some of the argument processing in nfsmount/main.c is looks broken,
where hostname gets pulled from argv[optind].  I changed it to [1]
and things worked better.

tweaks and debug patch attached, presumably it explains it clearly, if 
wrongly.

heres several loops-of { add printfs, rebuild, look at output }
I did along the way:

IP-Config: eth0 guessed nameserver address 192.168.42.1
IP-Config: eth0 complete (from 192.168.42.1):
 address: 192.168.42.100   broadcast: 192.168.42.255   netmask: 
255.255.255.0
 gateway: 0.0.0.0          dns0     : 192.168.42.1     dns1   : 0.0.0.0
 rootserver: 192.168.42.1 rootpath: /nfshost/truck
eth0: state = 4
kinit: do_mounts
kinit: name_to_dev_t(/dev/nfs) = dev(0,255)
kinit: root_dev = dev(0,255)
NFS-Root: mounting 192.168.42.1:/nfshost/truck on /root with options 'none'
arg 0: NFS-Mount'
[   22.656000] Kernel panic - not syncing: Attempted to kill init!
arg 1: 192.168.4[   22.660000]  2.1:/nfshost/tru<0>Rebooting in 5 
seconds..ck'
arg 2: /root'
kinit options done: args remaining: 2
arg 0: NFS-Mount
arg 1: 192.168.42.1:/nfshost/truck
arg 2: /root
rem_name: 192.168.42.1:/nfshost/truck rem_path: /nfshost/truck
server 0 hostname 192.168.42.1
server 12aa8c0 hostname 192.168.42.1
path /nfs_root
stat: No such file or directory


the last 2 lines bothers me - since its the local path, on a 
as-yet-umounted root,
I dont know what it means to 'stat' such a path.

So I //d it, and resumed.  I got farther this time..

path /nfs_root
nfs_mount: rem_name 192.168.42.1:/nfshost/truck, hostname 192.168.42.1, 
server 12aa8c0, rem_path /nfshost/truck, path /nfs_root
connect: Network is unreachable
connect: Network is unreachable
Port for 100003/3[tcp]: 0
NFS over TCP not available from 192.168.42.1
Checking for init: /sbin/init
Checking for init: /bin/init
Checking for init: /etc/init
Checking for init: /bin/sh
kinit: init not found!


I repeated with the laptop firewall down, same result.
 netstat -tl agrees.
Active Internet connections (only servers)
Proto Recv-Q Send-Q Local Address               Foreign 
Address             State
tcp        0      0 *:nfs                       
*:*                         LISTEN


the eth0 driver is builtin.

So, Im stuck for a clue.  Older kernels run fine

tia
-jimc