I'm using slackware 10.2 with the 2.4.31 kernel & trying to compile the 2.6.13 kernel and I keep getting this message when I try boot using my new kernel:

VFS: Cannot open root device "806" or unknown-blocks (8'6) Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel Panic - not syncing :VFS:Unable to mount root fs on known blocks (8,6)

Any feedback is appreciated
Thanks in advance

Did you built the file system support for your / partiton as a module ? If you did ... well, you shouldn't, it has to be included in the kernel. Did you copied the right resulting bzImage to /boot (like let's say while you still are in the kernel source directory: cp arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/new and added the correct lines to your /etc/lilo.conf & then issue the 'lilo' command ? Oh, and what commands did you use to compile the kernel ? for 2.6 I do: make mrproper && make menuconfig ( i then carefully choose support for all I need ) exit and save my config then make && make modules_install when everything is ready I do cp arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.? && ln -sv /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.? /boot/new , open lilo.conf in my favorite editor and add the new kernel, smth like: where /dev/hdc1 is your / (slackware) partiton. Hope this helps.

I used this kernel compile guide http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=127095


And I'm pretty sure I didn't build my filesystem as a module

Thanks for the reply nykey

if you did make oldconfig from 2.4 to 2.6 as the guide you say, that could be the problem. Mostly i follow shilo's guide http://shilo.is-a-geek.com/kernel14.html and Alien Bob's http://www.slackware.com/~alien/dokuwiki/doku.php
If you want a quick fix try "Updating the kernel" (bottom): http://www.madpenguin.org/cms/?m=show&id=4723
Check README.initrd in /boot
good luck

Thanks mannyslack


Since my last post I reinstalled & then rebuilt the kernel once again and this time it worked!!

My first successful kernel compile. I'm happy

Great!
nice to hear it