[plug] Kernel upgardes via apt-get

[Rennie]

Hi All,

I'm attempting to upgrade the kernel on our Debian web server here at 
work. I'm attempting to do it via apt-get install kernel process.

I think I have over come my first problem by making the machine boot via 
initrd, which it previously didn't. I then executed apt-get install 
kernel-2.6.8.... all seemed to go fine. After a reboot it had loaded the 
new kernel but appeared to fail to load all the required modules, i.e. 
no network card had shown up.

Unfortunately, due to it being critical to the running of my work place, 
I didn't look further in to diagnosing the problem and just reboot to 
the old kernel.

Googling around there appears to be a bottomless supply of web sites 
saying apt-get install kernel... then reboot or download the 
source...make...etc...what I'd like is a couple of pointers as to where 
to look next and how to diagnose the issue with minimal interruption to 
my co-worker's web browsing.

Thanks,

Rennie

P.S. this is what the old kernel tells me about it's modules.
gatekeeper:~# lsmod
Module                  Size  Used by    Tainted: P
ipt_limit                960   1  (autoclean)
ipt_state                608   4  (autoclean)
iptable_filter          1728   1  (autoclean)
ip_nat_ftp              2912   0  (unused)
ip_conntrack_ftp        3168   0  (unused)
ip_conntrack_irc        2432   0  (unused)
ip_nat_irc              2304   0  (unused)
iptable_nat            12628   3  [ip_nat_ftp ip_nat_irc]
ip_tables              10432   6  [ipt_limit ipt_state iptable_filter 
iptable_na
t]
ip_conntrack           12652   4  [ipt_state ip_nat_ftp ip_conntrack_ftp 
ip_conn
track_irc ip_nat_irc iptable_nat]
ppp_deflate            38880   0  (autoclean)
bsd_comp                3936   0  (autoclean)
ppp_async               6464   1  (autoclean)
ppp_generic            18696   3  (autoclean) [ppp_deflate bsd_comp 
ppp_async]
slhc                    4432   0  (autoclean) [ppp_generic]
keybdev                 1664   0  (unused)
input                   3040   0  [keybdev]