2.6 devfs/udev troubles

[Rudi Starcevic <tech@wildcash.com>]

Hi,

Today I installed a custom 2.6 kernel on my work PC and all went well.
Tonight, however, on my home PC this exact same process will not work
for me.

Both machines are the same OS: Debian Testing ( both fully updated ).

I've been stuck for hours so I'd like to ask for help.
I've done much Googling and read up loads on initrd, devfs and udev.

I am seeing a kernel panic at boot up into the 2.6 kernel that contains
errors like:

unmount: devfs: not mounted
fs type devfs not supported by kernel
pivot_root error ............
kernel_panic ............

The kernel installation procedure I am using is simple, elegant and
impressive I think: 

1) apt-get install make gcc bin86 libc6-dev kernel-package
module-init-tools

2) apt-get install libglade2-dev make gcc bin86 libc6-dev kernel-package
module-init-tools

3) make gconfig

4) make-kpkg --rev Custom.4 --initrd kernel_image

5) dpkg -i /usr/src/kernel-image-2.6.9_10.00.Custom_i386.deb

I know 2.6 uses udev and I've re-installed the package twice.

Hmm .. I cannot see why the initrd process still wants to use devfs.
I've also tried re-building and re-installing the initrd.img after the
kernel has
been built but still the very same error.

I'm thinking the problem must been around the initrd?

Sorry to bring up this old issue again.
Any advice much appreciated.

Thank you.
Regards,
Rudi.