kernel fails to find ext4 module on boot

English Hardware
1

I have a fresh install of 11.3 on a Samsung NC110 notebook - works well “out of the box” (it’s 11.3 because I want to load Smeegol on it, which is built on 11.3).

The installed kernel is kernel-default-2.6.34-12.3.x86_64. If I update the kernel to the latest (2.6.34.10-0.2.1), the machine won’t boot. It complains that it can’t read the ext4 filesystems.

If I run mkinitrd, this produces errors for the new kernel:
Kernel image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.34.10-0.2-default
Initrd image: /boot/initrd-2.6.34.10-0.2-default
Root device: /dev/disk/by-id/ata-Hitachi_HTS543225A7A384_E24G4243213HJK-part2 (/dev/sda2) (mounted on / as ext4)
modprobe: Module processor not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘processor’ found.
modprobe: Module thermal not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘thermal’ found.
modprobe: Module fan not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘fan’ found.
modprobe: Module ext4 not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘ext4’ found.
modprobe: Module jbd2 not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘jbd2’ found.
modprobe: Module crc16 not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘crc16’ found.
modprobe: Module usbhid not found.
WARNING: no dependencies for kernel module ‘usbhid’ found.
Kernel Modules: scsi_mod libata ahci ata_piix sd_mod usbcore pcmcia_core pcmcia mmc_core ssb ohci-hcd ehci-hcd uhci-hcd
Features: block usb resume.userspace resume.kernel
Bootsplash: openSUSE (1024x600), openSUSE (800x600)
37226 blocks

but not the old:
Kernel image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.34-12-default
Initrd image: /boot/initrd-2.6.34-12-default
KMS drivers: intel-agp i915
Root device: /dev/disk/by-id/ata-Hitachi_HTS543225A7A384_E24G4243213HJK-part2 (/dev/sda2) (mounted on / as ext4)
Kernel Modules: thermal_sys processor thermal fan crc16 jbd2 ext4 intel-agp video button i2c-algo-bit drm drm_kms_helper i915 scsi_mod libata pata_netcell pata_sch pata_via pata_atp867x pata_opti pata_cs5520 pata_cypress pata_ali pata_cmd64x sata_vsc pata_pdc202xx_old pata_rdc sata_nv pata_sc1200 pata_hpt37x pata_atiixp pata_piccolo pata_acpi pata_oldpiix pata_sis pata_pdc2027x sata_mv pcmcia_core pcmcia pata_pcmcia sata_inic162x sata_sil24 pata_hpt3x2n pata_radisys pata_jmicron sata_sx4 pata_optidma pata_triflex pata_it8213 pata_hpt366 pata_amd sata_qstor pata_rz1000 pata_cs5530 pdc_adma sata_promise sata_via pata_hpt3x3 ata_generic pata_marvell pata_ninja32 pata_artop pata_sl82c105 pata_ns87415 sata_svw sata_uli pata_serverworks ahci ata_piix pata_mpiix pata_sil680 pata_efar pata_it821x sata_sil pata_cmd640 sata_sis pata_ns87410 sd_mod usbcore mmc_core ssb ohci-hcd ehci-hcd uhci-hcd usbhid
Features: kms block usb resume.userspace resume.kernel
Bootsplash: openSUSE (1024x600), openSUSE (800x600)
43607 blocks

I added ext4, jbd2 & crc16 to the list of modules to be added to mkinitrd without changing the result.

Can anyone help me to fix this problem?

Thanks
David

2

So I still use openSUSE 11.3 on my HTPC, but the kernel-2.6.34 did have some issues for me like not working properly with USB 3.0 drives. Why not leave the kernel 3.6.34 behind and upgrade to Kernel 3.0.6 which is the most recent stable version you can find? I have a couple of bash scripts that can help if you are game to the switch. Use the following bash script to get linux-stable kernel 3.0.6 and create a kernel tarball.

SGTB - SuSE Git Kernel Tarball Creator - Version 1.51 - Blogs - openSUSE Forums

Next, you can install that kernel tarball into openSUSE 11.3 using this script:

S.A.K.C. - SUSE Automated Kernel Compiler - Version 2.50 - Blogs - openSUSE Forums

Anyway, its the direction I would go and should not affect the application you want to use with openSUSE 11.3. Also, the bash script sakc does not remove your old kernel and so its still there to select at boot time. Be aware if you install the proprietary AMD or nVIDA video drivers or use a VM like VirtualBox, you must recompile and install their drivers anytime you upgrade your kernel for any reason.

Thank You,

3

Thanks. I’ll look at this. I haven’t loaded any compilers of other development tools on this box … would I need them?

4

Thanks. I’ll look at this. I haven’t loaded any compilers of other development tools on this box … would I need them?

The blog on the sakc compiler script tells you what you need. The only thing right now is that kernel.org is only partially up after a break-in in August. The sgtb script gets around that by allowing you to Git the kernel source code directly and the kernel source code is back at kernel.org, but not everything there is up just yet. My suggestion on getting a newer kernel is based on the fact that newer kernels work with newer hardware and the fact that you can update the kernel version above the version of openSUSE you are using originally came with.

Thank You,

5

On 2011-10-14 19:26, jdmcdaniel3 wrote:

> My suggestion on
> getting a newer kernel is based on the fact that newer kernels work with
> newer hardware and the fact that you can update the kernel version above
> the version of openSUSE you are using originally came with.

Why not use the head repo?

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.4 x86_64 “Celadon” at Telcontar)

6

How did you install the new kernel? It looks like some modules are missing from the filesystem so I suspect a broken package install. ext4 is very basic. Here’s what I get on mine when I ask about ext4:

$ modinfo ext4
filename:       /lib/modules/2.6.34.10-0.2-desktop/kernel/fs/ext4/ext4.ko
license:        GPL
description:    Fourth Extended Filesystem
author:         Remy Card, Stephen Tweedie, Andrew Morton, Andreas Dilger, Theodore Ts'o and others
srcversion:     3FDB3FB8E0DD3E491CE24AA
depends:        jbd2,crc16
vermagic:       2.6.34.10-0.2-desktop SMP preempt mod_unload modversions
7

Well this is at kernel 3.1-rc9

Index of /repositories/Kernel:/HEAD/standard/x86_64

And this one seems to be blank:

Index of /repositories/Kernel:/HEAD/openSUSE_11.3

I am open to the exact details that you could provide other than my previous suggestion that does work to upgrade openSUSE 11.3 to kernel-3.0.6.

Thank You,

8

The problem seems to have gone away … it seems to have been caused by installing the kernel package rather than upgrading using the patches … but I think I’ll follow the advice and upgrade the kernel as well.

David