I have just tried to roll my own 2.6.21.5 kernel for my x86_64 machine. I copied over the .config for my Mandriva system (from 2.6.14), and tried to build the new kernel (my old one couldn't see all of the memory I had, and I was also hoping to pick up the jmicron_pata driver, since my ASUS P5B deluxe uses the Jmicron chip).

Unfortunately, when I build and install the kernel, the boot crashes at the point of trying to check for suspend signatures. It complains that it can't read my /dev/sda5.

My guess is that somehow I've gaffed the configuration so that the kernel can't read my SATA drives, but I'm at a bit of a loss for how to proceed. Can anyone offer any suggestions?

Many thanks,

Robert

Libata changed at 2.6.19 - see this thread.
Don't use your old config like that (on this occasion).

Thank you very much. I'm back to being a newbie --- it's been years since I compiled my own kernel --- and it would have taken me forever to stumble on this myself.

Is there a source for a good beginner's configuration for a Dual Core x86_64 machine that one could use as a starting point? I've always just modified my distro's configs; I'm not sure how to just go from zero. Also I'm not sure how the short names like the ones in that thread map to the longer names in xconfig.

Thanks again; I'm sure you saved me a ton of time. It's hard to keyword search for this particular query because SATA config and kernel are such commonly used phrases...

Try this: copy the old config, but then run "make menuconfig" and manually set "Device Drivers->Serial ATA (etc)" to enable the controller you have for your SATA drive. I can't help you with the compile and install for Mandrake, though.

Hm. This is for an ASUS P5B deluxe, which I believe has a JMicron chipset, but I still get this problem. Should I turn on JMB36x as well?

I may well be goofing something up.... Is there another chip there?

About the Southbridge, we read "The Southbridge used on this motherboard is the Intel ICH8R. The ICH8R Southbridge supports ten USB 2.0 ports, six PCI Express x1, Intel Gigabit LAN, Intel AMT, Intel High-Definition Audio, six Serial ATA 2.0 ports, and Intel Matrix Storage technology." But I'm not sure what this translates into for kernel configuration. Under SATA I see "Intel PATA MPIIX support" and "Intel PATA old PIIX support". Should I select one of these? Or is there some other thing I should be using?

Thanks

I think that this is what you want:

CONFIG_ATA_PIIX: │
│ │
│ This option enables support for ICH5/6/7/8 Serial ATA │
│ and support for PATA on the Intel PIIX3/PIIX4/ICH series │
│ PATA host controllers.

It's at Device Drivers->Serial ATA ...->Intel PIIX/ICH SATA Support