Linux cannot tolerate swapped IDE cable

[azgs]

After many Kernel Panics I learnt that Linux goes to Kernel Panic once you swap the IDE cable or in other words say the boot device/hard-drive device name changes.

I moved the Linux drive from Primary Master to Primary Slave or any other IDE interface it simply wont resume and goes to Kernel Panic - Not Syncing. Attempted to kill Init.

Why so?!?! That is not the case with other operating systems. MS Windows for instance simple boots and runs gracefully from whichever IDE interface you run it from!!

Any idea or workaround the problem!!?!??

Thanks

[Kernel_Killer]

Depending on your bootloader, you need to set it to go to the correct drive. When it was a primary drive, the drive was considered /dev/hda1. When you switched it to a slave (secondary), it saw it as /dev/hda2, but the bootloader is trying to boot hda1. Simply make it a primary again, boot off it, and change the bootloader settings to the drive it will be when its a slave. Since I don't know the distro, I can't tell you what bootloader you are using. Second, some will allow you to use both GRUB and LILO bootloaders, so it knowing which one would also help.

[camelrider]

I beleive you'll find that the Primary Slave will be /dev/hdb1 or /dev/sdb1.

[Kernel_Killer]

I should use BSD less (not really). Camelrider is correct.

[Pleiades]

Wouldn't one also need to change mount points in /etc/fstab?

[Schotty]

Wouldn't one also need to change mount points in /etc/fstab?

Yes, unless everything is labelled, which is unlikely. Especiall with regards to swap and procfs and soforth.

[debianfoo]

..learnt that Linux goes to Kernel Panic once the boot device/hard-drive device name changes....
I moved the Linux drive from Primary Master to Primary Slave
Why so?!?! That is not the case with other operating systems. MS Windows for instance ........

... oh oh oh!!! MSWin needs its ntldr and the like or it will not boot!

You should take a look at the linux boot sequence: http://www.linuxhomenetworking.com/w...x_Boot_Process

linux boot files: /boot/grub/menu.lst or grub.conf (fedora) give the location on the drives hda1 or hdb1 or else and their files necessary to start the system

example of a menu.lst file :
title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.18-5-686
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.18-5-686 root=/dev/hda3 ro
initrd /initrd.img-2.6.18-5-686
savedefault

so if you changed the drives location from primary to secondary/ or master to slave you should also change hd0,1 as well as hda3
in this example:
/ is on hda3 (primary master partition 3) ------ or hd0,2
/dev/hda3 /

while /boot is on hda2 (primary master partition 2) that's also hd0,1 [since the hd0 is the pri.master drive and we start counting the partitions from 0, while hda or hdb are the drives seen by the system (volumes) and we count the partitions from 1)
/dev/hda2 /boot ------- hd0,1

also, you need to take a look at the /etc/fstab and edit it to reflect your new position of drive/system files.

# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
/dev/hda3 / ext3 defaults,errors=remount-ro 0 1
/dev/hda2 /boot ext3 defaults 0 2
/dev/hda5 /usr ext3 defaults 0 2

Now you see Linux had some good reason not to be happy...

I'd like to say that I don't agree that arrogance breeds ignorance, as for what I've observed, it's rather ignorance which breeds arrogance.
Anyway, I still agree that both of them met in one person are a real pain!