2017/01/08
One of my first upgrades via slackpkg ended with a kernel panic.
Kernal panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root FS unknown-(block8.1)The upgrade moved from my box from kernel 4.4.32-x86_64-1 to 4.4.38-x86_64-1
The kernel upgrade somehow changed from the huge kernel to the generic one. I was missing the initrd ram disk needed for the generic kernel to boot.
I was able to boot the slackware install DVD and from there can see the virtual harddisk "/dev/sda1". I was able to mount it. In the /boot directory new kernel was vlinuz-generic-4.4.38 and the old kernel vmlinuz-huge-4.4.32. vmlinuz was sym-linked to the generic 4.4.38
Thru linuxquestions and a bit of help from Mr Google, I was able to find the process to create a initrd.
load the slackware install DVD into the drive and boot
login as root
mount the drive, create suitable environment, and chroot into it Code:
$ mount /dev/sda1 /mnt $ mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev $ mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc $ mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys $ chroot /mnt
run script to get mkinitrd command suggestion, and then run the command Code:
$ cd /usr/share/mkinitrd $ ./mkinitrd_command_generator.sh -k 4.4.38
$ mkinitrd -c -k 4.4.38 -f ext4 -r /dev/sda1 -m jbd2:mbcache:ext4 -u -o /boot/initrd.gz
edit /etc/lilo.conf to include reference to the new initrd file Code:
image = /boot/vmlinuz initrd = /boot/initrd.gz # add this line so that lilo sees initrd.gz root = /dev/sda1 label = Linux read-only
update the boot loader Code:
$ lilo
un-mount things and exit from chroot environment Code:
$ exit $ umount /dev $ umount /proc $ umount /sys $ umount /mnt
reboot .... and smile when the login prompt appears.
. .
I heard aftewards that it is better up upgrade the kernel with installpkg instead of slackpkg.