Slackware 10.1 installs on option LILO. FC3 installs on option GRUB. I am using GRUB 0.95 to boot my various W98 and Linux systems.

For Slackware 10.1 and FC3, I am using the following GRUB directives. I wish to know if the ones for Slack are complete, as I developed them by trial and error. Those for FC3 are complete, as they were generated by the FC3 install process:

title Slack 10.1 (2.4.29)
root (hd0,8)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-ide-2.4.29 ro root=/dev/hda9
initrd /root/.xinitrc
title Fedora Core 3 (2.6.9-1.667)
root (hd0,10)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.9-1.667 ro root=LABEL=/ rhgb quiet
initrd /initrd-2.6.9-1.667.img

Slackware by default, doesnt have an initrd.
The file you are telling (/root/.xiniitrc) is the file which selects the desktop to be loaded when you type startx.
So, in the grub.conf file, you don't need the initrd line for the slack.

I definitely need an "init=" parameter somewhere, else the Slack boot bombs. The error messages I got before adding the initrd directive were:

Warning: unable to open an initial console.
Kernel panic: No init found. Try passing init= option to kernel.

What message did you get when you had the line initrd?

No error with the initrd directive.

As far I can determine, with the initrd directive, the system boots correctly. I at least get the darkstar login prompt and can login as root.

I just find it incredible that I would have stumbled upon the solution all by myself. I still feel I may be missing something.

As far as I know, .xinitrc is the file which stores the scripts necessary to start the default desktop of the user.
I don't know how can this file be the initial ram disk.
I think there is an option like noinitrd in the grub. Try it if it is available(I'm not sure).

s_deepak,

You were correct. By appending a 'noinitrd' flag at the end of the kernel directive, the Slack boot worked as it should. More specifically, my GRUB directives became:

title Slack10.1
root (hd0,8)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-ide-2.4.29 ro root=/dev/hda9 noinitrd