When booting:
VFS: Cannot open root device "hda10" or unknow-block(0,0)
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic:VFS:Unable to mount root fs on unknow-block(0,0)

Below is my gentoo / and /boot:
Paradise:/home/felix# df -hT
/dev/hda10
reiserfs 4.5G 937M 3.6G 21% /mnt/gentoo
/dev/hda7 ext3 99M 23M 72M 24% /mnt/gentoo/boot

I did include reiserfs in the kernel:
Paradise:/home/felix# chroot /mnt/gentoo/ /bin/bash
Paradise:/# cat /boot/config-2.6.7-gentoo-r6 |grep REISER
CONFIG_REISERFS_FS=y
# CONFIG_REISERFS_CHECK is not set
# CONFIG_REISERFS_PROC_INFO is not set
# CONFIG_REISERFS_FS_XATTR is not set

The other kernel images in /dev/hda7 can boot but the gentoo one:
Paradise:/home/felix# cat /mnt/rh/etc/grub.conf
......
title Gentoo Linux (2.6.7-gentoo-r6)
root (hd0,6)
kernel /kernel-2.6.7-gentoo-r6 root=/dev/hda10
title Debian GNU/Linux (2.6.6-2-k7)
root (hd0,6)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.6-2-k7 ro root=/dev/hda5
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.6-2-k7

I wish i can get help out of you. Thanks a lot!

if you have'nt tweaked the gentoo2.6.7-r6 kernel config too much....
when grub appears...choose the gentoo kernel you are having trouble with then press 'e' to edit that line

kernel /kernel-2.6.7-gentoo-r6 root=/dev/ram0 real_root=/dev/hde10 init=/linuxrc

(and if you have framebuffer for those smaller bootup/console fonts) then also add vga=0x317 to the end of that line

press enter after you have added this stuff and then press b to boot

*if* it works..the you can edit your grub.conf file

also check you compiled ext3 into the kernel as well....

I'm assuming you used genkernel here....

I did not use the genkernel and i did tweak the kernel very much. EXT3 is included:
Paradise:/# cat /boot/config-2.6.7-gentoo-r6 | grep EXT
CONFIG_SERIAL_8250_EXTENDED=y
CONFIG_SND_GUSEXTREME=m
CONFIG_EXT2_FS=y
# CONFIG_EXT2_FS_XATTR is not set
CONFIG_EXT3_FS=y
# CONFIG_EXT3_FS_XATTR is not set

Any ideas?

I did not use the genkernel and i did tweak the kernel very much. EXT3 is included:
Paradise:/# cat /boot/config-2.6.7-gentoo-r6 | grep EXT
CONFIG_SERIAL_8250_EXTENDED=y
CONFIG_SND_GUSEXTREME=m
CONFIG_EXT2_FS=y
# CONFIG_EXT2_FS_XATTR is not set
CONFIG_EXT3_FS=y
# CONFIG_EXT3_FS_XATTR is not set

Any ideas?

under 'filesystems' somewhere,(pseudo filesystems?) is a reference to the /dev files system and also, beneath that, 'automatically mount at boot'.
Are these compiled in?

Below is my gentoo / and /boot:
Paradise:/home/felix# df -hT
/dev/hda10
reiserfs 4.5G 937M 3.6G 21% /mnt/gentoo
/dev/hda7 ext3 99M 23M 72M 24% /mnt/gentoo/boot


so, /dev/hda10 = /

/dev/hda7 = /boot

ur grub conf:

title Gentoo Linux (2.6.7-gentoo-r6)
root (hd0,6)
kernel /kernel-2.6.7-gentoo-r6 root=/dev/hda10
title Debian GNU/Linux (2.6.6-2-k7)
root (hd0,6)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.6-2-k7 ro root=/dev/hda5
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.6-2-k7


its wrong, for gentoo it should be

title Gentoo Linux (2.6.7-gentoo-r6)
root (hd0,6)
kernel /boot/kernel-2.6.7-gentoo-r6 root=/dev/hda10

have fun :-)

My gentoo handbood is from a gentoo-install-x86-minimal-2004.1.iso. It lists:
File systems --->[*] Virtual memory file system support (former shm fs)[*] /proc file system support[*] /dev file system support (EXPERIMENTAL)[*] Automatically mount at boot

My gentoo handbood is from a gentoo-install-x86-minimal-2004.1.iso. It lists:
File systems --->[*] Virtual memory file system support (former shm fs)[*] /proc file system support[*] /dev file system support (EXPERIMENTAL)[*] Automatically mount at boot

But my 2.6.7 kernel's menuconfig says:
/dev file system support (OBSOLETE)
Who is right? Why are they not the same? I choose the menuconfig not the handbook(hb_part1_chap7.html). I ingore the /dev fs and of coz its auto mount. Now i include them and is making && making modules_install.

sorry, equinox. For my Debian, I have the same kernel files in both the root partition and boot partition. So
title Debian GNU/Linux (2.6.6-2-k7)
root (hd0,6)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.6-2-k7 ro root=/dev/hda5
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.6-2-k7
should be /vmlinuz... and /initrd.... in order not to be confusing.

Though i added /dev fs and automount of it, it is still unbootable.
This is my first time tweaking a kernel. I find most of the modules are unnecessary, aren't they? Like ISDL, Telephony, Camera, etc., many are meaningless to me. I excluded many of them. Maybe that's the result my gentoo cannot boot. I am now using its default state and making the kernel and modules. It will be time-consuming. I wish i am luck enough.

im having the same problem unable to mount root fs under gentoo amd64 with 2.6.7 custom kern, and i have compiled in proper fs support and the /dev even though it said obselete but said in the handkbook to do so and all the other options it says to compile in so i have no idea why im having this problem either

If you haven't successfully compiled a kernel before, you should use genkernel to get a working system at first. You can then always start practising compiling/configuring later on. Or you could take a config from another distro. I used to use slackwares 2.6.7 default config as a "base", then just made some small changes.

edit: to dmx9595: yes, this post is for the guy who started this thread, not you

I assume your talking to him ive compiled a kern many times
btw the problem and solution is probably this http://kerneltrap.org/node/view/1955...ts_per_page=35 check it out