Problems booting after update openSUSE 11.3

[Viskovitz]

Hi all again. I have another problem with my opensuse 11.3.

I updated the Kernel to 2.6.34.4-0.1-desktop, but when it was updating, Yast returned an error with the kernel rpm packages downloaded but I choose continue the installation (maybe I should have selected ignore or cancel...).

The problem came when I restarted the system. I just can see two options in grub: xen and windows.

I started with xen and changed the new menu.lst to the old version with the Desktop and Fail safe options, but when I select any of these I received an error message.

I started with the installation DVD and selected the update option, but I received the same error with rpm packages in the installation.

If I choose the Rescue option from the DVD, I get a shell and I don't know what I have to do...

Does anyone have any idea of how can I repair or update the system?

If I reinstall openSUSE from the DVD without format any partition, could the system start again? �Could I then to try to update the system again?


Thanks a lot.

[gogalthorp]

Use Yast to install the kernel. I suspect you deleted the old one. You luckily have a Xen kernel that is still working.

Pay attention to warnings and error messages. This is not Windows.

[jdmcdaniel3]

In regards to your last question, if you created a separate partition for your home area (/home), you can reinstall openSUSE, but modify the partition setup to match your old setup except, do not format the /home area, but do format the / root file system, which most of Linux is installed. This will preserve almost all of your personal data and settings. It is the main reason for maintaining a separate /home partition.

Now if you did not over write your last menu.lst, you could put it back, start xen, then look in the /boot folder for existing kernels. There can six or more files per kernel version, but only two are required, the ones that start with vmlinuz and initrd. These are the ones that are loaded by your menu.lst file, but the names have got to be correct and the files must exist. It could be a lot of work to try and put the old system back together, but perhaps not impossible.

Thank You,

[Viskovitz]

Hello all. I tried what jdmcdaniel3 said before reinstall the system without format the /home partition.

I found the files he said in /boot (the ones that start with vmlinuz and initrd). So I take my old menu.lst and I changed the entries that started with 2.6.34-12-desktop by 1.6.34.4-01-desktop and when I restarted it works (I'm now writing from suse).

But now I have a message for an update of the kernel (Linux Kernel: Security/Bugfix update to 2.6.34.4, new version 3038) and I don't know what to do...

Could I update the system without any problem?

[caf4926]

A lot of folks are having issue with the now kernel. You might be better leaving it out.

Ref: Keyboard & mouse freezes

[Viskovitz]

Ok, I think that I'll wait to the next update.


Thanks a lot to every one.

[jdmcdaniel3]

Viskovitz

Hello all. I tried what jdmcdaniel3 said before reinstall the system without format the /home partition.

I found the files he said in /boot (the ones that start with vmlinuz and initrd). So I take my old menu.lst and I changed the entries that started with 2.6.34-12-desktop by 1.6.34.4-01-desktop and when I restarted it works (I'm now writing from suse).

But now I have a message for an update of the kernel (Linux Kernel: Security/Bugfix update to 2.6.34.4, new version 3038) and I don't know what to do...

Could I update the system without any problem?

Hello Viskovitz. I am so happy to hear you got your system up and working. Just as caf4926 says, it might be best to wait on that update until you see something good about it. However, caf4926 has a neat instruction in this next thread where you can setup YaST Software Management to allow multiple versions of the Linux kernel to be loaded on your machine. After making the modification and searching on kernel (In YaST Software Management), the Versions Tab is transformed to a check block setup for each kernel version that Software Management can find. Now when you add another kernel version, your old version is maintained until you remove the check. This can be a very good thing if a kernel update or other issue renders a newly installed kernel foobar. You have the older one still there to fall back on.

http://forums.opensuse.org/english/g...ml#post2220126

Thank You,

[Viskovitz]

Thank you jdmcdaniel3 and caf4926, I'll read the trhead and try the instruction.


Thanks.

[caf4926]

Someone might find this useful:
Picasa Web Albums - caf4926 - kernel fix ya...

Office slideshow: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/10573557/ker...0yast%20L3.odp

[jdmcdaniel3]

Wow caf4926, it just gets better. I guess I did not know you could do this in the terminal mode. One would still have to have a kernel that works to get to this point, but this is very good stuff to know, keep it coming.

Thank You,