A debian kernel compile question

This is a question for Debian users.

I want to build a kernel to use a new onboard NIC but for now I am just trying to learn how to build and install a kernel with the Debian process.

I go through the following

make menuconfig, select stuff, and it saves a file. At this point I don't change anything.

fakeroot make-kpkg -revision=mykernalname buildpackage and it builds it ok

Then to install it I use the following straight out of the book

dpkg --installusr-src-kernel-testkernel1.0.deb

The dpkg goes through the motions, updatesboot-grub-menu.lst and puts stuff inboot.

But the new kernel won't boot and dies with a kernel panic saying that it can't find hd0.

When I look at theboot-grub-menu.lst this is the working stock kernel.

breastle Debian GNU-Linux, kernel 2.6.8-2-386 root (hd0,0) kernel boot-vmlinuz-2.6.8-2-386 root=-dev-hda1 ro initrd boot-initrd.img-2.6.8-2-386 savedefault boot

The non working new kernel is referred to like so

breastle Debian GNU-Linux, kernel testkernel1.0 root (hd0,0) kernel boot-vmlinuz-testkernel1.0 root=-dev-hda1 ro savedefault boot

Sure enough, a problem I think. The initrd line is missing and inboot there is no corresponding initrd.img-testkernel1.0 file.

Back through the instructions in the book, and with some more that I downloaded. I can't find anywhere to tell it to build or not build a initrd file. Since dpkg is just a package manager, I suspect the problem is with some option up in make and that initrd file was never built.

What am I not doing? Or shouldn't be doing?

Thanks all Bill Baird