Help!sbininit: 432: cannot open devconsole: No such file

The complaints come from the initial RAM disk, needed to load modules for a heavily modularized kernel. The file system info has nothing to do with the main disk file system.

It seems that your new kernel did not load the buttociated RAM disk, or that it is not configured correctly to the loader.

If you did not destroy the old kernel, you should be able to boot it manually using the GRUB console commands. The bootup screen should give you an opportunity to give the loading commands manually. Also, if the new kernel installer did its job correctly, there should be a menu entry in the GRUB screen for the old kernel.

See above - the complaints belong to the initial RAM disk.

Boot the rescue disk and see if the previous kernel and its ramdisk are present in theboot directory. Do not get scared if theboot directory in the parbreastion is empty. It means that theboot directory is on another parbreastion to be mounted on the empty directory.

If the kernel and its pieces are there, boot it manually using detailed instructions.

There are different ways to get to the GRUB command line:

- a GRUB boot diskette, - the rescue disk boot may give access to GRUB boot command line, - your GRUB already present on the hard disk.

And last - DO NOT make any drastic file system changes to your hard disk before you rescue your thesis pieces to a backup. Use e.g. the live CD to copy the data to a safe place.

After quenching the immediate fire, set your system back into normal. Use the old faithful kernel and compile a new customised one for your computer (without an initial ramdisk). You should think about upgrading to the newest 2.4 series (2.4.31, IIRC). The step to 2.6 series kernels needs also an upgrade of many of the utility programs.

HTH

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Tauno Voipio tauno voipio (at) iki fi