can't initialize iptables table `filter'

[Brian J. Murrell]

I am sure this is asked and answered in the archives somewhere, but alas
it is not searchable, that I can tell.  ~sigh~  List archives are sooooo
much more useful when they are searchable.

I have a 2.4.0-test1-ac10 kernel compiled and linked statically with
module support completely turned off.  I am getting the following error
when I try any operations with iptables:

can't initialize iptables table `filter': iptables who? (do you need to
insmod?)

It seems obvious that netfilter is looking for a module that I have not
compiled into the kernel and thusly is suggesting it be loaded.  I
compiled all of the following in (I hope I have all of the relevant
items):

CONFIG_NETFILTER=y
CONFIG_NETFILTER_DEBUG=y

CONFIG_IP_NF_CONNTRACK=y
CONFIG_IP_NF_FTP=y
CONFIG_IP_NF_QUEUE=y
CONFIG_IP_NF_IPTABLES=y
CONFIG_IP_NF_MATCH_LIMIT=y
CONFIG_IP_NF_MATCH_MAC=y
CONFIG_IP_NF_MATCH_MARK=y
CONFIG_IP_NF_MATCH_MULTIPORT=y
CONFIG_IP_NF_MATCH_TOS=y
CONFIG_IP_NF_MATCH_STATE=y
CONFIG_IP_NF_MATCH_UNCLEAN=y
CONFIG_IP_NF_MATCH_OWNER=y
CONFIG_IP_NF_FILTER=y
CONFIG_IP_NF_TARGET_REJECT=y
CONFIG_IP_NF_TARGET_MIRROR=y
CONFIG_IP_NF_NAT=y
CONFIG_IP_NF_NAT_NEEDED=y
CONFIG_IP_NF_TARGET_MASQUERADE=y
CONFIG_IP_NF_TARGET_REDIRECT=y
CONFIG_IP_NF_MANGLE=y
CONFIG_IP_NF_TARGET_TOS=y
CONFIG_IP_NF_TARGET_MARK=y
CONFIG_IP_NF_TARGET_LOG=y

Ideas?

b.