I am currently running slackware 10.2. I am having a bit of trouble upgrading from kernel 2.4.31 to 2.6.17.9. I have followed many HOWTO's, and tutorials on this subject. I have searched previous threads and forms here at linuxquestions. I still don't have a working 2.6 kernel.
I know that there are many ways to compile a new kernel, so I will explain what I have done so far.
1. I downloaded the source from: http://www.csh.lkams.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/
2. Went to the unpackaged 2.6 directory, did a make menuconfig and applied (to my knowledge) all options applicable to my current setup.
3. Make bzImage
4. make modules, make modules_install
5. I then copied the newly created bzImage to directory /boot/bzImage-2.6. Also copied System.map /boot/System.map-2.6.
6. Edited lilo and ran /sbin/lilo with no errors.
7. Rebooted to new kernel installation.
Ok, everything seems to load fine until I get the error
"VFS: Cannot open root device "802" or unkown-block(8,2)
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(8,2)"

I tryed to install the new kernel a different way also, by making a new directory in /boot called 2.6, editing the Makefile "export INSTALL_pATH ?= /boot", changed to /boot/2.6. Went through all of the steps previously mentioned but with one extra step: make install. I then checked the /boot/2.6 dir to see if the files were coppied and they were. Rebooted to find the same error.
I am not sure if the problem is hardware specific so I will give a brief description of what is in my box
asus a8v Delux motherboard
nvidia geforce 6200 BFG agp 8x
2gig's of kingston ddr400 duel channel
300gig serialATA sata drive
I would like to thank anyone in advance, who might have a solution to my problem or can direct me to a soulition. If there is any additional information you need, to help resolve this problem, please ask.

Apparently you've supplied no, or an incorrect root= option. Maybe you could show us your lilo config?

Here is my current /etc/lilo.config. I forgot to mention in my previous thred that when I did a make install it created a vmlinuz image insted of a bzImage, so I edited lilo accordingly.

#End LILO global section
#Windows bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/sda1 <-------------WORKING
label = Windows
table = /dev/sda
#Windows bootable partition config ends
#Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz <-------------WORKING
root = /dev/sda2
label = Linux
read-only

image = /boot/bzImage-2.6.17.9 <-------------ERROR
root = /dev/sda2
label = Linux-2.6.17.9
read-only

image = /boot/2.6.17.9/bzImage <------------ERROR
root = /dev/sda2
label = Test-2.6.17.9
read-only

image = /boot/2.6.17.9/vmlinuz <-----------ERROR
root = /dev/sda2
label = Test-linuz2.6
read-only
#Linux bootable partition config ends

Hi,

Probably forgot to compile your FS in the kernel? If so you will need to mkinitrd and add it to the stanza in your lilo.conf. README.initrd in the /boot will assist you.

Thank you for your suggestion. I will check the menuconfig and see if I forgot to add reiserfs filesystem option. If so I will mkinitrd and post a reply.