[Beowulf] cloning issue, hidden module dependency

[David Mathog]

Short version:  there is an odd problem cloning a Mandriva 2008.1 system
(2.6.24.7 kernel) from one type of motherboard to another.  (Source Tyan
S2466 Athlon MP, destination Gigabyte Athlon XP). On previous releases
all that was needed was: 
 
  1. image /boot and / (S2466->Gigabyte)
  2. put in appropriate /etc/modprobe.conf and /etc/modprobe.preload
  3. run lilo
  4. reboot

Here that doesn't work.  First, I obtained the proper files by doing a
fresh install (with as few packages as possible) on the gigabyte system,
tested that it would reboot ok, then saving /etc before doing the
preceding steps, copying the two modprobe files from the saved /etc. 
Once treated as above, the new system (gigabyte) tries to start using a
module from the old system (amd74xx, it should use via82cxxx) and it is
all downhill from there.  I tried making a zero length
/etc/sysconfig/harddrake2/previous_hw (which initially contained the
amd74 string), and replacing the entire /etc/udev directory structure
from the saved one, neither of which made any difference.  I could not
even find the string amd74 elsewhere in the cloned /etc, other than in
modprobe.conf.s2466 and modprobe.preload.s2466, which were also present
but should not have had any effect. 

More details here:

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.os.linux.mandriva/browse_thread/thread/e83093381c57058d?hl=en&q=mathog+modprobe.conf#50fbb0e96cc09180
Or google in groups for:  mathog "where is Mandriva 2008.1 hiding"

Contents of modprobe.conf:
alias eth0 8139too
install usb-interface /sbin/modprobe uhci_hcd; /bin/true
install ide-controller /sbin/modprobe via82cxxx; /bin/true
alias pci:v000010ECd00008139sv000010ECsd00008139bc02sc00i00 8139too

Contents of modprobe.preload:
via_agp

Contents of lilo.conf
default="linux"
boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
install=menu
menu-scheme=wb:bw:wb:bw
compact
prompt
nowarn
timeout=100
message=/boot/message
image=/boot/vmlinuz
        label="linux"
        root="/dev/hda3"
        initrd=/boot/initrd.img
        append=" resume=/dev/hda2"
image=/boot/vmlinuz
        label="failsafe"
        root="/dev/hda3"
        initrd=/boot/initrd.img
        append=" failsafe"

Am I missing something obvious?
Any ideas where else the amd74xx module load command might be hidden away?

Thanks,

David Mathog
mathog at caltech.edu
Manager, Sequence Analysis Facility, Biology Division, Caltech