i think it might be i downloaded the wrong sources, thanks for the  
help! however, i still haven't compiled a new kernel, but i will  
asap. thanks!


On Dec 28, 2006, at 9:43 PM, Jon Buller wrote:

> Isaac Wagner-Muns wrote:
>> Hello, I'm running a sun sparcstation 20 and am not able to boot  
>> any  kernel i compile. even when i try to compile the GENERIC  
>> kernel, when  i try to boot the computer, it says something like:
>> cpu0: booting secondary processors:	cpu1
>> Thu Dec. 28 23:29:18 GMT 2006
>> [1]	Bad system call			rcorder -s nosta...
>> Thu Dec. 28 23:29:18 GMT 2006
>> Dec 28 23:29:19	init:	kernel security level changed from 0 to 1
>> Dec 28 23:29:19	init:	can't exec getty '/usr/libexec/getty' for  
>> port / dev/consoy
>> the last line then just keeps repeating. when i try to boot off  
>> the  origionally installed kernel, the system functions fine.  
>> What's  wrong? Any help would be great.
>
> What set of libraries, utilities, etc. (user-land code) is on your
> system, and what kernel sources are you using to build? My first guess
> would be that your userland is newer than your kernel, or your kernel
> does not have the correct "options COMPAT_" line(s) in the config  
> file.
>
> I've gotten burned like that a few times by upgrading the userland and
> forgetting to install a new kernel first. It can get a bit interesting
> quickly after that. The new userland (think libc) uses system calls  
> that
> the old kernel does not support, so there is very little that you can
> get done until you fix it. And many of the tools you would want to use
> to fix it are not available either.
>
> Since you claim to have also tried a GENERIC kernel (which has all the
> COMPAT_ options turned on) My best guess without more information  
> would
> be that you have installed a -current system, and are now trying to  
> run
> it with a -3 kernel or something like that. Another possibility is  
> that
> you only think you are booting the kernel you thought you were, and  
> are
> actually running something else. Watch the first few lines of the boot
> messages telling you which kernel version, build, etc. you are  
> running.
>
> Jon



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