hi,
i am trying to recompile my kernel 2.4.21-15.ELsmp
i am inserting generic serial drtiver as a module in make xconfig .but i am getting kernel panic unable to mount root file system.i have done
1. make mrproper 2. make xconfig 3. make dep
4.make clean 5.make bzImage 6.make modules
7. make module_install 8.make install
is it sufficiant or i have to do anything else.
can anyone help me

Well, EL means RHEL, right? RH (and some other) like to compile fs drivers as modules (hopefully they don't do the same with IDE/ATA drivers) and use initrd. The simpliest way to do (as gunzip-ping, uncpio-ing and editing initrd is too much work) is simply go to settings for fs and ide/ata and replace modules by compiled-in.

thanks for your reply
i want detailed explnation .if u have steps to follow .
after doing make install and rebooting

"Kernel panic" is, of course, just a situation where the kernel can't continue.

The phrase "not syncing" means that the panic occurred when the system was not frantically trying to flush unsaved data to disk (before finishing the panic). That's a Good Thing.

"Unable to mount root filesystem" usually means that the 'root=' parameter specified in the kernel command-line (in the boot loader, LILO or Grub) is missing or incorrect. If it is correct, then it may also mean that the correct filesystem driver isn't loaded: it can be compiled into the kernel or it can be loaded by the so-called "initrd" stage.

Messages which precede this one usually give sufficient clues as to the exact cause of the problem.

thanks all i am able to recompile.