framebuffer fails in standard kernel

[Bill Davidsen]

I generally don't care about using framebuffers, and when I do I have 
been building a kernel from source with the framebuffer built in. 
However, in the last month, I've had three cases where I wanted to boot 
with a stock modular kernel and framebuffer, and it hasn't worked.

I have built a new initrd with the framebuffer and any needed modules 
added with "--preload" to get them in early. I have put video=<fb> 
information in the boot, and always the kernel boots, reads the boot 
options, and just goes away. Verified using intelfb, radeonfb, and 
atyfb, each with any needed drivers. But if I build these kernels from 
source, changing the default config only by building-in the same 
modules, it works fine.

The last time I tried this with a post-2.4 kernel, it worked, but that 
was a 2.5 kernel, and I haven't needed any video performance since.

Is this typical, should it just work, or ??? I have multiple systems to 
try, and all with work fine if I build in the exact same modules.