I downloaded the file linux-2.4.21.tar.bz2 from kernel.org, and burned a cd and copied it to my laptop where I am trying to compile it. I did a symlink from linux-2.4.21 to linux in the /usr/src directory. Then I cd'd to /usr/src/linux and did {{make mrproper && make menuconfig}} and loaded a config file I had previously made. Then I did {{make dep}}, and that seemed to go fine, but then when I do {{make bzImage}}, I'm getting an error which is:

ide-probe.c:640:warning: `hwif_check_regions' defined but not used
ide-probe.c:666:warning: `hwif_register' defined but not used
make[3]: *** [ide-probe.o] Error 1
make[3]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.4.21/drivers/ide'
make[2]: *** [first_rule] Error 2
make[2]: etc...... you get the point; ide-probe.c is having issues.

Anybody know what the problem is or how I can fix it? I tried applying both patches patch-2.4.21.bz2 and patch-2.4.21-rc8-final.bz2, but I got a message that they were already applied and it said something about a reversal or something which I didn't understand, and recommended that I choose "no" about applying the patches, so I did choose "no". Anybody know what the problem is?

As you have imported a config file, you might try "make oldconfig" instead of "make menuconfig". Near the end of the process oldconfig will let you deal with new features in the new kernel source.
--Just a thought--

I did try {{make oldconfig}} just a little while ago, but after doing so was unable to even get through {{make dep}} without errors. Because of that I decided to throw out the old config file and make a new one with {{make menuconfig}}, and then {{made dep}} worked fine again, but I still got the exact same error with {{make bzImage}}. I've been doing a lot of googling about how to compile kernels and a lot of sites say that it shouldn't be compiled in the /usr/src/linux directory. Even the README file within the kernel source itself says that, and recommends compiling the kernel source in your home directory. Unfortuanately, I do not have a home directory, as I have not created any users yet since this is a brand new installation. I have a /home directory obviously, but there is nothing in it. I tried making a user LUB997, and that worked, but when I went to make a password for LUB997 I got a message saying that a password couldn't be made because I was missing a library, so I tried just creating a directory in /home called LUB997 for the user I created and extracting and compiling the kernel source there (as root of course), but when I tried that even {{make mrproper}} had errors, so I think I'm best off just using the /usr/src/linux directory unless there is some particular reason not to that I am unaware of. Any thoughts on that? In /usr/src/linux the only problem I have is the one I started this thread about, and no problems before {{make bzImage}}. {{make bzImage}} is still giving me the exact same error though.

By the way, if it helps at all, the distribution I am using is Core Linux. It is just as the name would imply; the core of linux and nothing else.

Seems that if I disable IDE support in the kernel configuration altogether, {{make bzImage}} goes smoothly. Unfortunately, without IDE support, my laptop won't boot. I also noticed a flaw in the kernel configuration program. If I hit enter on the submenu under .../IDE/.../... in the config menu, the configuration program crashes altogether. Any suggestions?