[gentoo-user] Installation problems

[Hendrik Boom]

A few months ago I tried installing gentoo.  It mostly succeedes, but I
was unable to boot the new system.

When I boot, it fails as follows:

>> Activating mdev
>> Determining root device
!! Block device /dev/mapper/lovesong-gentoo is not a valid block device
!! The root block device is unspecified or not detected
Please specify a device to boot, or "shell" for a shell
boot() ::


Now I originally installed this system using a chroot from a Debian etch
system.  I used genkernel to generate the kernel.  As far as I can
remember, I did specified the --lvm option.

Now perhaps the kernel is not OK because I ran genkernel in a chroot
running on a Debian kernel...

Perhaps I chose the wront options...

Perhaps I can fix things by rerunning genkernel with different options...

Or perhaps I need to start all over from a full-fledged gentoo install CD.

Please advise.

-- hendrik

P.S.  Soime Gory Details:
\
Here's the start of my /boot/gfub/menu.lst (on the boot partition for the
Debian etch system):

------------
# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
#            grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
#            grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
#            and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
# WARNING: If you are using dmraid do not change this entry to 'saved' or your
# array will desync and will not let you boot your system.
default		0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout		5

# Pretty colours
color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line)  and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
#      password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title		Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root		(hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader	+1
#
# title		Linux
# root		(hd0,1)
# kernel	/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default options below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specific kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
##      kopt_2_6_8=root=/dev/hdc1 ro
##      kopt_2_6_8_2_686=root=/dev/hdc2 ro
# kopt=root=/dev/mapper/lovesong-etch ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,4)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
##      alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
##      lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## additional options to use with the default boot option, but not with the
## alternatives
## e.g. defoptions=vga=791 resume=/dev/hda5
# defoptions=

## should update-grub lock old automagic boot options
## e.g. lockold=false
##      lockold=true
# lockold=false

## Xen hypervisor options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenhopt=

## Xen Linux kernel options to use with the default Xen boot option
# xenkopt=console=tty0

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
##      altoptions=(single-user) single
# altoptions=(single-user mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
##      howmany=7
# howmany=all

## should update-grub create memtest86 boot option
## e.g. memtest86=true
##      memtest86=false
# memtest86=true

## should update-grub adjust the value of the default booted system
## can be true or false
# updatedefaultentry=false

## ## End Default Options ##

title		Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.18-4-486
root		(hd0,4)
kernel		/vmlinuz-2.6.18-4-486 root=/dev/mapper/lovesong-etch ro 
initrd		/initrd.img-2.6.18-4-486
savedefault

title		Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.18-4-486 (single-user mode)
root		(hd0,4)
kernel		/vmlinuz-2.6.18-4-486 root=/dev/mapper/lovesong-etch ro single
initrd		/initrd.img-2.6.18-4-486
savedefault

title		Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.18-3-486
root		(hd0,4)
kernel		/vmlinuz-2.6.18-3-486 root=/dev/mapper/lovesong-etch ro 
initrd		/initrd.img-2.6.18-3-486
savedefault

title		Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.18-3-486 (single-user mode)
root		(hd0,4)
kernel		/vmlinuz-2.6.18-3-486 root=/dev/mapper/lovesong-etch ro single
initrd		/initrd.img-2.6.18-3-486
savedefault

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title		Other operating systems: gentoo
root		(hd0,5)
kernel		/kernel-genkernel-x86-2.6.20-gentoo-r8 root=/dev/mapper/lovesong-gentoo ro single
initrd		/initramfs-genkernel-x86-2.6.20-gentoo-r8



# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for an existing
# linux installation on /dev/hdc4.
title		Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.18-3-k7 (on /dev/hdc4)
root		(hd1,3)
kernel		/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.18-3-k7 root=/dev/hda3 ro 
initrd		/boot/initrd.img-2.6.18-3-k7
savedefault
boot
-----

and many more irrelevan stanzas.

The Debian systen gives me

hendrik@lovesong:~$ ls /dev/mapper
control        lovesong-gentoo  lovesong-sarge
lovesong-etch  lovesong-other   lovesong-spare
hendrik@lovesong:~$


But the gentoo system (if I shoose to enter a shell after booting) tells
me the only entry in /dev/mapper is /dev/mapper/control


As I said earlier, please advise.

-- hendrik
...
...

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