Very Computer

I have a mostly stock RH 4.2 system, and I now have a 5.0 CD-ROM.

Step 1: Try to do a complete new install onto an unused partition.  Create
boot image.  Start up.  First screen (claim I am novice, just hit enter).
Kernel starts, does a couple of things and then dies at
        "CANNOT OPEN ROOT DEVICE 08:05"
which is odd given that the root device is supposed to be the IDE CD-ROM
drive.  (there are a couple of scsi disks onto which I want to install, but
they are not supposed to be the root device).

Step 2: Try to upgrade the present system.  Go to
        /mnt/cdrom/Redhat/RPMS/
and do a
        rpm -i -U *rpm
Tons of errors about such things as missing shells.

Either of these methods would be fine with me, if I could just get it to
work.  Any ideas?

/ivo welch
--

UCLA            http://linux.agsm.ucla.edu/
*** International Directory of Financial Economists ***
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Hi Ivo.

 > I have a mostly stock RH 4.2 system, and I now have a 5.0 CD-ROM.

 > Step 1: Try to do a complete new install onto an unused partition.
 > Create boot image.  Start up.  First screen (claim I am novice, just
 > hit enter).

 > Kernel starts, does a couple of things and then dies at

 >   "CANNOT OPEN ROOT DEVICE 08:05"

 > which is odd given that the root device is supposed to be the IDE
 > CD-ROM drive.  (there are a couple of scsi disks onto which I want to
 > install, but they are not supposed to be the root device).

That implies that it can't find your CD-rom drive...

 > Step 2: Try to upgrade the present system.  Go to

 >   /mnt/cdrom/Redhat/RPMS/

 > and do a

 >   rpm -i -U *rpm

 > Tons of errors about such things as missing shells.

 > Either of these methods would be fine with me, if I could just get it
 > to work.  Any ideas?

My recommendation would be as follows:

1. If you have a DOS partition, boot from it. If not, make a DOS
   boot floppy with the relevant driver for your CD-ROM drive
   set up on it.

2. Make your CD-ROM the current drive, then change into the
   "dosutils" directory therein...

3. Run the "autoboot" program therein.

I know this looks stupid, but in my experience, this is the most
reliable way to persuade Linux to recognise your CD-ROM drive, which
appears to be the problem you're having.

Having done the above, one normally finds that RedHat will correctly ID
the CD-ROM drive and thus will correctly install Linux...

Best wishes from Riley.

Yes, that did the trick on one of my computers.  Thanks a lot for the hint.

Of course, on my other system, I still need to figure out how to get access
to my CD-ROM when booting to Win/95-DOS, so that I can run the autoboot.  PCs
are quite a pain on startup...

Regards,

/ivo
--

UCLA            http://linux.agsm.ucla.edu/
*** International Directory of Financial Economists ***
        http://linux.agsm.ucla.edu/dir/