Resolving Kernel Panic Errors in Linux | Notion

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16wQC8o6HqR8cKRsuDEp7DF2cOJcWLzeq/view?usp=sharing

1. Understanding Kernel Panic Causes

Common Triggers

Missing/corrupted initramfs: Critical drivers not loaded at boot
GRUB configuration issues: Bootloader can't find kernel
Corrupted kernel image: vmlinuz file damaged
Filesystem errors: Root filesystem inaccessible

⚠️ Critical Insight:

initramfs contains essential drivers needed to mount the root filesystem.

Without it → "Unable to mount root filesystem" kernel panic.

2. Boot Process Overview

Key Files in `/boot`

File	Purpose
`vmlinuz-*`	Compressed kernel image
`initramfs-*.img`	Initial RAM filesystem (drivers/modules)
`grub2/grub.cfg`	GRUB bootloader configuration
`config-*`	Kernel build configuration

Boot Sequence

BIOS/UEFI → GRUB bootloader
GRUB loads vmlinuz + initramfs
initramfs loads drivers → mounts root filesystem
System hands off to /sbin/init

3. Fixing Missing/Corrupted initramfs