Ive tried compiling linux 2.4.29 from the proper kernel.org source and although it compiles on reboot im getting the error during the boot process about unable to find /dev/console then an error PIVOT_ROOT. Kernel panic then attempts to halt init.

Im guessing this is related to the initrd?

Is there a debian kernel patch for 2.4.29 anywhere and if not how can i get rid of this error?

I cant go to 2.6 due to binary drivers for some hardware.

Chances are that make install put your new kernel in / instead of /boot and/or lilo did not configure correctly. What commands did you give to the kernel build after ./configure? e.g. make bzImage, make install, make modules_install? Did you see any error messages when make install was finished?

nz

PS Exactly why can you not use kernel 2.6?

the kernel is in the correct place and added correctly as i can select it from the grub boot menu and its a certain distance into init before it panics.

As its debian i used their method of doing it with make-kpgk --initrd and the dpkg install which updated grub.

No errors during kernel or module compile at all.

Exactly the same process i used for 2.4.27 off debian sources.

As for 2.6, i have binary only drivers for PCI adsl card that are 2.4 kernel only and not 2.6 so i cant switch to 2.6 without breaking that.

Interesting. Does you conf file for grub list the initrd options to pass during boot? Should be under /boot/grub and then the applicable file depending on your version of grub. Some have a grub.conf file if I am not mistaken and the others have a menu.lst file I think...haven't worked with Grub a ton.

I am a bit confused though as you mention you got the kernel sources from kernel.org, but you used dpkg and kpkg. It would seem logical that you would only use those tools if you were installing a kernel the debian way. Which in that case, you wouldn't use the sources from kernel.org. I myself don't run a 2.4 kernel anymore, so it might be you went this route because you could not find the kernel sources you needed through apt. But if you could, and could install the kernel the Debian way using apt, I bet your troubles would go away.

You could, if you wanted, change over to your old kernel source directory and copy the .config file and do a make old.

The menu.lst that grub uses shows the newly made initrd config and correct path etc.

the make-kpgk works with normal sources as well, all it does is combine the normal make options of a kernel compile into an automated script to form a .deb.

dpkg then "installs" by copying it and running grub. Ive used this before and it works - they dont require non-standard debian sources.

Debian APT doesnt seem to provide a 2.4 above 27 otherwise id have used their sources to compile from.

Ive used a known working .config from a 2.4.27 compile ive done and simply added the extra options needed in the .29 but the same error happens.

Reading around returns some info that it seems initrd is causing issues here so im attempting to get a kernel working that doesnt use it to see if that solves it.

At ~4hrs per compile though its time consuming.

Four hours is blistering. Are you sure you need initrd? 99% of the kernels I have compiled in the past, I have not used a initrd.img. I have given in a few times...like on Fedora I have used initrd, but other than that I don't. Guess it all depends on your hardware.

What kind of processor? Just curious.

PII-350

I agree. I have only used an initrd to load a new system with a pre-compiled kernel which doesn't have the modules I've needed in one package. After you compile the new kernel if it works and you are okay. You can investigate what went wrong with your first kernel. Some help at:

http://webpages.charter.net/decibels...PartImage.html
or http://archives.devshed.com/a/ml/200...able-initrdimg

not your specific situation but may give you food for thought.

nz

Quick update but ive got the kernel compiled WITHOUT initrd.

For some reason despite all the needed drivers being there (and config that worked with .27 transplanted) something wasnt right.

I dont really need initrd anyway so i compiled without and it appears to be working.

Now ive established that i can start trimming unneeded stuff out of it.