Very Computer

Please help:

I have a 300 series IBM ThinkPad that I am trying to load Slackware's
version of Linux. It does not have a CD-ROM, only FDD. After reading the
newsgroups, the majority of Linux users seem to believe that Slackware is
easiest for FDD only computers.

Also after reading the postings, it had suggested to write down everything
error and keystroke that I enter...so here goes nothing.

IBM ThinkPad 300 series
HDD = 120MB
2 Partitions
1st Partition = 20MB /MS-DOS
2nd Partition = 100MB /Linux to be
bootdisk = bareapm.I
rootdisk = color.gz

I loaded the boot disk

uncompressing Linux...
VFS: insert root floppy
VFS: cannot open root device  02:1c
Kernel Panic: VFS: unable to mount 02:1c

I am new to this. What do the above lines mean? And how can I resolve them?

Thank You,
Jack

hmmm..I am assuming that you inserted the root disk.  The only time I have
had that happen is when my root disk was bad for whatever reason.  I would
make a new root disk off of a fresh floppy.

PJ

Quote:>> "JK" == Jack Kerouac wrote on Wed, 2 Sep 1998 21:06:51 -0400:

JK> Please help: I have a 300 series IBM ThinkPad that I am trying to
JK> load Slackware's version of Linux. It does not have a CD-ROM, only
JK> FDD. After reading the newsgroups, the majority of Linux users
JK> seem to believe that Slackware is easiest for FDD only computers.

as others have said, you're probably having trouble reading from the
floppies.  try fresh new ones.  the other distributions are also
possible to install from floppies, so you might want to give them a
try.  just go with the one that works.  you don't need to install all
the fancy stuff at first, just enough so that you can do it later.
finally, you might want to check the linux laptop page for information
on running linux on your particular machine.

http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/kharker/linux-laptop/

ciao,

g.y.

--

I'm gliding over a NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP near ATLANTA, Georgia!!

It means that Linux is unable to read the floppy.  ThinkPads often
(always?) have this problem.

At the "boot:" prompt type "mount floppy=thinkpad" and see how you go.

It worked with my ThinkPad 750Ce and several others I've played with.

---
Andrew Stephen                                The Internet Group
http://www.godzilla.gen.nz/                Support 0800 22 22 25
---

<Followups trimmed a little>

Jack,

        The thinkpads don't deal with the floppy in the normal manner.
After the boot disk is loaded, a screen will come up asking if you want to
pass additional parameters to the kernel. There will be a 'boot:' prompt
at the bottom of the screen. Enter

ramdisk floppy=thinkpad

and hit return. It should now be able to read your rootdisk. After setting
up, you'll need to add an

append = "floppy=thinkpad"

to your lilo.conf and then run lilo to be able to use the floppy from
within linux. HTH. HAND,

                                        -Craig

<BTW, I agree, slak is the only way to go, esp. if you're cramming it into
a tiny partition. Or a giant partition. Either way.>

Quote:> Please help:

> I have a 300 series IBM ThinkPad that I am trying to load Slackware's
> version of Linux. It does not have a CD-ROM, only FDD. After reading the
> newsgroups, the majority of Linux users seem to believe that Slackware is
> easiest for FDD only computers.

--
--
Craig Behnke
Biomolecular Structure and Design Program, University of Washington

Hi Jack,

Something you missed.  You need to run gzip on color.gz before writing it to
the rootdisk floppy.  There should be a gzip.exe on the distribution disks.
If not let me know and I'll send it to you.

HTH
--
====================
Frank Hickman
Computers Plus

====================

<deleted>

Quote:> IBM ThinkPad 300 series
> HDD = 120MB
> 2 Partitions
> 1st Partition = 20MB /MS-DOS
> 2nd Partition = 100MB /Linux to be
> bootdisk = bareapm.I
> rootdisk = color.gz

> I loaded the boot disk

> uncompressing Linux...
> VFS: insert root floppy
> VFS: cannot open root device  02:1c
> Kernel Panic: VFS: unable to mount 02:1c

<deleted>

I have a Thinkpad 365E, 24M memory, 500M hd.

Suggestions:

- make a swap partition ( mine is ~32M)
- I used the bare.i root disk, not the bareapm.i
- At the "boot:" prompt, include "boot: floopy=thinkpad" option
- After getting the "VFS:Insert root floppy" did you put the color.gz disk in?

Since I didn't have a zip disk or anything else at the time, I made the a and
n series disks on floppy, installed enough slackware to get onto the home
network, then installed the rest from a network drive.  Next time I hope to
have enough info to create a bootable network floppy for slackware (kind of
like the RedHat boot/supp disk sets) so I can install directly from the
network.

- Ken