BT3 Tripleboot issue: "Warning: unable to open an initial console" & Reboot

[Zumpel]

Hi

BT3 doesn't work on my HDD.
I would like to use a triple boot system (BT3, Ubuntu, XP Pro) on my Laptop (Sony Vaio T2XP/S), but I can't boot BT3 from harddisk.

The only Error I can read while booting is
"Warning: unable to open initial console" then something with "md" comes and the system restarts. No Kernle Panic or something.

I can't find the issue, but I'm sure, that there is something wrong with my grub config.

So first my partition table:

hda1: Backtrack 1-399 ( about 3GB)
hda2: XP System 913-4560 (about 30 GB)
hda3: W95 Ext.d 4561-7296 (about 21 GB)
hda4: Ubuntu 400 - 912 (about 4 GB)
hda5: XP Data 4561-7168 (about 29 GB)
hda6: Linux SWAP 7169-7296 (about 1 GB)

My Grub config for BT3:

title BT3
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz vga=791 root=/dev/hda1 ro 
boot

There are no problems by using the live CD of BT3. I tried real and Live install, but none of them worked. also changing from hda1 to sda1 (ubuntu knows the disk as sda) didn't work.

Could anybody help me to solve this problem ? I don't know what else i could try. to everything seems to be correct...

If you need more information to help me just tell me what else i should post....
Thanks

[.lonewolf]

If you're having problems using the BT3 live cd how did you install it? With the BT3 usb version?

[Zumpel]

I don't got problems using the live CD. Just the HD installation doesn't work. That's why I think, that there aren't any hardware issues...

But I installed from CD.
My Laptop can't boot from USB.

BT3 works by booting from CD.
I installed it from CD with the installer.

[Zumpel]

Hmmm...
Should I post this as bug ?! I don't know how to find the problem maybe i did everything right !?

[akuma6099]

I think I know what your going through. I've ran into this.

I have a laptop with no dvd or floppy. So, I chainload grub from windows bootloader (hda1 -or- Grub(hd0,0)), which then runs grub from my ext3 partition (hda6 -or- Grub(hd0,5)).

Here's my grub/menu.lst

default 3
timeout 40
color light-red/black yellow/light-gray
foreground ff8080

title BT3 Graphics mode (KDE)
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz vga=0x317 root=/dev/hda6 ro autoexec=xconf;kdm


title BT3 Graphics mode (Flux)
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz vga=0x317 root=/dev/hda6 ro autoexec=xconf;flux


title BT3 Graphics mode (VESA KDE)
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz vga=0x317 root=/dev/hda6 ro autoexec=kdm


title BT3 Text mode Frame Buffer
root (hd0,5)
kernel/boot/vmlinuz vga=0x317 root=/dev/hda6 ro


title BT3 Original Fresh
root (hd0,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz vga=0x317 ramdisk_size=6666 root=/dev/ram0 rw
initrd=/boot/initrd.gz


title XP
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

As you can see I have a few options. I left the BT3 and Boot folders on the root of hda6 just in case something goes wrong. I can then boot to the Live environment and do what I need. You only need to change the root boot option and...ex: "ramdisk_size=6666 root=dev/ram0 rw" and on the next line you'll need the "initrd=/boot/initrd".

You should add this to your grub:

title BT3 Live
root (hd0,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz vga=791 ramdisk_size=6666 root=/dev/ram0 rw
initrd /boot/initrd.gz

and put the "boot" and "BT3" onto hda1. Then you'll always have a fresh live copy.

Anyways, load up your live BT3 however you want. Then:

mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/hda1
cp --preserve -R /dev /mnt/hda1
umount /mnt/hda1
reboot (or 3 finger salute!)

Now try and boot your BT3 HD install. I believe the kernel just didn't have a /dev/hda1 to mount as directed. Let me know if this helps anyone.