Despite setting ide=nodma on the boot: line, the kernel still tries to use DMA on my CF card in IDE adapter, which breaks horribly with pata_via and hangs the system before the initrd handoff. (see: http://linux.derkeiler.com/Mailing-Lists/Kernel/2007-10/msg03155.html ) Haven't tried 2008.0 (not -r1) yet.
Uhh, you said it breaks on 2008.0-r1 and then said that you hadn't tried 2008.0 or 2008.0-r1 yet. Which is it?
Didn't think that was ambiguous, but: I discovered this bug while trying to boot 2008.0-r1. I haven't tried 2008.0 yet.
Ah, I misread "not" as "nor".
Same thing is happing with 2008.0 stock. To where from here?
Sounds like a kernel issue. Nothing that can be done for the media until the next release. Try going back to a 2007.0 LiveCD.
What kernel version is that?
It was g-s-2.6.24-rX (not sure which -rX off the top of my head).
The 2008.0 release was done a long time ago.