kernel panic: No init found

Linux and Unix-Like Linux
1

Hi linux pals,

I am installing red hat linux 7.2 on my laptop which already has a windows XP installation on it. After successful installation when i boot to the linux system the system hangs showing the following error:

Kernel panic: No init found. Try passing init= option to kernel

I have searched for the solution to this and it appears that I have to pass "init=/bin/bash" as argument, but i do not know exactly where and how. On the boot prompt screen, I have a help message which asks me to enter 'e', or 'a' to edit, append the argument. But I do not know how I should append to the existing parameter, shud there be a comma or space or ; after the already existing options.

Besides is this the only way to do it. I have tried reinstalling, but still get the same error. Will installing another version of red hat linux solve this probelm.

Please help

2

while there may be another solution that someone here may know, it wouldnt be a bad idea IMO to get the newest version of whatever distro you are using...redhat 9 it is now i believe.

3

Actually, Fedora Core 1 is the latest in the line.

4

thanks a lots friends. I would surely love to go with the latest version, but I do not have one and my net connection is too slow to download one.

but anyway, I reinstalled again everything from scratch, got the same problem, then rebooted the system with the linux boot floppy and after tha everything works just fine.

So tho the problem is solved the question remains as to why was it created in the first place and what happens after booting from the floppy, besides what is it that now I do not need the floppy anymore, and needed it just the first time.

The hunt is on. I simulated the case again by reinstalling everything and it was simulated. so i know the problem, i know the solution but i dont know the cause behind it.

anyone has info on this

5

maybe the drive where / was installed on was not able to be mounted.

6

Well, in that case, how does booting with floppy only once help. So does it mean that the first time it could not mount, but after that something happens and then onwards it can mount the drive.
Is it that after booting once there is some kind of update to mount the drive. Some fstab daemon or something updates it everytime or something like that.

oops!! lost and all sorts of wild guesses!
All welcome to join the wonderland :slight_smile: