kernel panic on build of 2.4.18

[bob parker <bob_parker@dodo.com.au>]

Hi debian-users,
I'm running Woody with the latest online updates.

I've just compiled the 2.4.18 kernel using the Debian standard method
from 7.1.1 of the Debian Reference.

I've configured in scsi cdrom/burner support, and usb support.

The make line was:
make-kpkg --append_to_version --initrd \
   revision=rev.01 kernel-image
(I dropped the recommended -486 option because I selected support for
AMD Athlon/Duron in configuration step ).

The kernel built ok and I installed it using dpkg.

When I boot the new kernel this is the result:

ttyS01 etc .............
usb.c: registered new driver iforce
Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at vitrtual address 00000000 
print eip:
c011473c
*pde=00000000
Ooops: 0002
EIP: 0010:[<c011473c>] not tainted
EFLAGS: 00010082
eax: c037dc2c  ebx: 00000000  ecx: 00000202  edx: c140dfa4
esi: c140df9c  edi: c140c000  ebp:0008e000  esp: c140df84
ds: 0018  es:0018  ss:0018
Procees swapper (pid: 1, stackpage=c140d000)
Stack: 
c037dc20  c140df9c  c0105c51 c02f6f20 c030bfc0 00000000 00000001 c140c000
c037dc2c 00000000 c0105dc4 c037dc20 c0303c00 c02f6f2c c0222a8b c02f6f20
c030bfc0 c021fbd6 c034bd70 c03182fa c02f6f20 c030c97a 00010f00 c030c9bf
Call Trace:
[<c0105c51>] [<c0105dc4>] [<c0222a8b>] 
[<c021fbd6>] [<c0105267>] [<c0105708>] 

This has been copied by hand.

Apart from the experience of building a kernel I need proper support for usb
because I have a HP usb printer and I also have a true scsi cd burner which
is invisble to the 2.2.x kernel I installed off the CDs.

I have saved the .config I used if needed.

Any clues
Thanks
bob parker