VFS kernel panic when booting debian-installer from hard disk

[David Hugh-Jones <hughjonesd@yahoo.co.uk>]

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Hello and help!

I'm trying to install debian using debian-installer. I'm booting from the hard 
disk, using the method recommended by the Installation HOWTO, section 2.5

The relevant lilo.conf entry:

  image = /vmlinuz
  label = newinstall
  initrd = /initrd.gz

And in the root directory I have vmlinuz, initrd.gz and sarge-i386-netinst.iso 
.

When I try to boot, the kernel loads OK but then throws a kernel panic because 
the VFS is unable to mount the root filesystem. I have googled around, and I 
assume this is because the kernel doesn't have support for my hard drive 
compiled in.

My hardware: Toshiba 7020CT laptop. Some useful(?) info

Portege:/home/dash2 # cat /proc/ide/hda/model
TOSHIBA MK6412MAT
Portege:/home/dash2 # cat /proc/ide/hda/driver
ide-disk version 1.12
Portege:/home/dash2 # fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 255 heads, 63 sectors, 789 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 bytes

   Device Boot    Start       End    Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1             1        25    200781   82  Linux swap
/dev/hda2   *        26       789   6136830   83  Linux

hda2 is formatted as ext3.

Any help would be much appreciated.

David


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