okay I've compiled my kernel and it seems to work. I'm booting with

boot hd:0 /boot/kernel-2.6.13 root=/dev/hda1

I get the following back.

VFS: Cannot open root device "hda1" or unknown-block(3,1)
please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(3,1)

Any help would be greatly appreciated

--Geekboy
aka Mithalas

Are you sure your root partition is /dev/hda1 and not /dev/hda3? Hda1 is usually /boot unless you are not using a separate boot partition.

_________________
--Aaron
Gentoo 2006.1
Kernel-2.6.17-no4

I'm positive. Here is my partition layout
/ is on hda1
/usr is on hdb1

hda
1 = ext3
2 = swap

hdb
1 = ext3

Are you sure you have ext3 built into your kernel and it is not a module?

What does your fstab look like?

_________________
--Aaron
Gentoo 2006.1
Kernel-2.6.17-no4

ext3 is built in my only module is the floppy drive. I'll validate my fstab tonight.

/dev/hda1 / ext3 noauto,noatime 0 1
/dev/hda2 none swap sw 0 0
...
some cdroms listed and tmpfs

if you have a rdb partition scheme you must compile the ability to read it into the kernel.

I'm glad you figured it out.

Does your root partition actuall mount? Noauto in your fstab should tell / not to mount--unless the fact that it is your root partition overrides noauto. I'm just curious.

_________________
--Aaron
Gentoo 2006.1
Kernel-2.6.17-no4

Yeah since it is the root partition that get overridden. I had a problem with my /usr because of that and didn't realize. The wonderful people in irc helped find my issues and showed me the erros of my ways.

Geekboy