diff -urN -X dontdiff linux/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt 2329-p1-rd/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt
--- linux/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt	Mon Nov  1 18:31:34 1999
+++ 2329-p1-rd/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt	Fri Nov 19 11:31:42 1999
@@ -318,7 +318,9 @@
 
     ro			[KNL] Mount root device read-only on boot.
 
-    root=		
+    root=		[KNL] Mount root on specified (as hex or "/dev/XXX") device.
+
+    rootfs=		[KNL] Use filesystem type specified (e.g. rootfs=ext2) for root.
 
     rw			[KNL] Mount root device read-write on boot.
 
diff -urN -X dontdiff linux/fs/super.c 2329-p1-rd/fs/super.c
--- linux/fs/super.c	Fri Nov 19 09:00:39 1999
+++ 2329-p1-rd/fs/super.c	Fri Nov 19 16:54:25 1999
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
  *
  *  Added kerneld support: Jacques Gelinas and Bjorn Ekwall
  *  Added change_root: Werner Almesberger & Hans Lermen, Feb '96
+ *  Added rootfs boot param. used by mount_root(): Tigran Aivazian, Nov 99.
  */
 
 #include <linux/config.h>
@@ -54,6 +55,12 @@
 /* this is initialized in init/main.c */
 kdev_t ROOT_DEV;
 
+/* this can be set at boot time, e.g. rootfs=ext2 
+ * if set to invalid value or if read_super() fails on the specified
+ * filesystem type then mount_root() will go through all registered filesystems.
+ */
+char rootfs[128] __initdata = "ext2";
+
 int nr_super_blocks = 0;
 int max_super_blocks = NR_SUPER;
 LIST_HEAD(super_blocks);
@@ -1122,6 +1129,24 @@
 	goto dput_and_out;
 }
 
+
+#define TRY_MOUNT_ROOT(sb, vfsmnt) { \
+	sb = read_super(ROOT_DEV,fs_type->name,root_mountflags,NULL,1); \
+	if (sb) { \
+		sb->s_flags = root_mountflags; \
+		current->fs->root = dget(sb->s_root); \
+		current->fs->pwd = dget(sb->s_root); \
+		printk ("VFS: Mounted root (%s filesystem)%s.\n", \
+			fs_type->name, \
+			(sb->s_flags & MS_RDONLY) ? " readonly" : ""); \
+			vfsmnt = add_vfsmnt(sb, "/dev/root", "/"); \
+			if (vfsmnt) \
+				return; \
+			panic("VFS: add_vfsmnt failed for root fs"); \
+	} \
+}
+
+
 void __init mount_root(void)
 {
 	struct file_system_type * fs_type;
@@ -1208,25 +1233,17 @@
 		 */
 		printk("VFS: Cannot open root device %s\n",
 		       kdevname(ROOT_DEV));
-	else for (fs_type = file_systems ; fs_type ; fs_type = fs_type->next) {
-  		if (!(fs_type->fs_flags & FS_REQUIRES_DEV))
-  			continue;
-  		sb = read_super(ROOT_DEV,fs_type->name,root_mountflags,NULL,1);
-		if (sb) {
-			sb->s_flags = root_mountflags;
-			current->fs->root = dget(sb->s_root);
-			current->fs->pwd = dget(sb->s_root);
-			printk ("VFS: Mounted root (%s filesystem)%s.\n",
-				fs_type->name,
-				(sb->s_flags & MS_RDONLY) ? " readonly" : "");
-			vfsmnt = add_vfsmnt(sb, "/dev/root", "/");
-			if (vfsmnt)
-				return;
-			panic("VFS: add_vfsmnt failed for root fs");
+	else {
+		if ((fs_type = get_fs_type(rootfs)) != NULL &&
+			 (fs_type->fs_flags & FS_REQUIRES_DEV))
+			TRY_MOUNT_ROOT(sb, vfsmnt);
+		for (fs_type = file_systems ; fs_type ; fs_type = fs_type->next) {
+  			if (!(fs_type->fs_flags & FS_REQUIRES_DEV))
+  				continue;
+			TRY_MOUNT_ROOT(sb, vfsmnt);
 		}
 	}
-	panic("VFS: Unable to mount root fs on %s",
-		kdevname(ROOT_DEV));
+	panic("VFS: Unable to mount root fs on %s", kdevname(ROOT_DEV));
 }
 
 
diff -urN -X dontdiff linux/init/main.c 2329-p1-rd/init/main.c
--- linux/init/main.c	Tue Oct 19 18:22:19 1999
+++ 2329-p1-rd/init/main.c	Fri Nov 19 16:19:50 1999
@@ -269,6 +269,18 @@
 
 __setup("root=", root_dev_setup);
 
+static int __init rootfs_setup(char *line)
+{
+	int n = strlen(line) + 1;
+	extern char rootfs[128]; /* in fs/super.c */
+
+	if (n > 1 && n < 128)
+		strncpy(rootfs, line, n);
+	return 1;
+}
+
+__setup("rootfs=", rootfs_setup);
+
 static int __init checksetup(char *line)
 {
 	struct kernel_param *p;