I am attempting to compile a Linux Kernel (2.6.13-15.11) for use on a bootable floppy. After installing LILO on the bootable floppy and moving over the appropriate files and the kernel I am recieving an error of VFS: Cannot open root device "200" or unknown-block(2,0). My lilo configuration looks like the following and I can include my .config if needed.
boot = /dev/fd0
image = /boot/bzImage
label = Booter
root = /dev/fd0
read-only
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floppy
Hi
I don't know how to solve your problem, but I'd like to take a look at your .config file. I will try and tell if I have the same problem.
Kernel 2.6 cannot boot from floppy?
I seem to remember it is no longer supported, because the kernel 2.6 itself is larger than one floppy disk.
Further research: possible but difficult
It seems putting say grub+initrd on floppy #1 and a small kernel 2.6 on floppy #2 can work. Also formatting floppies to higher density than 1.44M helps.
For systems where bootable CD's are not an option, using PXE boot is recommended, either your BIOS/NIC supports it (F12 often), or you can make a PXE ROM emulation boot floppy for your NIC at http://rom-o-matic.net/. You can learn about PXE (H. Peter Anvin method, creator of LILO/Syslinux) at http://syslinux.zytor.com/pxe.php. Getting boot floppies to boot via PXE takes only a few hours but depending on your knowledge of kernel, initrd/rootfs, getting Linux + useable rootfs booting may take longer than you are willing to spend.
You can perhaps remove hard disk and place into a machine that can boot from CD.
2.6.20.6 boot floppy
If anyone's interested:
I've created a boot floppy with the 2.6.20.6 kernel and a 1.2.2 build of Busybox (with fdisk and mkfs.ext2) against ucLibc (buildroot toolchain).
The kernel is 904k with a 496k root filesystem. (1438k floppy image)
The second floppy provides lilo, sfdisk and lspci plus selected kernel modules. (1264k floppy image)
sweet!
I'm glad to hear somebody's done it! I think I'd like to do something similar to have non-USB-bootable computers be able to do so. Any instructions or files available?
SD
live-cds in terminalserver mode
there is a faq entry on booting grml without a bootable cd-rom: http://grml.org/faq/#booting
grml and knoppix also support a terminalserver-mode, where you boot via PXE or from an easily prepared disk and mount the cd (from another pc you booted from it) over the network: http://grml.org/terminalserver/
from there you can mkfs and mount your notebook's / and use debootstrap to install standard debian, or use the live-cd's hd installer.
Your Kernel on Floppy
i want a copy of your kernel on a floppy.
please send it to me.
i am working on an old IBM ThinkPad 380D. the system can't boot from a CD Drive.
i tried to take the Hard Drive out of the IBM and put the Hard Drive in another system to install Linux(DamnSmallLinux, PuppyLinux, & Ubuntu 6.10). i had no success. so i put the IBM ThinkPad 380D Hard Drive back in it's original IBM ThinkPad Laptop body.
Please send me a copy of your Kernel 2.6 on floppies.
2.6.20.6 boot floppy
These boot floppies are part of my custom Debian Sarge build and require my build tree to create.
I'm more than willing to share - but don't have a place to upload to.
I could also upload the floppy images, if I had somewhere to put them.
From my README:
.....
10. Make root filesystem hierarchy
- populate /build/build/root_template as desired
/build/bin/mkroot 2.6.20.6
11. Make compressed root filesystem image
execute /build/bin/mkrootfs 2.6.20.6 floppy
Note: mkrootfs executes mkroot
12. Setup second floppy image
- populate /build/build/floppy2 with desired executables
execute /build/bin/mklibs
13. Make floppy images
/build/bin/mkfloppy 2.6.20.6
*** floppy sizes must be <= 1440 blocks ***
Note: mkfloppy executes mkmodules, mkrootfs and mklibs
floppy images are created as:
- /build/images/floppy1.flp
- /build/images/floppy2.flp
.....
Image descriptions:
/build/images/floppy1.flp (1440 kB)
bootable floppy, busybox 1.2.2.1 environment
- no kernel modules, no lilo, no grub
- fdisk and mkfs present
/build/images/floppy2.flp (1440 kB)
"extras" floppy (not bootable)
- includes grub or lilo and kernel modules built in step 8
- built from /build/floppy2 created in step 12
/build/images/cd_image_boot.iso (approx 3.5 MB)
cd image, boot only - same as the 2 floppies above
/var/tmp/cd_image.iso (approx 580 MB)
bootable cd image with entire build tree
.....
I've also managed to create a 4 sector boot loader that will boot 2.4 or 2.6 kernels (only tested on 2.4.27 and 2.6.20.6)
Could you please send me
Could you please send me your floppy images?I need to run NFS rescue mount, and dd to install hard disk images
my email is
my email is beljanski.vojislav@gmail.com
You seem to be missing the
You seem to be missing the floppy disk driver in your kernel.