everytime I try to compile a kernel using the source provided by redhat (kernel-source-blah), i compile and boot into it, and where it should load the vfs, it stops right before it, can someone help. Has anyone compiled a rh kernel?

It looks like a problem with your configuration, not the RH kernel. Have you tried orginal kernel (www.kernel.org) to see if you get the same effect?

Hi, im getting the exact same problem running Kernel 2.4.20 from kernel.org.

I get the following error on boot:

VFS: Cannot open root device "LABEL=/" or 00:00
Plase append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 00:00

I used a kernel configuration i found for my laptop (Compaq Presario 700 Series) from here: http://wwwhome.cs.utwente.nl/~berensch/compaq.html

I am using an ext3 file system so i enabled that in the config because it was disabled on the one i downloaded, but thats all ive changed.

my grub.conf looks like this:

title Red Hat Linux (2.4.20)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.20 ro root=LABEL=/ vga=792
initrd /initrd-2.4.20.img

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Tokhra

Your old kernel uses initrd.... Old initrd won't work with new kernel. 'use 'mkinitrd' to create a new one. Or just use a configuration without initrd. With Ext3 support in your kernel it should work.

My /boot directory contents looks like this:

boot.b
chain.b
config-2.4.18-19.8.0
grub
initrd-2.4.18-19.8.0.img
initrd-2.4.20.img
kernel.h
lost+found
message
message.ja
module-info
module-info-2.4.18-19.8.0
os2_d.b
System.map
System.map-2.4.18-19.8.0
System.map-2.4.20
vmlinux-2.4.18-19.8.0
vmlinuz
vmlinuz-2.4.18-19.8.0
vmlinuz-2.4.20

Which has an initrd-2.4.20.img in there created when i compiled the kernel. I also added ext3 support when i compiled it so it should be in there.

Am i missing something else?

P.S. I just deleted my initrd-2.4.20.img and recreated it using mkinitrd like you said and it still does the same thing.

Never mind. Sorted it now, i had to change ro root=LABEL=/ to ro root=/dev/hda3 and it all works fine now.

Try this:
title Red Hat Linux (2.4.20)
root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.20 ro root=/dev/hda2 LABEL=/ vga=792
initrd /initrd-2.4.20.img
(not sure if hda2 is the right value here, modify if it's not).