about the 2.6.17 kernel

[Rob Landley]

On Sunday 16 July 2006 8:20 am, Michael S. Zick wrote:

> > VFS: Mounted root (nfs filesystem).
> > Freeing init memory: 92K
> > Warning: unable to open an initial console.
> >
> >    Could anybody tell me how to deal with it?
>
> re-write all *nix?
>
> The kernel identifies the console (and any device) by its
> major and minor number - not by its character string "console".

In 2.6.17.1 look at init/init.c, line 706.  If you're using an initramfs, you 
need a /dev/console in it.

> You could call it: "little_frog_that_writes_strange_messages c 5 1"
> and it would work just fine (as "console")

Not for the kernel pre-init setup it won't.  It's looking for /dev/console.

> but calling 5,0 will not. 

Ever used the kernel command line "console=ttyS0"?  Read kernel/printk.c (in 
2.6.17.1 line 659, and the function right before it).

Rob
-- 
Never bet against the cheap plastic solution.