New kernel won't boot
 

I've just tried installing a 2.6 kernel (previously using 2.4). It is the first time I have tried this and I used the kernel-package program using the instructions on this page - http://www.desktop-linux.net/debkernel.htm
Everything seemed to go fine and I didn't get any errors. I used xconfig and edited lilo.conf after installing but when I reboot I get the lilo menu but when I select the new kernel it says booting with the white dots then my monitor starts clicking as if it's going to reboot and everything goes black.
I am dual (triple) booting with 2.4 kernel, 2.6 kernel and Windows XP. The 2.4 kernel and Windows XP are still booting fine with no problems.
The only thing I have noticed is that in my lilo.conf, the entries for the 2.4 kernel include a path to an initrd image but there isn't one for 2.6 and I can't find this image anywhere in the boot directory or the 2.6 source directory. Could this be causing the problem or have I just totally mucked up somewhere?

after editing the lilo.conf file, did you run lilo?
You can boot to the older kernel i'm guessing, so do that and run lilo, if there is a problem in the conf file, it will tell you.

The other thing, i can think of in this is that you did everything right, but didn't include VGA mode changing in the new kernel you made (or didn't include a vesa driver), in which case, you have a line in the /etc/lilo.conf file saying vga=somethingorother, change that line to vga=normal (there should be a remmed line there that says something to that effect, i'm not 100% sure what it is, 99% sure it should be vga=normal).

If this is the problem, you'll need to look throught the kernel configuration, and enable resolution changes, and because i'm not working on a linux box i can't tell you the option.

I'm guessing it's one of the two, in which case, vga=normal, plus running lilo should make it all good.

What error messages do you get?

I didn't get any error messages, just a blank screen.
I double checked and ran lilo again and changed the vga to normal but the new kernel still wouldn't boot and after changing vga neither would my old kernel.
Fortunately, I had an old boot floppy so I can still boot into 2.4
I have checked the kernel configuration and everything seems ok and it should boot with vga as it was (791)
Just some extra info which may help you to help me.
I'm using 2 hard drives, Windows XP on the first, which is set as active and Linux on the second and I am using a Knoppix hard drive install so I am assuming one of these could be behind my problem.
This is how my lilo .conf looks, it was originally set up by the Knoppix install and I added the entry for the new kernel -

According to the website you need this:

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.6.8
label-Linux-2.6.8
root=/dev/hdb1
vga=791

You are missing the root= option.

Tried that, still no luck:(

Are you using the same options you used to compile the 2.4 kernel?

No, I have been thinking about that.
I did it from scratch so I have tried copying over the 2.4 config and have started from scratch. When I started xconfig this time I noticed it was very very different to how I had configured it before so when it finishes compiling I'll hopefully have more luck.

Nope. Still getting the same thing. Looks like I'm stuck with the 2.4 kernel.

I'd investigate the initrd more fully. I haven't yet been able to acertain what it does, but I think some kernels are compiled to need it and others aren't.

whoops i misread that, you tried this ... hmmm

just re-reading your config file, you have two vga lines in there ... remove the second one (the kernel specific one, and change the other to normal) ... have a linux rescue disk normal so you can re-boot the system and change it back if need be ...

original post (before re-reading stuff, which i hope is not completely useless :) )
change the vga=791 to vga=normal, run lilo, reboot

vga=791 means you are running in a vesa framebuffer console with 1024x768 at 64k (so ... 16 bit?) ... UNLESS you compiled in a vesa driver, framebuffer support and console resolution changing 791 is going to give you a couple of mode change flashes followed by darkness (which sounds exactly like what you are saying ...)

slackware's lilo.conf comment on vga=791:
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
# vga=791

Initrd stands for "Initial RamDisk". It is used when you have to load modules at boot which are not compiled into the kernel. For example, I use a Promise RAID controller with Promise drivers which are not compiled into the kernel. So I have to create an initial ramdisk which contains this driver (and some scsi drivers) to be able to communicate with my harddisks and load the kernel.

I definitely compiled support for a vesa driver and framebuffer support but I don't remember anything about console resolution changing so that could certainly be causing a problem but I tried removing the the vga=791 as you said and changing the main one to vga=normal the same thing happens.
As things stand, I originally used a 2.6 kernel source from a magazine cover disk and I read somewhere that it is better to use a Debian specific one so I got a new one via apt-get. I have compile this one twice, first with a configuration I did myself and the second time I used my 2.4 configuration (which all hardware and everything is working fine with) and didn't change anything when I ran xconfig, just saved it as it was but I'm still not getting anywhere. I tried making an initrd image but that didn't help either.

I have now tried deleting all traces I can find of the 2.6 kernel and started again but when I try to make xconfig or menuconfig I'm getting this error - Does this mean I've left some trace of the kernel I compiled or maybe I deleted something I shouldn't have? Have I totally screwed up now?

I noticed in you lilo.conf that you are appending hdb=scsi to your 2.4 image. Perhaps this option is not included in your kernel configuration file which you also used for 2.6. That would be critical considering that your root partition is /dev/hdb1. Either append the same options you have for 2.4 to 2.6, or configure them into the 2.6 compile. Your current problem is probably related to this. Since you are trying to compile a kernel with your own installed C compiler, it would make sense if you tried to compile it directly from the source at kernel.org. That way you ensure that it compiles to your system specifically, without any of the more general Debian specifications that may not suit your needs.

Well, unfortunately, I can't try anything now since I've deleted all the 2.6 kernel files and unpacked the sources again and I can't even get make xconfig or anything to work.
I just don't know what's wrong. All I can find about make *config errors is that you should make sure that certain packages are installed and up to date and they all are.