(Answer) (Category) Linux on PowerPC FAQ-O-Matic : (Category) Booting Trouble :
Just Installed LinuxPPC but won't boot. Says "Unable to open intial console" What is this?
I am having a similar problem.. The end of the error string tells me to try using "init=" in the "more kernel arguments" box at bootx.. This is a fresh install after I killed the first kernel when I messed up putting in the Rage 128 and USB drivers.. I have totaly repartitioned and reformatted, but still no go...
silverfox@jersey.net
Just to let you know, I had the same problem on my Performa 6400. Here is how I achieved the problem. I ran out of disk space, so I went through with gnorpm and deleted a bunch of packages (including gnome). When I rebooted, I couldn't get into X or KDE so I reinstalled. That's when the error occured. I'm still trying to cope. I re-re-installed, it's still not working.. argh!
private_flipper@email.com
I cleared the problem up...I had to redownload all of the "software" folder execpt for the RPMS and reinstalled LinuxPPC and it worked!
solen@macconnect.com
This is the solution, found in
http://www.linuxppc.com/updates/local-hd-install.shtml

----------------------------------------------------------------------
June 22, 1999: Attempt to install from local hard disk fails with error "unable to open initial console"

Abstract: It is possible to install Linux from an HFS hard drive. However, this often fails, yielding the error "unable to open initial console".

Cause: Incorrectly structured files on hard disk. Insufficient documentation on local hard disk installation aggravated the problem.

Solution: Create a folder called "install" at the root level of your hard drive, and copy the /software/RedHat/maps folder to it. You should end up with a folder called "maps" inside of "install", with the files build.master, install.master, order.master, and sort.master inside of it. These files tell the installer what order to install RPMS in. If some RPMS aren't installed before others, parts of the installation can fail without the installer informing the user. The installer was looking inside of install/maps for the map files during a local install (like it would for a FTP or HTTP install), whereas it should have been looking inside of software/RedHat/maps. Taking the steps above puts the files where the installer is looking for them.

Tremendous thanks to Wesley Joe and Robert Shaw.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- Armin Sauer
sauer@snafu.de, conrad_hirano@yahoo.com

This is bogus, it occurs even via an http install with the RH installer
(ie, not the live fs install) and the "fix" posted to linuxppc.com and the 
faq-o-matic does not solve this problem.

-Noah
nwhite@silverbacktech.com
I was able to get an install from the hard drive to work by only installing the default packages. When I downloaded, I was sure to get all the "required" RPMS. However, when I try to install other things, I get the "no init found" problem. I haven't narrowed it down to which "things", but I suspect I haven't downloaded all the necessary compnonents for some packages.
buddy@effingham.net
I had the same problem and solved it with the boot parameters
init=/dev/hda12 root=/dev/hda12
where /dev/hda12 is my root (/) partition containing /dev/tty1.
To do so i entered the line
append="init=/dev/hda12 root=/dev/hda12"
to my yaboot file.
<a href="http://mp3.com/djo" target="_blank">mp3.com/djo</a>
djo@music.ch
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