I recently bought a new sony vaio and am in the process of installing debian as I have with my IBM laptop. Only I have not luck in compiling a kernel for it. I have searched and no one seems to have had a problem. The default kernel works with it and I can even get into X on the default kernel. I keep getting a kernel panic.
VFS: Cannot open root device "fe00" or unknown-block(254,0)
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(254,0)

I have tried to compile different kernels. I have tried using lilo and grub. I am out of ideas on why this does not work.

Welcome to LQ!

The most common cause of kernel panic is that you don't have support
for your / (root) filesystem, or your hard drive's controller, built into (Y)
you kernel. These cannot be modules (M) unless you also install an
initial ram disk image (initrd).

This Kernel Rebuild Guide is a good read.

I am still having problems with this. I have read and tried everything but I still get the same error.
0000:00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile Memory Controller Hub (rev 03)
0000:00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Mobile PCI Express Graphics Port (rev 03)
0000:00:1b.0 0403: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) High Definition Audio Controller (rev 02)
0000:00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 1 (rev 02)
0000:00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 2 (rev 02)
0000:00:1c.2 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 3 (rev 02)
0000:00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) PCI Express Port 4 (rev 02)
0000:00:1d.0 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #1 (rev 02)
0000:00:1d.1 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #2 (rev 02)
0000:00:1d.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #3 (rev 02)
0000:00:1d.3 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB UHCI #4 (rev 02)
0000:00:1d.7 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) USB2 EHCI Controller (rev 02)
0000:00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 Mobile PCI Bridge (rev e2)
0000:00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82801GBM (ICH7-M) LPC Interface Bridge (rev 02)
0000:00:1f.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) IDE Controller (rev 02)
0000:00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82801GBM/GHM (ICH7 Family) Serial ATA Storage Controllers cc=IDE (rev 02)
0000:00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 82801G (ICH7 Family) SMBus Controller (rev 02)
0000:01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation: Unknown device 01d8 (rev a1)
0000:06:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation: Unknown device 4222 (rev 02)
0000:07:00.0 Ethernet controller: Marvell Technology Group Ltd. 88E8036 Fast Ethernet Controller (rev 15)
0000:09:04.0 CardBus bridge: Texas Instruments: Unknown device 8039
0000:09:04.1 FireWire (IEEE 1394): Texas Instruments: Unknown device 803a
0000:09:04.2 Mass storage controller: Texas Instruments: Unknown device 803b
is my lspci
Can someone help me with what to put in the kernel conf for the serial ata controllers? Maybe I am doing something wrong.

nvm sorry i figured it out.

Originally posted by KNx2
Would you please post what you did to solve the kernel panic problem,
so that someone else who searches and finds this thread will learn?

Thanks,
Bruce

BTW: From you pci.ids that looks like a nice laptop. :-)