[SOLVED] ezremaster TC 4.7.7 remaster kernal panic

[gmc]

Greetings,

I think this is probably an ezremaster problem so this looks like the right place to post.

I am trying to remaster TCL 4.7.7 after installing some apps and making some configuration changes.  When I run ezmaster and only include .tcz extensions the process works and the completed .iso image burns and boots properly.

When I add .scm's to the process the finished .iso image will burn fine, but the boot process fails to complete.

The message(S) follow:

Booting the kernel.
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Not able to mount root fs on unknown block(0,1) Pid:1 comm: swapper Not tainted 3.0.21-tinycore #3021...

I have run the ezremaster process twice just to make sure something didn't just "glitch".  Both times gave the same results.

I have also tried using three different computers and two different optical drives, just in case...

I am at a total loss as to how to proceed from this point.  Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thnaks.

[curaga]

The message says it couldn't load the initrd, so seems the remastering process failed. Before Brian has a chance to check it, make sure you have enough RAM on the comp where you remaster.

Testing in a VM before burning is OK too, saves some coasters.

[gmc]

The message says it couldn't load the initrd, so seems the remastering process failed. Before Brian has a chance to check it, make sure you have enough RAM on the comp where you remaster.

I think you might be on to something.  How can I know if I am running low on memory?  I have a system with 256MB RAM.  8MB is shared video, the rest is available to TC.  Would there be any error messages in the log file?  It makes sense that it would work with less files in the remaster and that adding more files to the mix could result in an image that exceeds available RAM.  I think I'll go see if the log file has anything interesting to report that I missed the first time through it...

[tinypoodle]

I'd run an app like watcher or htop to monitor free mem.

Also, in case you don't have a generous amount of swapspace yet, it couln't harm to add.

[gmc]

I'd run an app like watcher or htop to monitor free mem.

Also, in case you don't have a generous amount of swapspace yet, it couln't harm to add.

Perfect!  I'll try it right away.

As for swap space, I had purposely avoided it because this particular machine only has a DOM (Disk On Module) with a limited number of write cycles before death.

If I remember correctly, swap space can be set at boot time and can be on any drive, yes?  I have an external USB/HD formatted NTFS.  I also have the NTFS extension installed.  Do you think that the system could handle using the NTFS drive for swap space?  If not, maybe I could implement a temporary swap space on the DOM just long enough to remaster.  I hate to shorten the DOM's life that way though.  Maybe I will move what's on the external USB/HD and repartition it with an ext2 partition.

Thanks again for the help.

[gmc]

I'd run an app like watcher or htop to monitor free mem.

Also, in case you don't have a generous amount of swapspace yet, it couln't harm to add.

Perfect!  I'll try it right away.

As for swap space, I had purposely avoided it because this particular machine only has a DOM (Disk On Module) with a limited number of write cycles before death.

If I remember correctly, swap space can be set at boot time and can be on any drive, yes?  I have an external USB/HD formatted NTFS.  I also have the NTFS extension installed.  Do you think that the system could handle using the NTFS drive for swap space?  If not, maybe I could implement a temporary swap space on the DOM just long enough to remaster.  I hate to shorten the DOM's life that way though.  Maybe I will move what's on the external USB/HD and repartition it with an ext2 partition.

Thanks again for the help.

Update:

I installed watcher and htop.  Cool!

But something interesting showed up.  htop shows that I do have swap space!  Does TC automatically add swapspace?  I know I did not set it up.

So, how do I tell which drive is being used for swapspace?

Thanks.

[tinypoodle]

Code: [Select]

cat /proc/swaps

[gmc]

Code: [Select]

cat /proc/swaps

Here is what I get when I try that command.

cat /proc/swaps
Filename            Type      Size   Used   Priority
/dev/zram0                              partition   240264   0   -1

What is zram0?  I have this on two different machines, one with an external USB/HD (plus the internal DOM) and the other with only the DOM.  Both show the same zram0 swap drive.  I hope this isn't connected with the DOM.

[Rich]

Hi gmc
Tinycore sets aside part of your RAM to use as swap space. If you have an empty USB thumb drive, use that  for swap.
I don't know for sure, but I don't think Linux can use NTFS for swap.

[gmc]

OK, I ran watcher and htop while running ezremaster again.  Memory useage never went over 87.8%, swap never went over 21%.  The new .iso image boots to the same place and stops with the same message.

For whatever it is worth, I checked the ezremaster log file for errors.  The only thing I could find was where the .scm's were being set up.  There were messages saying that certain directories could not be found.  These seem to all be related to dependencies that don't exist.  Not sure if that helps or not.

[gmc]

Hi gmc
Tinycore sets aside part of your RAM to use as swap space. If you have an empty USB thumb drive, use that  for swap.
I don't know for sure, but I don't think Linux can use NTFS for swap.

Thanks Rich,

I was wondering if that were the case.  It seems kind of strange that TC would use RAM for swap space.  Afterall, isn't swap space used to swap out what's in RAM when there isn't enough RAM to held everything?

As for the USB thumb drive - I understood that they also have a limited number of write cycles before failure, like other flash memory devices.  Just curios...

Thanks for the feedback.

[Rich]

Hi gmc
It's actually compressed swap in RAM. Thumb drives also have a limited number of write cycles, somewhere in the
1 to 10 million range these days I believe. Wearing out a $5 thumb drive is more palatable than wearing out your DOM.

[tinypoodle]

Code: [Select]

cat /proc/swaps

Here is what I get when I try that command.

cat /proc/swaps
Filename            Type      Size   Used   Priority
/dev/zram0                              partition   240264   0   -1

What is zram0?  I have this on two different machines, one with an external USB/HD (plus the internal DOM) and the other with only the DOM.  Both show the same zram0 swap drive.  I hope this isn't connected with the DOM.

This makes the impression that you would more likely have 1GB of RAM.

[tinypoodle]

Hi gmc
Tinycore sets aside part of your RAM to use as swap space. If you have an empty USB thumb drive, use that  for swap.
I don't know for sure, but I don't think Linux can use NTFS for swap.

I couldn't imagine any particular reason where NTFS would differ from any other rw mounted fs regarding swapspace, besides from the known issues regarding mounting of NTFS in rw mode in general.

IIRC, swapfiles on NTFS had been used by some even back in the days when changing filesizes wasn't (safely) supported by any driver.

[tinypoodle]

OK, I ran watcher and htop while running ezremaster again.  Memory useage never went over 87.8%, swap never went over 21%.  The new .iso image boots to the same place and stops with the same message.

Note that besides from restrictions of mem usage there is also a restriction of rootfs size being set to 90% of available RAM by default - though I'd suspect you would get some error msg when running out of space.