I attempted to build a new kernel moving from 2.6.18-5-686 to 2.6.23.
Everything runs fine until I boot and then I get
Volume group "System" not found
Volume group "System" not found
Begin: Waiting for root file system

After some searching I find this is a common occurrence but there doesn't seem to be a common fix for it. I read that YAIRD is a new tool for building initr.img files. That did make some head way but still failed and threw me a kernel panic.
After gathering all the parts I used the following method to compile

make menuconfig
fakeroot make-kpkg clean
fakeroot make-kpkg --append-to-version "-suffix" --revision "valid number" --us --uc --initrd \ kernel_image kernel_headers
cd ..
dpkg -i linux-image-#.#.#suffix_revision_~.deb
dpkg -i linux-headers-#.#.#suffix_revision_~deb

Has the above method changed substituting --yaird for --initrd?

Well I figured out mounting the FS in fstab is not better than using SMB.
I configured SMB through the GUI and have access to the shares through Konqueror.
That's good enough for now.
Now I can work on hellanzb for pulling usenet downloads.

I have been unable to write files to my storage device which is formated XFS.
I have found information on XFS but it isn't very informative on how to write to it. In the past I read XFS and Linux, minus SGI, were not write compatible.
I haven't found anything definitive one way or the other for non SGI Linux systems.
Has anyone out there dealt with this?

I was reading my "Linux User & Developer" mag from the UK here in Japan and found a link to www.goodbye-microsoft.com.
This was a neat way to install Debian on my system without CD's.
Had a few problems with the box, I think I have a bad mem card but got around that and it installed.
I did get a bit miffed on the kernel choices I had but settled on 2.6.18-4-686 Linux version or Debian 2.6.18.dfsg.1-12.
The problem I have now is the same as always.
I have a Terastation that is formatted as XFS.
I can read files but can't write.
I have searched the net but can only find talk of XFS and Linux and most of that is 2 years old.
I'll continue my search but if anyone out there knows what I need to write to an XFS filesystem that would be appreciated.
I'm sure a kernel mod is involved.

ej

I attempted to apt-get install MySQL and it installed openbsd-inetd which broke my XOrg Nvidia setup. I was definitely not happy as I put in a lot of time and effort to get X working under Debian Etch.
I piddled around for the last two days and finally dpkg --remove openbsd-inetd which removed bacula and other items.
I then attempted to do a re-install in "The Debian way" to get X back but that was a bit frustrating. I kept getting errors telling me the Nvidia-Kernel-Sources were not on the system. I finally re-ran the Nvidia-Linux-1.0-9746-pkg1.run program and it rebuilt Xorg. Less fuss this time around then last.
Nice to have it back.
I'll be doing more research in trying to get MySQL running on this box as a server.

I spent a good deal of time working to gets Xorg configured the other day.
I re-installed Etch after seeing what it was like to attempt a sarge 2.6 kernel install.
Etch recognized my NIC right away so atleast I didn't have to configure my network.
I began using apt-get to gather all the needed tools but found that aptitude worked better at gathering all the pieces parts, libraries, dev kits, kernel items and such.
I searched to make sure what items were needed using my other laptop, background knowledge and the various items gleaned from the orielly safari books, Linux Cook Book and Learn Debian.
Once I had the libraries installed I ran the NVIDIA tool and it installed the drivers beautifully and compiled the kernel I needed to run it.
Once the Nvidia eye popped up I was good to go.
I then proceeded to install Parallels Virtualization free trial.
I spent the rest of the time attempting to burn an ISO image of my Windows drive to try and load it without going from scratch.
I didn't figure it out so now, while typing this, I'm installing from the CD and will attempt to use my Acronis 9 to build my virtual system.
I'll have to sit down and put my proceedures to paper later so I have a record of how I got to this point.

Thanks to help from DKG I found my mistakes in building the 2.6.8 kernel for my laptop.
Now I do have to solve my sound problem and my missing KVM mouse control issue but hey this is an experimental distro so I'm not that upset.
I am still a bit peeved, as some others are on various linux sites, that ATI Radeon cards above 9600's and 9700's don't work with Xorg.
I had an Nvidia card but blew when setting up my Apple 20" Cinema with my KVM switch. I actually blew two cards but one was old and I didn't care that much but my KTO 7900 was nice.

Greetings from Japan.
Akemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu (Happy New Year 2007)
I have tried installing Debian before but had no luck until now.
I'm using 3.1 Sarge rlease 4.
I installed it on my Alienware laptop and that wen much smoother than installing it on my Shuttle X or my home built AMD.
I'm downloading "Etch" as I type this so I can burn those ISO's and attempt to load that. It should have the proper Kernel fixin's for my deskside so I can get the NIC up and running and see what a test release in Debian is like.

I have worked on previous distros, Slackware and the 52 3.5" floppies, then Red Hat, SuSe, back to Red Hat and now to Debian.
I must say it appears to be the most workable "out of the box" distro.

I am currently trying to rebuild my kernel on the laptop so I can play with Parallels virtual workstation. I need a 2.6.8 or higher kernel and Sarge R4 is 2.4.x.
So far it was the easiest kernel rebuild I have done but I got a kernel panic on reboot. The error told me that "root"=boot was missing or something cryptic like that. I rebooted into the older kernel and started poking around.
I have been looking for a good example menu.lst file as an example. Everything seems to be in place except no initrd-img~ file for the new kernel build. I didn't thing I would get one with a hand built kernel but with the original install since the initrd file is the RAM disk file. I'll have to read up on that.

Building X on the laptop and installing different packages has been easy with apt-get. I don't have "hidden" dependency errors like I used to get with RH.
Those that sneak up on you after you later when you thing you have everything installed.
Well enough for now.......