serveraid 8i aacraid x86_64

Recently built a new database server with a serveraid 8i raid controller, which is based on an adaptec chipset. Under linux, it uses the aacraid driver. AFAIK, it is not supported by any current Debian Etch AMD-64 boot CDs. A quick google turned up a site which provides tools to do a net boot using a very minimal CD image (http://kmuto.jp/b.cgi/debian/d-i-2615-amd64.htm) which saved me a lot of time (note: must use 'modprobe aacraid' to get it to see the controller). I installed the standard SMP Debian 2.6.17 AMD 64 kernel, which allows it to boot fine. However, this kernel was not suitable for our purposes for a number of reasons, so I wanted to roll my own. But that is proving extremely difficult. When compiling the driver into the kernel, it sees the controller just fine, but does not pick up the disks. Same when using an initrd. I have tried copying the kernel config from the debian kernel and deleting stuff that wasn't needed, like pcmcia, acpi, video for linux, sound card support (this is a server, after all!), but to no avail. I tried patching the source tree with the latest driver source (actually, a rather dodgy patch of just replacing the original .c and .h files with the newer one; it still compiles ok), and updating the firmware. No luck so far. I am thinking that I might try comparing the kernel messages on boot between the working debian kernel and my failed attempts. So far nothing is standing out.