Its been a while since i built a new kernel, and after i unpacked the source to 2.4.18 and read the README file i got slightly confused. Just wondered if anyone could shed any light on this?

In the README file it sais this:

------------------
If you install the full sources, put the kernel tarball in a
directory where you have permissions (eg. your home directory) and
unpack it:

gzip -cd linux-2.4.XX.tar.gz | tar xvf -

Replace "XX" with the version number of the latest kernel.

Do NOT use the /usr/src/linux area! This area has a (usually
incomplete) set of kernel headers that are used by the library header
files. They should match the library, and not get messed up by
whatever the kernel-du-jour happens to be.
--------------------

my confusion is as follows:

1) Id always unpacked the kernel source into /usr/src/ , and then created a sym link called linux to whichever source tree was the current one i was using - and never had problems.

2) I thought the kernel-headers ( on mandrake and redhat ) were installed into /usr/include/linux/. Am i wrong about this? If i am not wrong, then what happens when you build a new kernel but don't change the headers in /usr/include/linux ?

i'd appreciate it if anyone can shed any light on this.

thanks.

I think when you do

make install

it copies the headers and compiled libraries and such to the correct folder for your system.

basically redhat has probably quit making a link named linux, they make on like /usr/src/linux-2.4

it's up to you to make /usr/src/linux

and /usr/src/linux should only be changed if you rebuild the libs.

the libs were built with the version you started with presumably. So if you change the kernel source there then you may have problems with them.

However building a kernel is not the same thing. you should build it in your home folder and then you can put it in /boot or / if your distro uses / and setup lilo.

you should not do anything to /usr/src/linux

Another way to update your kernel fast without having to compile source is the Red Hat Network. You get one free account with each version you own. (or you can pay for as many as you want)

also you can use as many as you want with one free account.

just change the entitlement to the system you want to update.

even if you just downloaded the software it is still free.