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Title: Unable to open an initial console

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Unable to open an initial console

Applies to

SuSE Linux: Versions since 4.3
Kernel: Versions since 2.0.18

Symptom:

When booting, you get the message:
Unable to open an initial console
Then the system freezes.

Cause:

This message appears exactly when your system tries to open /dev/tty1 and it is not there. The possible reasons for this are:

Solution:

1. Lilo was not installed

Perhaps you forgot, after recompiling your kernel, to run lilo. To repair this, use the installation disks to boot to your installed system, and then run the command:

        /sbin/lilo

2. Wrong root partition (when using LILO):

If you boot with LILO, specify the correct root partition at the LILO prompt. In our example this will be /dev/sdb1 :

        LILO: linux root=/dev/sdb1

You should then adapt /etc/lilo.conf (don't forget to call /sbin/lilo afterwards).

2. Wrong root partition (when using Loadlin):

On the DOS partition, in the file linux.par the wrong root partition was used; Change the entry in linux.par:

	root=/dev/xxx
where xxx represents your root partition.

IMPORTANT: Since SuSE 6.0 the root and boot partition are separate. for loadlin make sure to use the Root partition, not the boot partition!

4. /dev/tty1 got erased :

Start the rescue system. Mount the root partition on /mnt and recreate the device (see also maddin_devices2.html):

        mknod -m600 /mnt/dev/tty1 c 4 1

5. The kernel was not compiled with support for virtual terminals :

Use the standard SuSE kernel OR If you recompile make sure to specify support for virtual terminals:


   [*] Virtual terminal
   [*] Support for console on virtual terminal

in the section titled Character devices.

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Keywords: CONSOLE, UMSDOS, BOOTING, UNABLE TO OPEN AN INITIAL CONSOLE

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SDB-initial_console, Copyright SuSE GmbH, Nuremberg, Germany - Version: 03. Mar 1997
SuSE GmbH - Last generated: 07. Oct 1999 16:41:37 by maddin with sdb_gen 1.00.0