[SOLVED] Install Gentoo on USB Drive

Xander314 · n00b Joined: 16 Apr 2012 Posts: 61

I am trying to install Gentoo on a USB drive for my mining rig. However, I keep getting kernel panics as it can't find the root filesystem. The root filesystem is on my USB drive. I have enabled OHCI, UHCI and EHCI USB support. I first tried with a stripped down kernel config from kernel-seeds.org but I have also tried with minimal modifications to the default config.

What kernel config options am I likely to need so that the kernel can find and mount the root file system?

Oh, and it's an ext4 filesystem and ext4 is enabled in the kernel.

SOLUTION: Add

mreff555 · Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 5:07 pm Post subject:

A little more information please.
What bootloader are you using?
are you using a initramfs?
can you post your boot config.

If you are using grub (not that I would recommend that for a system on a stick), but if you are you can use the bootloader commands interactively to make sure the boot loader can find and read your root drive.

Hu · Moderator Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 13607

Also, please post the last 25 lines of output before the panic.

Xander314 · n00b Joined: 16 Apr 2012 Posts: 61

Sorry I wasn't sure what information to provide. I'm using GRUB2. Why wouldn't you recommend grub for this use case? Oh, and I'm not using an initramfs.

I just took a look at the GRUB recovery console and it can see all the partitions. I don't think GRUB is the problem. The kernel is loaded fine by GRUB, but the kernel apparently cannot see the USB drive.

Xander314 · n00b Joined: 16 Apr 2012 Posts: 61

Xander314 · n00b Joined: 16 Apr 2012 Posts: 61

Okay I fixed it. It was just a timing issue. I added

mreff555 · Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 6:32 pm Post subject:

Glad you got it working. I thought it may have been something like that. Generally bootloaders are pretty capible these days.

The only reason I personally wouldn't use grub on a stick is because of how big it is. There is nothing wrong with running it.

Xander314 · n00b Joined: 16 Apr 2012 Posts: 61

Okay I'll bear that in mind, though in this instance I am not too concerned about wasting space as my mining setup won't take up much space. Thanks for the help!