Seems like small lilo config problem...maybe more
 

Ok, I went 100% Linux a few months ago and I want to compile and use a kernel.

Right now I'm using 2.4.22-xfs that came with the hard drive install of Knoppix.

I downloaded 2.6.5-1. Everything compiles cleanly kernel, modules, etc.
mkinitrd seems to work as it should

the new files I have in /boot are:
bzImage-2.6.5-1
initrd-2.6.5-1.img
System.Map-2.5.6-1

and here is a clip of lilo.conf:
image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.22-xfs
label=Linux
initrd=/boot/initrd.gz
read-only
# restricted
# alias=1

image=/boot/bzImage-2.6.5-1
label=Linux2.6
initrd=/boot/initrd-2.6.5-1.img
read-only
# restricted
# alias=1

I noticed initrd.gz is only in the 160k's and initrd-2.6.5-1.img weighs in over 2.5 megs. Might this be it? Gzip the initrd-2.6.5-1.img?

I'm obviously missing something because when i chouse Linux2.6 at the prompt
1. It takes much longer than usual to reach the BIOS check successful
2. after that....nothing

Any help would be great appreciated.

/devnul73

mkinird by default creates a zipped image file unless you specifically tell it not to (read the man page). If you have installed linux on the harddrive and no longer booting from the cd then you don't really need the initrd image anymore. You are also switching from a 2.4 kernel to a 2.6 kernel which means most likely you will have to update a bunch of other important packages too. There are many documents online explaining what is needed for updating a 2.4 to a 2.6 kernel. So just search around. Or you can read the documents in the kernel source tree in the Documentation directory.

I assume I did need an initrd because i have reiserfs as a module, let me know about this....

As for mkinitrd I did not pass in any other options, so I dunno what's up here...

as for the software i referenced this http://www.digitalhermit.com/~kwan/kernel.html
and I'm good on that front.

please please please :)