This laptop currently has
hda1 - windows 2000 2 Gigs
hda4 - linux system 1 Gig

The linux system uses kernel-2.6.22.6, uClibc-0.9.29 & gcc-4.1.2, and
was compiled on a box here with a uname hack, as the laptop has a
pentium-233 only. Then it was copied on with a usb stick (which the bios
won't boot from, of course) I do have floppy, but no networking or
cdrom. Booting is currently from a grub floppy.

The kernel on hda4 boots, finds things and gets this far

kjournald starting. Commit interval 5 seconds
EXT3-fs: mounted filesystem with ordered data mode
VFS: mounted root (ext3 filesystem) readonly
Freeing unused kernel memory: <so much> freed

But I never get to this

EXT3 FS on hda4, internal journal

which is the next line on a good boot. Instead the kernel folds it's
arms, the disk goes quiet, no error shows, and everything sits back. USB
devices will register & deregister, but booting stops and even
init=/bin/bash won't happen

I have tried several kernels. The chipset, btw is the Intel 82371
Southbridge and Intel 82439 Northbridge. The hard disk is 6282/16/63 or
721/128/63, but if I try the kernel's old driver with lba & large disk access, it also reads and boots the kernel (Up above cylinder 4000), and then complains (At the same point as the others) that it can only handle 16 heads, and we appear to have 128! Disable lba & large disk access for
the old driver, (There's real health warnings on that!) and the old
driver behaves in an identical fashion to the new.

This makes me think grub is handing over to the kernel driver, but I
just don't know. We're on 'fast PIO 4' because any faster settings (3 weirdo dma options) seem to barf

Any insight would be helpful.

Thanks

Business.kid