)
> > > http://www.openebook.org
> > >
> > > Will electronic books surpass print books? Read our white paper,
> > > Surpassing Gutenberg, at http://www.afb.org/ebook.asp
> > >
> > > Download a free sample Digital Talking Book edition of Martin Luther
> > > King Jr's inspiring "I Have A Dream" speech at
> > > http://www.afb.org/mlkweb.asp
> > >
> > > Learn how to make accessible software at
> > > http://www.afb.org/accessapp.asp
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Speakup mailing list
> > > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Speakup mailing list
> > > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> > >
> >
> > --
> >
> > Janina Sajka, Director
> > Technology Research and Development
> > Governmental Relations Group
> > American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
> >
> > Email: janina at afb.net Phone: (202) 408-8175
> >
> > Chair, Accessibility SIG
> > Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF)
> > http://www.openebook.org
> >
> > Will electronic books surpass print books? Read our white paper,
> > Surpassing Gutenberg, at http://www.afb.org/ebook.asp
> >
> > Download a free sample Digital Talking Book edition of Martin Luther
> > King Jr's inspiring "I Have A Dream" speech at
> > http://www.afb.org/mlkweb.asp
> >
> > Learn how to make accessible software at
> > http://www.afb.org/accessapp.asp
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Speakup mailing list
> > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Speakup mailing list
> > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> >
>
> --
>
> Janina Sajka, Director
> Technology Research and Development
> Governmental Relations Group
> American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
>
> Email: janina at afb.net Phone: (202) 408-8175
>
> Chair, Accessibility SIG
> Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF)
> http://www.openebook.org
>
> Will electronic books surpass print books? Read our white paper,
> Surpassing Gutenberg, at http://www.afb.org/ebook.asp
>
> Download a free sample Digital Talking Book edition of Martin Luther
> King Jr's inspiring "I Have A Dream" speech at
> http://www.afb.org/mlkweb.asp
>
> Learn how to make accessible software at
> http://www.afb.org/accessapp.asp
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Speakup mailing list
> Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Speakup mailing list
> Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
>
--
Janina Sajka, Director
Technology Research and Development
Governmental Relations Group
American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
Email: janina at afb.net Phone: (202) 408-8175
Chair, Accessibility SIG
Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF)
http://www.openebook.org
Will electronic books surpass print books? Read our white paper,
Surpassing Gutenberg, at http://www.afb.org/ebook.asp
Download a free sample Digital Talking Book edition of Martin Luther
King Jr's inspiring "I Have A Dream" speech at
http://www.afb.org/mlkweb.asp
Learn how to make accessible software at
http://www.afb.org/accessapp.asp
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