Boot failure after install kernel-image-2.4.20-686-smp

["Dave De Graff" <debian@platformglobal.com>]

I tried to install kernel-image-2.4.20-686-smp, following the prompts to
"add an 'initrd=/initrd.img' to the image=/vmlinux stanza of
/etc/lilo.conf", and the installation seemed to go fine until I rebooted the
machine.

During boot, the screen hung with a continuous rapid scrolling of the
following lines:
---------
insmod: insmod: insmod net-pf-1 failed
insmod: insmod: /lib/modules/2.4.20-686-smp/kernel/net/unix/unix.o: No such
file or directory
---------
When I rebooted with old kernel, I checked and found that the file listed
above is there - in the path listed above. All users have read permissions,
so that should not be an issue.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Dave De Graff