[OpenWrt-Users] kernel panic with x86 generic image

[Arun Khan]

Objective: convert an older laptop with a BCM4318 chip into an WiFi
AP. The laptop

Image: openwrt-x86-generic-combined-ext2.img (release 10.03.1).
Going by the file name, I am guessing that this image is meant for the
PC pat
USB 1GB memory:
I have dd'd the image file to an 1 GB USB pendrive and booted the
laptop from the USB device.

I get the openWRT GRUB menu and the kernel boots to the point of mounting VFS.

At this point, the system halts with a kernel panic.

Any help/suggestion to fix the problem welcome

TIA

[Arun Khan]

At this point, the system halts with ?a kernel panic.

OK, I was able to resolve the above by removing the laptops hard disk.

Now the kernel boots and then it hangs add infinitum with the
following message on the screen [1]

"Waiting for root device /dev/sda2..."

As mentioned before I am using the
openwrt-x86-generic-combined-ext2.img that I believe is for the
generic x86 platform including laptops and PCs.

A search threw up a few links amongst which I found this in openWRT
forums which remains as unresolved issue.

Any help/work around is appreciated.

[1] grub has the default console on a serial port but it does show up
on the VGA console after I enter space or CR.

-- Arun Khan

[Arun Khan]

Post by Arun Khan

At this point, the system halts with ?a kernel panic.

OK, I was able to resolve the above by removing the laptops hard disk.
Now the kernel boots and then it hangs add infinitum with the
following message on the screen [1]
"Waiting for root device /dev/sda2..."

No joy with the "openwrt-x86-generic-combined-ext2.img"

With this image I get

"Waiting for root device /dev/mtdblock0...."

-- Arun Khan

[Jo-Philipp Wich]

Hi,

the generic x86 images do not support booting off usb as there is no
initrd support and no usb controller driver builtin.

YOu need to compiel a custom image with a custom kernel config to boot
off usb. Precompiled images will not work.

~ Jow

[Arun Khan]

Post by Jo-Philipp Wich
Hi,
the generic x86 images do not support booting off usb as there is no
initrd support and no usb controller driver builtin.
YOu need to compiel a custom image with a custom kernel config to boot
off usb. Precompiled images will not work.

Thanks very much for the confirmation. I did arrive at the above
conclusion after reading a few threads from the forums. Although I am
technical enough to build a kernel, I am not that familiar with the
openWRT build process to create a custom image (I will download the
SDK and read through the RTFMs at a later time).

For the shorter term (eval), I am blowing away the installed OS on the
HDD and then experiment with the prebuilt images. I hope it does have
support for the BCM4318 WiFi chip in AP mode.

-- Arun Khan

[Arun Khan]

Post by Arun Khan

Post by Jo-Philipp Wich
Hi,
the generic x86 images do not support booting off usb as there is no
initrd support and no usb controller driver builtin.

... snip ....

Post by Arun Khan
For the shorter term (eval), I am blowing away the installed OS on the
HDD and then experiment with the prebuilt images. ?I hope it does have
support for the BCM4318 WiFi chip in AP mode.

I dd'd the openwrt-x86-generic-combined-ext2.img file on to hard disk
of my laptop. The HDD is PATA. Since there is no booting off of USB
involved, I expected vmlinuz to find /dev/sda2 (root) and continue
the boot process.

However, no joy -- I get the dreaded "Waiting for root device
/dev/sda2..." even with the image installed on a PATA hard disk.

All suggestions/work around welcome.

-- Arun Khan