I have tried to recompile a kernal. Everything seem to go OK but it would never finish booting into the new kernal. So I am using the original kernal to boot and run. The problem I have is that now everytime I install a new program it compiles for the new kernal not the one I,m running. So how do I let the system know what kernal I want programs to compile for. Or how do I remove all the files etc from the failed compile???

Hmm Depends on how you 'recompiled'. Normally, if you grab the source from www.kernel.org and do a "standard" recompile, then you'd simply choose the old entry in your boot loader and everything should be fine, assuming you didn't overwrite your old kernel and old modules in /lib/modules/kernel-version

So let us know what process you used, and some details of those processes, and we might be able to assist you back to your working/old kernel

Cool

Basically I used the original source that was installed with redhat v9. make xconfig to customise, make dep, make clean, make bzimage, make modules, make modules_install, make install. Then rebooted on the new kernel (using grug and selected new kernel). I can not use the new kernek as I get part way into the boot and get a kernel panic. I am beginning to think that the step I have failed to do is to use symbolic links to the new kernel . (but that is another story). Anyway does this help. What do I need to do now?

do a "make dep && make clean modules modules_install"

What directory should I be in to execute this command. at the moment I get this.....
[root@redhat4 root]# make dep && make clean modules modules_install
make: *** No rule to make target `dep'. Stop.
[root@redhat4 root]#

/usr/src/linux

(probably /usr/src/linux is a symlink to one of your installed kernels; make sure you issue these commands in the kernel directory of the kernel you want gone, e.g. if you want linux-2.4.22 gone issue these commands in /usr/src/linux-2.4.22)

Ok What I have done is to delete the new directory that contained these files. (an act of desperation by someone with no idea what he was doing) I guess that this is not good!!! Can I redo the compile and then atempt to run the command to remove and it will do the job, or am I living in fantasy land!!

Just follow this link's instruction's and try to understand what is happening as you do it; learning commands is one thing, knowing the concepts behind it enables you to troubleshoot on your own and figure it out by yourself. To me, this is the whole point of linux...

http://www.slackware.org/book/index....urce=x948.html

btw... you should really try a different distro if you want to learn linux...

This is an area that seems to be in hot dispute.....what distro to use. I am only learning this stuff. I was told the easiest distro to start on is redhat as many of the services etc are preconfigured and it is a simple matter to enable them. Also rpm's make for simple installs. So far this is what I have found....except doing my own kernal compile. The reason this has been difficult is because I have so far found 4 different ways to do it. There is lots of support but everyone seems to do things differently......basically it is bloody confusing. What makes Slackware a better distro to learn?? I'm interested to use what ever is better.

Well, I started on Slackware, so Im partial to it. As you know, there are tons of distrobutions, not just the couple that most people think of. I think its better to learn on a distro that does things the "standard" way(the way most of the distrobutions work), and not a distro like Red Hat, where most things are done Red Hat's way. That way what you learn can apply to all forms of linux and not just that distro. Especially considering Red Hat just cancelled any new versions of their home distrobution, theyre only doing servers now. I still think Slackware is easy for newbie's, it just takes longer because it steps you through the work. Instead of an auto-script, it will tell you you need to modify a certain file, and how to do it. So it takes more work on your part, but is still not hard.
Honestly I cant stand the rpm system, Slackware and Gentoo(what i use now) have way better system for installing packages that are WAY easier for a newb. But this is just my opinion. Gentoo uses the "emerge" command, and slackware uses "swaret". These are basically like, "find xxx and install it for me". Basically if you want the program gaim you just type "emerge gaim", and voila. Of course you need an internet connection though.
In the end, linux is linux, and they are all basically the same, I just like to have more control over what is on my system. I recommend Slackware, or even Gentoo if you have a week or so to dedicate yourself to it. But dont expect to learn anything from a distro that is easier to install the XP...