ide-generic not loaded by initrd

[jhansonxi]

Binary package hint: initrd-tools

I installed Xubuntu 7.04 Feisty on a Computer Dynamics SBC-MaX, a PC-104 small form-factor board (http://www.cdynamics.com/support/manuals/sbc-max/sbcmax.pdf) . This board is a unique combination of high-integration, primitive architecture, obsolete and mediocre components, and a completely broken BIOS. After working around the BIOS and video issues, I was able to get Xubuntu installed off an alternate CD but when it rebooted, the drive didn't mount and it ended up in initramfs. A "modprobe ide-generic" mounted the drives and the boot process finished without error. I then created a new initrd image with vaird which eliminated the problem, for now.

[Charlie Kravetz (cjkgeek)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. There has been no communication for over two months, I am setting the report to invalid until it can be verified as still causing problems. Is this also an issue upgrading to Intrepid Ibex, Version 8.10, which is the latest version of Ubuntu released? Let us know if you are still having this issue. To reopen the bug report you can click on the current status, under the Status column, and change the Status back to "New". Thanks again!

[jhansonxi (jhansonxi)]

I recently began playing with the system again. I was able to install 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon) off the alternate CD but nothing newer. The CD kernels of Hardy, Intrepid, and Jaunty couldn't find the IDE device (and thus the CD or hard drive). Gutsy still failed to boot with the generic kernel as it didn't include ide-generic. I had to reboot with the CD into rescue mode and install linux-386 to get the module. The 386 kernel would still fail to boot and end up in initramfs. I created a script, idegeneric and put it in /usr/share/initramfs-tools/scripts/local-top. Then I ran update-initramfs to add it to the 386 kernel image and it booted without problems. I then ran do-release-upgrade and rebooted a few times to get Hardy, Intrepid, and Jaunty. With Jaunty, the kernel started segfaulting. Obviously, the Integrated Technology Express IT8330G is the source of the problem.

Note - I indicated I had used "vaird" to create the kernel image. The correct name is Yaird:
http://yaird.alioth.debian.org

[Charlie Kravetz (cjkgeek)]

Thanks for trying that. Unfortunately, while waiting for your response, Xubuntu 7.10 went End Of Life for support in April of 2009. Now I have to ask if you could try to get logs from hardy 8.04 or Jaunty 9.04 to attach to this report.

[Charlie Kravetz (cjkgeek)]

We are closing this bug report because it lacks the information we need to investigate the problem, as described in the previous comments. Please reopen it if you can give us the missing information, and don't hesitate to submit bug reports in the future. To reopen the bug report you can click on the current status, under the Status column, and change the Status back to "New". Thanks again!