i recompiled the kernel and it panics, thinking that i have
two scsi host adapters, which i don't.

my hardware: VS440FX intel motherboard, adaptec 2940 ultra
wide scsi host adapter, 4gb hd, toshiba cdrom, microsoft ps/2
mouse, stealth 64 graphics card, 3com 3c509b-tpo etherlink
III card, 64 mb ram.

hoping that it helps, here's my kernel-build config file:

#
# Automatically generated make config: don't edit
#

#
# Code maturity level options
#
CONFIG_EXPERIMENTAL=y

#
# Processor type and features
#
# CONFIG_M386 is not set
# CONFIG_M486 is not set
# CONFIG_M586 is not set
# CONFIG_M586TSC is not set
CONFIG_M686=y
CONFIG_X86_WP_WORKS_OK=y
CONFIG_X86_INVLPG=y
CONFIG_X86_BSWAP=y
CONFIG_X86_POPAD_OK=y
CONFIG_X86_TSC=y
CONFIG_X86_GOOD_APIC=y
# CONFIG_MATH_EMULATION is not set
CONFIG_MTRR=y
# CONFIG_SMP is not set

#
# Loadable module support
#
CONFIG_MODULES=y
CONFIG_MODVERSIONS=y
CONFIG_KMOD=y

#
# General setup
#
CONFIG_NET=y
CONFIG_PCI=y
# CONFIG_PCI_GOBIOS is not set
# CONFIG_PCI_GODIRECT is not set
CONFIG_PCI_GOANY=y
CONFIG_PCI_BIOS=y
CONFIG_PCI_DIRECT=y
CONFIG_PCI_QUIRKS=y
# CONFIG_PCI_OPTIMIZE is not set
# CONFIG_PCI_OLD_PROC is not set
# CONFIG_MCA is not set
# CONFIG_VISWS is not set
CONFIG_SYSVIPC=y
CONFIG_BSD_PROCESS_ACCT=y
CONFIG_SYSCTL=y
CONFIG_BINFMT_AOUT=y
CONFIG_BINFMT_ELF=y
CONFIG_BINFMT_MISC=y
CONFIG_BINFMT_JAVA=y
CONFIG_PARPORT=y
CONFIG_PARPORT_PC=y
# CONFIG_PARPORT_OTHER is not set
# CONFIG_APM is not set

#
# Plug and Play support
#
CONFIG_PNP=y
# CONFIG_PNP_PARPORT is not set

#
# Block devices
#
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_FD=y
# CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDE is not set

#
# Please see Documentation/ide.txt for help/info on IDE
drives
#
# CONFIG_BLK_DEV_HD_ONLY is not set

#
# Additional Block Devices
#
# CONFIG_BLK_DEV_LOOP is not set
# CONFIG_BLK_DEV_NBD is not set
# CONFIG_BLK_DEV_MD is not set
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_RAM=y
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_INITRD=y
# CONFIG_BLK_DEV_XD is not set
# CONFIG_BLK_DEV_DAC960 is not set
# CONFIG_BLK_CPQ_DA is not set
CONFIG_PARIDE_PARPORT=y
# CONFIG_PARIDE is not set
# CONFIG_BLK_DEV_HD is not set

#
# Networking options
#
CONFIG_PACKET=y
CONFIG_NETLINK=y
CONFIG_RTNETLINK=y
CONFIG_NETLINK_DEV=y
CONFIG_FIREWALL=y
CONFIG_FILTER=y
CONFIG_UNIX=y
CONFIG_INET=y
CONFIG_IP_MULTICAST=y
# CONFIG_IP_ADVANCED_ROUTER is not set
# CONFIG_IP_PNP is not set
# CONFIG_IP_FIREWALL is not set
# CONFIG_IP_ROUTER is not set
# CONFIG_NET_IPIP is not set
# CONFIG_NET_IPGRE is not set
# CONFIG_IP_MROUTE is not set
# CONFIG_IP_ALIAS is not set
# CONFIG_ARPD is not set
CONFIG_SYN_COOKIES=y

#
# (it is safe to leave these untouched)
#
# CONFIG_INET_RARP is not set
CONFIG_SKB_LARGE=y
# CONFIG_IPV6 is not set

#
#
#
# CONFIG_IPX is not set
CONFIG_ATALK=y
# CONFIG_X25 is not set
# CONFIG_LAPB is not set
# CONFIG_BRIDGE is not set
# CONFIG_LLC is not set
# CONFIG_ECONET is not set
# CONFIG_WAN_ROUTER is not set
# CONFIG_NET_FASTROUTE is not set
# CONFIG_NET_HW_FLOWCONTROL is not set
# CONFIG_CPU_IS_SLOW is not set

#
# QoS and/or fair queueing
#
# CONFIG_NET_SCHED is not set

#
# SCSI support
#
CONFIG_SCSI=y

#
# SCSI support type (disk, tape, CD-ROM)
#
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_SD=y
CONFIG_CHR_DEV_ST=y
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_SR=y
CONFIG_BLK_DEV_SR_VENDOR=y
CONFIG_CHR_DEV_SG=y

#
# Some SCSI devices (e.g. CD jukebox) support multiple LUNs
#
# CONFIG_SCSI_MULTI_LUN is not set
CONFIG_SCSI_CONSTANTS=y
CONFIG_SCSI_LOGGING=y

#
# SCSI low-level drivers
#
# CONFIG_SCSI_7000FASST is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_ACARD is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_AHA152X is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_AHA1542 is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_AHA1740 is not set
CONFIG_SCSI_AIC7XXX=y
# CONFIG_AIC7XXX_TCQ_ON_BY_DEFAULT is not set
CONFIG_AIC7XXX_CMDS_PER_DEVICE=8
CONFIG_AIC7XXX_PROC_STATS=y
CONFIG_AIC7XXX_RESET_DELAY=5
# CONFIG_SCSI_ADVANSYS is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_IN2000 is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_AM53C974 is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_MEGARAID is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_BUSLOGIC is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_DTC3280 is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_EATA is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_EATA_DMA is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_EATA_PIO is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_FUTURE_DOMAIN is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_GDTH is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_GENERIC_NCR5380 is not set
CONFIG_SCSI_G_NCR5380_PORT=y
# CONFIG_SCSI_G_NCR5380_MEM is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_INITIO is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_INIA100 is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_PPA is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_IMM is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_NCR53C406A is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_SYM53C416 is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_NCR53C7xx is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_NCR53C8XX is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_PAS16 is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_PCI2000 is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_PCI2220I is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_PSI240I is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_QLOGIC_FAS is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_QLOGIC_ISP is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_QLOGIC_FC is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_SEAGATE is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_DC390T is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_T128 is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_U14_34F is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_ULTRASTOR is not set
# CONFIG_SCSI_DEBUG is not set

#
# Network device support
#
CONFIG_NETDEVICES=y
# CONFIG_ARCNET is not set
CONFIG_DUMMY=y
# CONFIG_EQUALIZER is not set
# CONFIG_ETHERTAP is not set
CONFIG_NET_ETHERNET=y
CONFIG_NET_VENDOR_3COM=y
# CONFIG_EL1 is not set
# CONFIG_EL2 is not set
# CONFIG_ELPLUS is not set
# CONFIG_EL16 is not set
CONFIG_EL3=y
# CONFIG_3C515 is not set
# CONFIG_VORTEX is not set
# CONFIG_LANCE is not set
# CONFIG_NET_VENDOR_SMC is not set
# CONFIG_NET_VENDOR_RACAL is not set
# CONFIG_RTL8139 is not set
# CONFIG_YELLOWFIN is not set
# CONFIG_ACENIC is not set
# CONFIG_NET_ISA is not set
# CONFIG_NET_EISA is not set
# CONFIG_NET_POCKET is not set
# CONFIG_FDDI is not set
# CONFIG_HIPPI is not set
# CONFIG_DLCI is not set
# CONFIG_LTPC is not set
# CONFIG_COPS is not set
# CONFIG_IPDDP is not set
# CONFIG_PLIP is not set
CONFIG_PPP=y

#
# CCP compressors for PPP are only built as modules.
#
# CONFIG_SLIP is not set
# CONFIG_NET_RADIO is not set
# CONFIG_TR is not set
# CONFIG_SHAPER is not set
# CONFIG_HOSTESS_SV11 is not set
# CONFIG_COSA is not set
# CONFIG_RCPCI is not set

#
# Amateur Radio support
#
# CONFIG_HAMRADIO is not set

#
# IrDA subsystem support
#
# CONFIG_IRDA is not set

#
# ISDN subsystem
#
# CONFIG_ISDN is not set

#
# Old CD-ROM drivers (not SCSI, not IDE)
#
# CONFIG_CD_NO_IDESCSI is not set

#
# Character devices
#
CONFIG_VT=y
CONFIG_VT_CONSOLE=y
CONFIG_SERIAL=y
CONFIG_SERIAL_CONSOLE=y
# CONFIG_SERIAL_EXTENDED is not set
# CONFIG_SERIAL_NONSTANDARD is not set
CONFIG_UNIX98_PTYS=y
CONFIG_UNIX98_PTY_COUNT=256
CONFIG_PRINTER=y
# CONFIG_PRINTER_READBACK is not set
CONFIG_MOUSE=y

#
# Mice
#
# CONFIG_ATIXL_BUSMOUSE is not set
# CONFIG_BUSMOUSE is not set
# CONFIG_MS_BUSMOUSE is not set
CONFIG_PSMOUSE=y
# CONFIG_82C710_MOUSE is not set
# CONFIG_PC110_PAD is not set
# CONFIG_QIC02_TAPE is not set
# CONFIG_WATCHDOG is not set
# CONFIG_NVRAM is not set
CONFIG_RTC=y

#
# Video For Linux
#
# CONFIG_VIDEO_DEV is not set

#
# Joystick support
#
# CONFIG_JOYSTICK is not set
# CONFIG_DTLK is not set

#
# Ftape, the floppy tape device driver
#
# CONFIG_FTAPE is not set
CONFIG_FT_NORMAL_DEBUG=y
# CONFIG_FT_FULL_DEBUG is not set
# CONFIG_FT_NO_TRACE is not set
# CONFIG_FT_NO_TRACE_AT_ALL is not set
CONFIG_FT_STD_FDC=y
# CONFIG_FT_MACH2 is not set
# CONFIG_FT_PROBE_FC10 is not set
# CONFIG_FT_ALT_FDC is not set

#
# Filesystems
#
CONFIG_QUOTA=y
CONFIG_AUTOFS_FS=y
# CONFIG_ADFS_FS is not set
# CONFIG_AFFS_FS is not set
CONFIG_HFS_FS=y
CONFIG_FAT_FS=y
CONFIG_MSDOS_FS=y
CONFIG_UMSDOS_FS=y
CONFIG_VFAT_FS=y
CONFIG_ISO9660_FS=y
CONFIG_JOLIET=y
# CONFIG_MINIX_FS is not set
# CONFIG_NTFS_FS is not set
# CONFIG_HPFS_FS is not set
CONFIG_PROC_FS=y
CONFIG_DEVPTS_FS=y
# CONFIG_QNX4FS_FS is not set
# CONFIG_ROMFS_FS is not set
CONFIG_EXT2_FS=y
# CONFIG_SYSV_FS is not set
CONFIG_UFS_FS=y
# CONFIG_UFS_FS_WRITE is not set

#
# Network File Systems
#
CONFIG_CODA_FS=y
CONFIG_NFS_FS=y
CONFIG_NFSD=y
CONFIG_NFSD_SUN=y
CONFIG_SUNRPC=y
CONFIG_LOCKD=y
CONFIG_SMB_FS=y
CONFIG_SMB_WIN95=y
# CONFIG_NCP_FS is not set

#
# Partition Types
#
# CONFIG_BSD_DISKLABEL is not set
CONFIG_MAC_PARTITION=y
# CONFIG_SMD_DISKLABEL is not set
# CONFIG_SOLARIS_X86_PARTITION is not set
# CONFIG_UNIXWARE_DISKLABEL is not set
CONFIG_NLS=y

#
# Native Language Support
#
CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_437=y
# CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_737 is not set
# CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_775 is not set
# CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_850 is not set
# CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_852 is not set
# CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_855 is not set
# CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_857 is not set
# CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_860 is not set
# CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_861 is not set
# CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_862 is not set
# CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_863 is not set
# CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_864 is not set
# CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_865 is not set
# CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_866 is not set
# CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_869 is not set
# CONFIG_NLS_CODEPAGE_874 is not set
CONFIG_NLS_ISO8859_1=y
# CONFIG_NLS_ISO8859_2 is not set
# CONFIG_NLS_ISO8859_3 is not set
# CONFIG_NLS_ISO8859_4 is not set
# CONFIG_NLS_ISO8859_5 is not set
# CONFIG_NLS_ISO8859_6 is not set
# CONFIG_NLS_ISO8859_7 is not set
# CONFIG_NLS_ISO8859_8 is not set
# CONFIG_NLS_ISO8859_9 is not set
CONFIG_NLS_ISO8859_15=y
# CONFIG_NLS_KOI8_R is not set

#
# Console drivers
#
CONFIG_VGA_CONSOLE=y
CONFIG_VIDEO_SELECT=y
# CONFIG_MDA_CONSOLE is not set
CONFIG_FB=y
CONFIG_DUMMY_CONSOLE=y
# CONFIG_FB_PM2 is not set
CONFIG_FB_VESA=y
CONFIG_VIDEO_SELECT=y
# CONFIG_FB_MATROX is not set
# CONFIG_FB_VIRTUAL is not set
# CONFIG_FBCON_ADVANCED is not set
CONFIG_FBCON_CFB8=y
CONFIG_FBCON_CFB16=y
CONFIG_FBCON_CFB24=y
CONFIG_FBCON_CFB32=y
# CONFIG_FBCON_FONTWIDTH8_ONLY is not set
# CONFIG_FBCON_FONTS is not set
CONFIG_FONT_8x8=y
CONFIG_FONT_8x16=y

#
# Sound
#
CONFIG_SOUND=y
# CONFIG_SOUND_ES1370 is not set
# CONFIG_SOUND_ES1371 is not set
# CONFIG_SOUND_SONICVIBES is not set
# CONFIG_SOUND_MSNDCLAS is not set
# CONFIG_SOUND_MSNDPIN is not set
CONFIG_SOUND_OSS=y
# CONFIG_SOUND_DMAP is not set
# CONFIG_SOUND_PAS is not set
CONFIG_SOUND_SB=m
# CONFIG_SOUND_ADLIB is not set
# CONFIG_SOUND_GUS is not set
# CONFIG_SOUND_MPU401 is not set
# CONFIG_SOUND_PSS is not set
# CONFIG_SOUND_MSS is not set
# CONFIG_SOUND_SSCAPE is not set
# CONFIG_SOUND_TRIX is not set
# CONFIG_SOUND_MAD16 is not set
# CONFIG_SOUND_WAVEFRONT is not set
# CONFIG_SOUND_CS4232 is not set
# CONFIG_SOUND_OPL3SA2 is not set
# CONFIG_SOUND_MAUI is not set
# CONFIG_SOUND_SGALAXY is not set
# CONFIG_SOUND_AD1816 is not set
# CONFIG_SOUND_OPL3SA1 is not set
# CONFIG_SOUND_SOFTOSS is not set
CONFIG_SOUND_YM3812=y
# CONFIG_SOUND_VMIDI is not set
# CONFIG_SOUND_UART6850 is not set

#
# Additional low level sound drivers
#
# CONFIG_LOWLEVEL_SOUND is not set

#
# Kernel hacking
#
CONFIG_MAGIC_SYSRQ=y