Binary package hint: initramfs-tools
This has been an ongoing issue for me since kernel > 2.6.20, but it was the (once again) unsuccessful upgrade that caused me to finally report it.
From what I can tell the initrd-x.x.xx-x-generic begining on 2.6.22+ fails to load any of the disk drivers (libata, ata_generic, ata_piix), and this results in the boot hanging on Begin: Waiting for root filesystem. It then drops to a busy box. I can manually load the modules inside the busybox and get the thing to (somewhat) boot, but doing that bypasses a whole trunk full of stuff needed for the system to actually function.
I upgraded to Hardy thinking that the issue might be resolved (it first appeared when I upgraded to gutsy), but sadly no. I'm still running with the durned Feisty kernel a this point, and it's beginning to cause issues.
I have rebuilt the initrd a half a dozen times and using the -v option it does seem to build the proper kernels into the image, but for what ever reason they never get executed prior to the attempt to mount the root filesystem.
Modules, that should say..... it builds the proper modules into the image:
slight@crazed2:~$ cat init.out | grep ata
Adding module /lib/modules/
Adding module /lib/modules/
Copying module directory kernel/drivers/ata
Adding module /lib/modules/
Adding module /lib/modules/
Adding module /lib/modules/
Adding module /lib/modules/
Adding module /lib/modules/