I'm not getting much response with my original line of questioning, so let me try asking another way. If I can build a kernel that boot up on my machine, how can I build a new installer CD (probably just CD 1), that uses the kernel I've built rather then the one that comes with it by default? Kyle

I would like to install SLES on a G5, but I'm thwarted by a Kernel panic that happens before I even get to the installer.

I was attempting to load Suse Linux Enterprise Server 9, RC5, on an Apple Xserve 64. It started to load the kernel, but then panicked while loading PCI drivers. It happens pretty quickly, before the installer has had a chance to come up, and I never see any boot options.

This is a standard Apple Xserve 64, except that is has a 'non-standard' video card, the MPDDpro (http://www.villagetronic.com/mpdd/mpddpro_appl.html) This card is compatible with MacOSX, and works fine with SLES 9 (I can read the error messages on the monitor), my only reason for thinking it's the problem is that the stack trace from the kernel panic originated in the PCI driver loader.

..pci_direct_alloc_consistent+0x48/0x8c (unreliable) ..gem_init_one+0x49c/0x77c ..pci_device_probe+0x100/0x268 ..bus_match+0x94/0xf8 ..driver_attach+0x8c/0x110 ..bus_add_driver+0xf8/0x134 ..driver_register+0x38/0x4c ..pci_register_diver+0x80/0xe4 ..gem_init+0x1c/0x48 ..init+0x218/0x3d0 ..kernel_thread+0x4c/068

Kyle