[sf-lug] rescue disk for thinkpad 1400

[Rick Moen]

Quoting Alex Kleider (a_kleider at yahoo.com):

> I've been struggling trying to get a rescue or maintenance CD to boot
> on the ThinkPad without much success.  DamnSmallLinux's fdisk command
> doesn't work as I've already described to you.  Sidux (your favourite)
> tells me: PANIC: CPU too old for this kernel. 

I gather that you'll need a boot kernel with i386/i486/i586 (pick one)
optimisation, and that the Sidux default kernel has i686 optimisation.
This is a problem you're likely to face increasingly, I'm afraid.

> Since it's a 2.6 kernel I began searching for rescue CD's with a 2.4
> kernel:

No, that's not it.  It's CPU optimisation.  Your ThinkPad's CPU is
pre-Pentium Pro (686).

> Do you think this problem will go away with more memeory?

No.  A _different_ problem will go away with more memory.  ;->

> If the 2.6 kernel really won't work with this processor perhaps I'm
> fighting a losing battle.

You've diagnosed your problem incorrectly.

i686-compiled kernels aren't going to run on a machine that old.
(You'd be facing the same problem if you had a K6 CPU, by the way.)

Either a 2.6 or 2.4 kernel will work if compile for the i586 instruction
set.  Neither will work if compiled for the i686 instruction set.  See
also:  http://sidux.com/PNphpBB2-viewtopic-t-1599.html