If my apple tv restarts or something like that when it comes up again it is waiting for the root file to boot. is there a way to make it so it always looks at the external incase of power failures or anything like that. thanks.

I don't really understand what you want. Do you have an OSX install on an external usb disk and want your ATV to boot off of this disk by default?

If yes, then this can be achieved by setting the boot partition's type to "recovery": http://www.hackint0sh.org/f98/634.htm. You also have to patch the AppleFileSystemDriver.kext to make this work correctly.

Yes, I believe that is exactly what I want to do. When it shuts down or restarts I get the " still waiting for root " also, I want to keep the Airport connected to the the net at all times, is this required by static IP?

I have already patched the AppleFileSystemDriver. That part works great. The way I have it set up so you know what I am doing is. Screen sharing with my MacBook Pro or iPhone. I am using transmission to have things download, but while I am away I want the internet connection to stay active and nothing to go to sleep. Twice now it has not rebooted and once now It lost its internet connection. I've done all the steps in Patch AppleFileSystemDriver. That all work's. The 'Clean up' part, it says to delete 5 NVD's.. there are about 7 or 8 for mine So I didn't touch them, could this have something to do with it?

Also to add. I CarbonCopyCloned JonMS's .img over to my hard drive and THEN patched the file system. It worked. Maybe me skipping a few things is why I am having these problems. It works great if I keep playing with it, but If I leave the system be, it starts messing up.