I feel comfortable enough now with linux that I'm wanting to migrate to kernel 2.6.3 from 2.4.22-26mdk.

In doing the documentation research for my preparations, I discoverd DrOzz's "Newbie Guide To Compiling A Kernel!" in this forum. Following a link to more reading, I looked at an article by Klaus-Peter Schrage entitled "Migrating to Linux kernel 2.6 on recent Redhat systems." In his article Mr. Schrage says, "You shouldn't start your first kernel recompile on the occasion of migrating to 2.6.... So it is assumed that you have done a recompile of a 2.4 kernel before." He doesn't publish his thinking on this statement.

Those are my references. Here is my question.

I have never recompiled a kernel before. In doing my documentation review, I discovered that there are significantly different things one must do in compiling 2.6.xx that had to be done for 2.4.xx. If I go directly to 2.6 I'm learning how to do something from scratch and won't have to "unlearn" anything. Are there things in compiling 2.4 that I should practice and learn before jumping to 2.6? Or, since 2.6.3 just got released, is 2.6.xx the "kernel of choice" now and I can just deal with 2.4 until I get upgraded?

I would appreciate any thoughts and feedback.

I think that you reasoning is correct, there are some changes in 2.6.x, and I think that if you are learning how to do it for the first time you may as well do it the new way.

Having said that, I must say that I have never compiled a 2.6.x and so I am not very intimate with the changes that have been introduced.

Thanks, Vlad_M, I appreciate your feedback.

I am going to start this project next weekend and will post my results in this forum. I sure I will have lots of questions.

Thanks, again.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes!!! I am quite busy at the mo, so I don't have time to get stuck into it, but I can't wait for a free weekend to be able to do it!!!

Compiling the newer kernels is easy. I have been using linux for a while but I am by far no guru. I think that kernel compilation is easy. Mainly you just need to have knowledge of what components are in your computer. It shouldn't be hard at all especially since you have been doing your research. Good Luck.

For building the 2.6 kernel

Take and read the following:

http://www.linux.org.uk/~davej/docs/...loween-2.6.txt

You need to get the module-init-tools.

cp linux-2.6.2.tar.gz /usr/src
tar jfx linux-2.6.2.tar.gz
ln -sf linux-2.6.2 linux
cd linux

Use lspci -v to help select your hardware. This will be helpful for configuring the 2.6 kernel.

make mrproper
make menuconfig
make
make modules_install
make install

Then modify you lilo.conf or grub.txt

make install installs vmlinuz into the boot directory along with System.map
It creates a symbolic link to you old vmlinuz -> vmlinuz.old and System.old

All you need to do is add entry for the old vmlinuz. I use lilo.conf

This is mine....

image=/boot/vmlinuz
label=Linux2.6
read-only

** This would be you redhat config. **
image=/boot/vmlinuz.old
vga=791
append="hdc=scsi hdd=scsi apm=power-off nomce"
label=Linux2.4
read-only

If you are using lilo, issue lilo -v or modify you menu.lst for grub.

Hope this helps. The more people use 2.6 the better.

Except sometimes the decision of module vs built-in might require some thinking, for me adding frame buffer support for stuff not actually in my computer messed up the resolution. Yes, some options conflict if both are selected, etc.