this bugreport is for uml 0.6 patch-2.4.22-5
try this:
$ linux ubd0=/tmp/cow,/root_fs
...
Initializing software serial port version 1
mconsole (version 2) initialized on
/home/me/.uml/vKIrTK/mconsole
absolutize : Can't cd to '/root_fs' - errno = 2
unable to open /tmp/cow for validation
UML Audio Relay (host dsp = /dev/sound/dsp, host mixer
= /dev/sound/mixer)
Initializing stdio console driver
NET4: Linux TCP/IP 1.0 for NET4.0
IP Protocols: ICMP, UDP, TCP
IP: routing cache hash table of 512 buckets, 4Kbytes
TCP: Hash tables configured (established 2048 bind 4096)
NET4: Unix domain sockets 1.0/SMP for Linux NET4.0.
VFS: Cannot open root device "ubd0" or 62:00
Please append a correct "root=" boot option
Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 62:00
which otherwise works fine without cow or with
/usr/root_fs or
$ cd / ; linux ubd0=/tmp/cow,root_fs