Seperate /root partition - Gentoo - Custom kernel

[jbarnes8]

I know there is a million threads already but I just can't seem to find the answer.

I'm trying to run the latest version of gentoo but I can't seem to boot it. This is the first time I have tried using a separate /boot partition and I think that's the problem. I have tried using grub and lilo but they both tell me they can't find the files. Error 15 looking for kernel using grub. VFS kernel panic using lilo. I would prefer grub so let's only talk of grub from here on.

My gentoo installation seems to be installed correctly because I can boot it with a rescuecd kernel. I did however delete the symlink(?) in /boot pointing to /boot. I thought it was a mistake but now I'm thinking not.
When I tried creating a new one it said "too many levels". What is the proper way to recreate it?
Also, I am NOT using the genkernel, but it's possible I misconfigured my kernel. I don't THINK I have any drivers/filesystems compiled as modules though.

fstab - boot is hda1 root is hda5

/dev/hda1               /boot           ext2            noauto,noatime  1 2
/dev/hda5               /               ext3               noatime 0 1
/dev/hda6               none            swap            sw 0 0

/dev/hda2               /home           ext3            noatime 0 0
/dev/hda7               /usr            ext3            noatime 0 0
/dev/hda8               /var            ext3            noatime 0 0

/dev/cdrom              /mnt/cdrom      auto            noauto,ro       0 0
/dev/fd0                /mnt/floppy     auto            noauto          0 0

shm                     /dev/shm        tmpfs           nodev,nosuid,noexec 0 0

grub.conf - neither one works

default 0
timeout 30

title Gentoo Linux 2.6.30 hd04 hda5
root (hd0,4)
kernel /boot/kernel-2.6.30-gentoo-r8 root=/dev/hda5

title To boot hd00 hda5
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/kernel-2.6.30-gentoo-r8 root=/dev/hda5

mtab - I'm using knoppix to install gentoo. I had to copy this before I chrooted into gentoo. Not sure if it matters for grub or not but here it is just in case.

/dev/root.old / ext2 rw 0 0
/sys /sys sysfs rw 0 0
/dev/hdd /cdrom iso9660 ro 0 0
/dev/cloop /KNOPPIX iso9660 ro 0 0
/ramdisk /ramdisk tmpfs rw 0 0
/UNIONFS /UNIONFS unionfs rw,dirs=/ramdisk=rw:/KNOPPIX=ro,debug=0,delete=whiteo$
/proc /proc proc rw 0 0
/proc/bus/usb /proc/bus/usb usbfs rw 0 0
/dev/root.old /dev/.static/dev ext2 rw 0 0
tmpfs /dev tmpfs rw 0 0
/dev/pts /dev/pts devpts rw 0 0
/dev/hda5 / ext3 rw,data=ordered 0 0
/dev/hda7 /usr ext3 rw,data=ordered 0 0
none /proc proc rw 0 0
tmpfs /dev tmpfs rw 0 0

1. Do I need / hda5 to be bootable (fdisk)
2. Do I need the /boot/boot link? (how do I recreate it?)
3. Is grub.conf configured correctly?
4. Do I need an initrd?
5. root (hdx,x) should point to /boot or /root (i tried both)
6. In "/boot/kernel-2.6.30-gentoo-r8" do I need "/boot" ?


Please help. I can't think straight anymore.

[grishi_111]

grub.conf - neither one works

default 0
timeout 30

title Gentoo Linux 2.6.30 hd04 hda5
root (hd0,4)
kernel /boot/kernel-2.6.30-gentoo-r8 root=/dev/hda5

title To boot hd00 hda5
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/kernel-2.6.30-gentoo-r8 root=/dev/hda5

1. Do I need / hda5 to be bootable (fdisk)
3. Is grub.conf configured correctly?
4. Do I need an initrd?

1. you don't need it to be bootable.
i m not sure about gentoo, because but your grub.conf look like this(this is for fedora similar for you too)

title Fedora (2.6.30.9-90.fc11.i686.PAE)
        root (hd0,7)
        kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.30.9-90.fc11.i686.PAE ro root=UUID=ebdfd73d-32ff-491b-873a-85e18afca3c1 nomodeset rhgb quiet
        initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.30.9-90.fc11.i686.PAE.img

yes there should be initrd.
if you have tried to rescue system and then booting and working then what is the problem in using rescued system?

[jbarnes8]

because it's slow and I have to return it to the library

Why do I need initrd? I have everything compiled into the kernel. At least that I know of.

***************************************

New problem. I made some progress.I finally got the grub configuration to find the kernel but now I get the same error as lilo. I re-installed grub and now have a /boot/boot symlink as well.

Cannot find root <NULL>
Kernel Panic VFS: could not find unknown device (hd3,5)

or something to that effect

here is what my comp looks like now

default 0
timeout 30
title Gentoo
root (hd0,0)
#yes the kernel name is correct. I was tired of typing #kernel-2.6.30-gentoo-r8
kernel /boot/ezkernel real_root=/dev/hda5