Configuring the debian kernels for the first time is a PITA. You may need to configure /etc/mkinitrd/modules. And then you need to recreate the initrd.

First off, lets configure /etc/mkinitrd/modules. It needs to list all the modules for accessing your root filesystem. So, you'll need to load modules for your filesystem and some for your hard disk.

For example, my one box with ext3 and a scsi disk has:

jbd
ext3
scsi_mod
sd_mod
sym53c8xx

For ext3 and and an ide disk, you should need:

jbd
ext3
ide-mod
ide-disk


Then, you need to rerun mkinitrd. run "mkinitrd -o INITRD_FILE_NAME /lib/modules/KERNEL_VERSION". e.g. For my 2.4.20-k6 kernel, I run "mkinitrd -o /boot/initrd.img-2.4.20-k6 /lib/modules/2.4.20-k6"

Last of all, when you set up grub or lilo, make sure you have the kernel parameter root=ROOT_DEV set. If you don't set it's root dev, it'll try and use /dev/ram0 as root IIRC.

Wasn't that fun?

David "LordBeatnik"