Some kernels don't boot from USB disk

[Paul]

Antonio M wrote:
> I updated a F11 system and now I have four kernels installed...:
> kernel-PAE-2.6.29.3-155.fc11.i686
> kernel-PAE-2.6.29.4-167.fc11.i686
> kernel-PAE-2.6.30.5-43.fc11.i686
> kernel-PAE-2.6.30.6-53.fc11.i686
>
> Only kernels (29) make the system start, while 30 kernels stops at a
> certain point of booting...
>
> I found these lines in dmesg when working:
>
> scsi5 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
> usb-storage: device found at 3
> usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
> usbcore: registered new interface driver usb-storage
> USB Mass Storage support registered.
> usb-storage: device scan complete
> scsi 5:0:0:0: Direct-Access     Hitachi  HTS541680J9AT00  0000 PQ: 0 ANSI: 0
> sd 5:0:0:0: [sdb] 156301488 512-byte hardware sectors: (80.0 GB/74.5 GiB)
> sd 5:0:0:0: [sdb] Write Protect is off
> sd 5:0:0:0: [sdb] Mode Sense: 27 00 00 00
> sd 5:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through
> sd 5:0:0:0: [sdb] 156301488 512-byte hardware sectors: (80.0 GB/74.5 GiB)
> sd 5:0:0:0: [sdb] Write Protect is off
> sd 5:0:0:0: [sdb] Mode Sense: 27 00 00 00
> sd 5:0:0:0: [sdb] Assuming drive cache: write through
>  sdb: sdb1 sdb2
> sd 5:0:0:0: [sdb] Attached SCSI disk
> sd 5:0:0:0: Attached scsi generic sg2 type 0
> EXT4-fs: barriers enabled
> kjournald2 starting: pid 88, dev dm-0:8, commit interval 5 seconds
> EXT4-fs: delayed allocation enabled
> EXT4-fs: file extents enabled
> EXT4-fs: mballoc enabled
> EXT4-fs: mounted filesystem dm-0 with ordered data mode
> SELinux:  Disabled at runtime.
> SELinux:  Unregistering netfilter hooks
> type=1404 audit(1253663261.664:2): selinux=0 auid=4294967295 ses=4294967295
> udev: starting version 141
> ACPI: WMI: Mapper loaded
> tg3.c:v3.97 (December 10, 2008)
>
> But when system doesn't boot I see last lines on my screen :
>
> scsi5 : SCSI emulation for USB Mass Storage devices
> usb-storage: device found at 3
> usb-storage: waiting for device to settle before scanning
> usbcore: registered new interface driver cms-cypress
> USB Mass Storage support registered.
> usb-storage: device scan complete
> scsi 5:0:0:0: Direct-Access     Hitachi  HTS541680J9AT00  0000 PQ: 0 ANSI: 0
> sd 5:0:0:0: [sdb] 156301488 512-byte hardware sectors: (80.0 GB/74.5 GiB)
> sd 5:0:0:0: [sdb] Write Protect is off
>
> I note this big difference:
> usbcore: registered new interface driver cms-cypress
>
> Please note that I have another system with Philips external USB disk
> running fine....
>
> Any comment???
>   
It looks as if the newer kernel is recognizing (or perhaps mistakenly
recognizing) the actual chip driving the unit, but the driver it has for
that chip doesn't work, while the generic usb-storage driver does work
with it. You may have to pass a parameter to the boot loader somehow.

Cheers,


-- 


Paul