2.6.7 kernel panic

[machoamerica <machoamerica@ziplip.com>]

i compiled the 2.6.7 kernel from source using make-kpkg.  when i 
boot i get this:

UDF-fs: No partition found (1)
Kernel panic: VFS: unable to mount root fs on unknown block(3,4)

/dev/hda4 is the root partition and has /boot on it as well.  it's 
an ext3 partition.  i have no UDF partitions to my knowledge.

kernel options that may have relevance that i set for 2.6.7 are:

CONFIG_EXT3_FS=y
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDE=y
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDEDISK=y
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_RAM=y
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_RAM_SIZE=16384
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_INITRD=y
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDEPCI=y
CONFIG_DEVFS_FS=y

worse, my old 2.4.18 kernel no longer works.  i'm assuming this 
means that what i'm doing wrong is something trivial & stupid.
my current lilo.conf is:

boot=/dev/hda
compact
lba32
timeout=200
prompt

# To use the new LILO boot menu, add the following
bitmap=/boot/debianlilo.bmp
bmp-table=109p,148p,1,7
bmp-colors=0,15,8,15,1,7
bmp-timer=514p,144p,0,15

# don't think this is needed:
#install=/boot/boot-bmp.b

map=/boot/map
vga=normal
delay=20
default=Linux
image=/vmlinuz
	label = Linux
# i've tried commenting out read-only, but to no avail
	read-only
	initrd=/initrd.img
	root=/dev/hda4

image=/vmlinuz.old
	label = "Linux 2.4"
        read-only
        append = "hdc=ide-scsi hdd=ide-scsi"
        initrd=/initrd.img.old
	root=/dev/hda4

other=/dev/hda1
        label="Windows 98"

thanks in advance for any help,
macho