Boot Sequence Failing, Fresh Install!

[Nicholas Pppas]

	Hello all.

	I just got done installing my first Ubuntu box, using the 
InstallFromKnoppixHowto guide in the Wiki.  Everything seemed to install 
fine, but the boot sequence is now failing.
	My first problem is that I get a GRUB prompt at boot up, not a menu. 
This isn't a big deal, as I can type the boot commands in manually -- I 
can always fix this *after* I get Ubuntu running.
	Once I type the commands in:

root (hd0,1)
kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.8.1-4-386 root=/dev/sda5
initrd /initrd.img-2.6.8.1-4-386

	I type 'boot' and the sequence will go for a little bit.  These are the 
last few lines I see (just after my USB devices are listed) before the 
boot freezes:

/etc/init.d/rcS: line 24: /var/run/utmp: No such file or directory
/etc/rcS.d/S70screen-cleanup: line 14: find: command not found
  * Setting up X server socket directory...
    ...done.
  * Setting up ICE socket directory...
    ...done.

	Then it freezes.
	I've noticed that earlier in the sequence I get a series of error 
messages telling my that my /dev/sda* partitions are not found!!  The 
leads me to believe that Ubuntu is calling my SATA drive 'sda' when it 
first boots up, but is then changing the reference to something else.
	My partition table looks like this:

/dev/sda1: Windows (I had actually forgotten I still had this) :)
/dev/sda2: /boot
/dev/sda3: swap
/dev/sda5: /
/dev/sda6: /var
/dev/sda7: /opt
/dev/sda8: /usr
/dev/sda9: /home

	Any help is getting things up and running would be greatly appreciated! :)
	Thanks!

	Nick