"IP-Config: Failed to open eth0" on epia-m

[Larry Matter]

sorry if this is off-topic for this list:

I just started trying linuxbios because I am unhappy with how long it
takes the standard bios to boot over pxe (though it does work nicely).

I have built linuxbios from cvs from 8-apr and used etherboot 5.0.8 as the
payload.  This works and etherboot succesfully loads my kernel (2.4.22)
from my tftp server.  The kernel however, fails to open eth0 and so the
nfs mount of my root parition fails, etc.

The exact same kernel with (almost) identical command line, booted over
pxe works just fine.  I diff'd the output of the kernel startup and found
a few things that might be significant:

linuxBIOS/etherboot:

via-rhine.c:v1.10-LK1.1.19  July-12-2003  Written by Donald Becker
  http://www.scyld.com/network/via-rhine.html
PCI: No IRQ known for interrupt pin A of device 00:12.0. Please try using
pci=biosirq.
eth0: VIA VT6102 Rhine-II at 0x1400, 00:40:63:d4:17:70, IRQ 0.
eth0: MII PHY found at address 1, status 0x786d advertising 05e1 Link 45e1.


Via BIOS/PXE:

via-rhine.c:v1.10-LK1.1.19  July-12-2003  Written by Donald Becker
  http://www.scyld.com/network/via-rhine.html
eth0: VIA VT6102 Rhine-II at 0xec00, 00:40:63:d4:17:70, IRQ 5.
eth0: MII PHY found at address 1, status 0x786d advertising 05e1 Link 45e1.

I say "almost" exact same command line because PXE appends "BOOT_IMA" to
it, not sure why.

I've googled as much as I know how and have not found anything relevent. 
If anyone has any ideas I would appreciate it.

Thanks,
Larry Matter