Can someone explain this kernel panic error message? [fwd]

[Syrus Nemat-Nasser <syrus@long.ucsd.edu>]

Hello folks.

This is not Debian-specific, but my brother-in-law got a kernel panic
while booting of a Linux installation CD:

>I got the following booting off of a CD while installing on a new
>machine.
>
>   VFS: Cannot open root device 08:21
>   Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 08:21
>
>Have you ever seen a kernel panic booting off of a CD. It's just a dell
>machine like a lot
>of my others. It's got a SCSI 2940 but I don't know that this should
>cause problems.
>
>Any ideas? Bios Setup?

I don't know what to tell him. I don't have any SCSI devices on my
machines. He's probably using Red Hat although I've suggested Debian
several times, of course. :-) 

Thanks. Syrus.

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Syrus Nemat-Nasser <syrus@ucsd.edu>    UCSD Physics Dept.