I'm new to Linux and am trying to install Redhat 9 on my WD Raptor (a Serial ata drive). I have a D865PERL mobo from Intel (ICH5 serial ata controler). I have booted into legacy mode, and installed Redhat. I complied the 2.4.22 kernel from the source. When ever I attempt to boot the drive in legacy or enhanced mode (enhanced enables serial ata) i get the same error:

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

I can boot Redhat in legacy mode with the stock kernel 2.4.20-8 with the "root=LABEL=/". Is this a kernel problem and i need to recompile? or is this a arguement problem with "root="? or am i totally wrong? If you know of any way i could test the 2.4.22 kernel i complied to make sure it's working that would be helpful, or if you could tell me straight up how to fix it...that works too.

Thanx in advance for the help,
Lavabomb

Does it properly detect your drives? ie do you see them in kernel debug messages
Have you created an initrd?

Ya it reads the WD Raptor as hdc when in legacy or hde when in enhanced, and i can see it load the ICH5 drivers too. I have NO clue wtf is goin on, aka: Newbie

Thanx for the suggestion

PS: it does have an initrd

You need compile the module for your IDE controller as a module, if you compiled it inside the kernel the initrd wont work(or should I say is not necessary)
Try manually editing the /etc/fstab and the root= option in /boot/grub/grub.conf so that it points to hdc or hde, if this works then maybe you compiled it inside the kernel. Make sure you have a bootable redhat(or something like knoppix) CD handy so if by chance something stuffs up you can undo the changes.

I tried to point it at "root=/dev/hde" when it was in enhanced, no luck there, so i'll try the module stuff and get back tomorrow. Thnx again

Did you update /etc/fstab?

<- true newbie, I didn't know i had to edit the /etc/fstab. I just edited the "root=" in Grub before i booted it

btw, what would i have to change in /etc/fstab?

a typical entry for a root filesystem without usnig LABELs looks like this:

/dev/hda1 / ext3 defaults 1 1

Ya, i changed it to that...or something like it, i guess i did somethin wrong cause it's not bootin up. I tried to edit the /etc/fstab with knoppix but couldn't figure out how to enable writing privilages. I think i'm just gonna reinstall to save me the trouble and try to recomple the kernel with ide as a module like you suggested.

and i think i just did /dev/hda, no 1 for the partition, Oops.

You probably need to umount it then remount it with readwrite option in Knoppix
something like:
su

umount /dev/hda1

mount -t ext3 -o rw /dev/hda1 /mnt/some/mountpoint

here is how my files look like (on gentoo):

fstab:
# NOTE: If your BOOT partition is ReiserFS, add the notail option to opts.
/dev/hda1 /boot ext2 noauto,noatime 1 1
/dev/hda3 / ext3 noatime 0 0
/dev/hda2 none swap sw 0 0
/dev/hdb1 /home ext3 noatime 0 0
/dev/hdb2 /home/httpd ext3 noatime 0 0
/dev/hdb3 /var/lib/mysql ext3 noatime 0 0
/dev/cdroms/cdrom0 /mnt/cdrom iso9660 noauto,ro 0 0
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0

grub.conf:

default 0
timeout 10
splashimage=(hd0,0)/boot/grub/splash.xpm.gz

title gentoo
root (hd0,0)
kernel (hd0,0)/boot/bzImage root=/dev/hda3

title gentoo new
root (hd0,0)
kernel (hd0,0)/boot/bzImage.new root=/dev/hda3

Hope this helps.

EDIT******************
Almost forgot here is lilo.conf from a different system:

prompt
timeout=50
default=linux
boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
message=/boot/message
linear

image=/boot/vmlinuz
label=linux
read-only

image=/boot/vmlinuz.old
label=old
read-only

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.20-8
label=redhat
initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.20-8.img
read-only
append="root=LABEL=/"

I got impatient and reinstalled Redhat.
I recompiled the kernel and edited the grub config and /etc/fstab.
I haven't tried enhanced mode yet but it does boot with the kernel i compiled, but my mouse won't work...if it's not one thing it's another....

You have any ideas how to get my mouse to work? (It's a 3 button USB optical with a scroll wheel)

Thanx again
You guys have really helped

It boots in legacy mode mode just fine. I think should have clerified that