mobile kernel 2.6.11 panic - not syncing

[xxosix]

hi,
I am trying to sort out some problems with a laptop. Version is 3.3.
I compiled the new kernel as usual, no dpkg stuff.
make menuconfig; make bzImage && make modules
&& make modules_install; make install. Now, I have it dual booting
with grub, plus the old kernel added in menu as backup. The old
kernel (2.4.22-xfs) boots normal, the new kernel hangs with or without an initrd file.
I have compiled 2.6.xx kernels several times, run lspci -v to make
sure the hardware, and the grub pointers are the same for each kernel as far as root device, filesystem are concerned. Here are the errors;

with initrd-2.6.11;
RAMDISK: cramfs filesystem found at block 0
RAMDISKl Loading 1228KiB [1 disk] into ram disk.. done.
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(3,2)

without initrd;
VFS: Cannot open root device "hda2"
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(3,2)

The kernel root= boot option is identical for the old kernel, it loads.
BTW, 2.6.11 hangs for about 20-30 seconds upon IRQ discovery of IDE1 (hdc).

thanks

[aznkwyjibo007]

i would try knoppix 3.7 on your laptop and then customize the kernel....

[xxosix]

I was going to use SimplyMepis, already have it on disc, but I solved the
problem. It had to do with the kernel being newer than the system config and packages, concerning modules. Your idea made me realize I hadn't done
a smart enough upgrade yet, so I had to recompile the kernel without ROMFS
support, which I had done (module). There are still some minor kinks, it needs the full upgrade, but it's making it to login. thanks