CentOS - Jun 2005 - Big trouble: can't start server after new kernel

Hi,

I have this file server with CentOS 4.0
Each time a new kernel comes out, i have to recompile it, becuse i need 
Appletalk support and the kernel doesn't have it.

I've done this before many times and in other servers, and all went well.

Now, in this particular server, with the new 2.6.9-11, after i've 
recompiled it, created the .img and edited grub, the machine doesn't 
start at all.
It says it can't find the kernel image.

I cannot even boot with older kernels.

To worsten things, i have LVM, so "linux rescue" tells me there's
no
Linux installation in the server and leaves me with a prompt.

Now, i can mount /boot because it is outside the LVM, but when i do it, 
i lost access to any command, even a mere ls.

Tried to pre-copy vi before the /boot mount and could access 
/boot/grub/menu.lst

Everything seems fine, the files are all in /boot ...!!!

Do i need to run grub command after editing menu.lst ?

Never did that.
And why can't i boot from older kernels ?

Now, the really nasty thing: somehow, i don't have the smallest hint, i 
had a 500 GB external USB disk to make the backups, and the "linux 
rescue" erased it :( :( :(

Bogles me!!!

Please help me.
This one can cost me the job.

Loosing 300 GB of files from ~ 100 users on the file server is unforgiven.

Any help would be apreciated.

Warm Regards,
M?rio Gamito

Am Do, den 16.06.2005 schrieb M?rio Gamito um 2:53:
> I have this file server with CentOS 4.0
> Each time a new kernel comes out, i have to recompile it, becuse i need 
> Appletalk support and the kernel doesn't have it.
> 
> I've done this before many times and in other servers, and all went
well.
> 
> Now, in this particular server, with the new 2.6.9-11, after i've 
> recompiled it, created the .img and edited grub, the machine doesn't 
> start at all.
> It says it can't find the kernel image.
I would guess you somehow did a mistake editing /etc/grub.conf which is
a symlink to /boot/grub/menu.lst.
> I cannot even boot with older kernels.
> 
> To worsten things, i have LVM, so "linux rescue" tells me
there's no
> Linux installation in the server and leaves me with a prompt.
The rescue mode is aware of LVM2 and can mount that.
> Now, i can mount /boot because it is outside the LVM, but when i do it, 
> i lost access to any command, even a mere ls.
> 
> Tried to pre-copy vi before the /boot mount and could access 
> /boot/grub/menu.lst
> 
> Everything seems fine, the files are all in /boot ...!!!
> 
> Do i need to run grub command after editing menu.lst ?
No. This is one difference to lilo. It may be helpful if you show us
your menu.lst / grub.conf.
> Never did that.
> And why can't i boot from older kernels ?
I can only imagine that the menu.lst is broken somehow (strange
characters in it). 
> Now, the really nasty thing: somehow, i don't have the smallest hint, i
> had a 500 GB external USB disk to make the backups, and the "linux 
> rescue" erased it :( :( :(
What do you mean with "erased"? You plugged the drive in on a
different
host and the drive is completely empty?
> M?rio Gamito
Alexander


-- 
Alexander Dalloz | Enger, Germany | GPG http://pgp.mit.edu 0xB366A773
legal statement: http://www.uni-x.org/legal.html
Fedora Core 2 GNU/Linux on Athlon with kernel 2.6.11-1.27_FC2smp 
Serendipity 03:20:47 up 23 days, 1:58, load average: 0.10, 0.25, 0.25 
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Hi,

Thank you for your answer.
I've managed to edit /boot/grub/menu.lst

There was a typo in the file.

I've restarted, and when things seems to go well, LVM lost track of its
volumes.
> The rescue mode is aware of LVM2 and can mount that.
It seems that unfortunately not.
rescue mode even tells me i have no Linux installed.

Should i go on and update without formating ?
I've tried that, but it doesn't let me indicate the mount points to the
volumes.


Any ideas ?

Thank you.

Warm Regards,