2.6.10 kernel unable to mount root in sarge

[Guest]

I recently installed Debian Sarge on my Compaq presario R3240 laptop, and wanted to upgrade to the 2.6.10 kernel. I grabbed the vanilla tarball from kernel.org, config'd it, compiled it, moved it to boot, yadda yadda yadda... anyways, when I try to boot it, I get the same panic message a lot of other people on these forums seem to be getting*:

VFS: cannot open root device 'hda6' or unknown-block(3,6)
Please appent correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: unable to mount root fs on unkown-block(3,6)

Before I get flamed/called a newb/told to go read older posts:

*I scoured these forums (and three others) for a good couple hours, and made SURE that the following conditions were all met:

-ext2 compiled in directly
-ext3 compiled in directly
-ReiserFS compiled in directly
-correct IDE/Chipset compiled in directly
-RAM Disk support compiled in (not needed)
-I am not using a serial/SATA drive. Even if I was, I have support compiled in... JUST IN CASE.

Essentially, I'm 99% positive the problem is not in my kernel config. See for yourself here.

Other people have this problem, and I read their solutions. Wasn't of any help. So I'm fairly sure no one else has had this problem under these conditions before.

Everything that needs to be there is there. my roomate (who is an avid gentoo user, just to give you an idea of his attention to detail) inspected my config, and found no problem with it. If you can find one, props to you.

I'm pretty sure the problem is residing somewhere in my grub's menu.lst file, which I edited by hand once I had the kernel image all set to go. My menu.lst file can be found here
(the entry I added is the last one before the Windows entry).

My partition scheme can be found in my fstab file


I don't consider myself to be new to linux. I've been using linux for almost a year now, and this is the first time I've ever found a problem that no one else had/I couldnt solve on my own. I've done plenty of kernel compiles and emerges, and been able to resolve any problems, but this problem really has me scratching my head. It's probably some small thing I just can't see, but I've never encountered a problem like this under these conditions.

Some specs, just so you dont have to go googling for info:
Compaq Presario R3240US
AMD Athlon64 3200+ CPU
NVidia Chipset
60GB IDE internal HD
NVidia GeForce 440 graphics card
RealTek NIC
BroadCom 54g WiFi Adapter.

I cant get ndiswrapper working on said wifi card until i get this kernel panic issue straight, so hows about we all help a brother out so he can go back to stealing wireless from the room next door?

Cheers.

[cristip]

I think your problem is in your groub menu.list. You shouldn't have "/kernel-2.6.10/bzImage root=/dev/hda6" but try this : "/bzImage root=/dev/hda6" . Do the same with your following line.

Now here is my similar problem if there would be any one there to help.

I had a good working Debian - Sarge on my IBM laptop and the partitions were hda1 for the WinXP , then hda3 <type ext3> for /boot a swap ant 2 other linux partitions (the problem is that I don't quite remember exact the other hda's) . I tried to split the Win partition in two and now I get the error
"Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(3,7)"

I think this can be resolved modifying the groub/menu.list from hda3 and /etc/fstab to say that now my / root partition is no longer the old one (I belive now it is hda6) But, I boot with a cd-boot and go in rc1 mod until the partitionig menu where I see my current partitions:

#1 9,2G ntfs
#5 5,6G ntfs
#3 54,2M ext3
#2 4,2G primary fat32 (I think this is the one where IBM keeps it's instalation stuf)
#6 9,8G
#7 9,8G

this last two don't have a file type associated

and in rc2 mode i can mount hda3 with the /boot and change the groub/menu.list

but when I try to mount hda6 (witch I think is the one / I get a Invalid argument error) I think it is because it don't know what type it has. so I can't change the /etc/fstab .

And now I hang in a
"Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(3,7)"

even if I put in the goub/menu/list either
- /vmlinuz-2.4.27-1-386 root=/dev/hda6 ro
or
- /vmlinuz-2.4.27-1-386 root=/dev/hda7 ro

It is the same.

Can anyone help please