Compiling 2.6.6 kernel update
 

So im trying to get the last step done before switching totally over to linux, installing my wireless card.

Its based on the ADM8211 chipset, and i have downloaded the native drivers. I tried to make install it, but came across errors that some research told me i needed to update the kernel to 2.6.6 or higher.

My problem is i cant find any guide that shows me wether i have to recompile completely from source, or just install a rpm update. I have downloaded both but when compiling from source i cant get it to work.

Ive got Mandy 10 community 2.6.3 kernel

So my questions are:

to get my kernel from 2.6.3 to 2.6.7, do i need to recompile from source, or just run an update kernel rpm? and if i just update, will the make install from the ADM8211 driver package still work without the source?

im very confused on that point.

and has anyone (preferably newbie) installed one of these chipsets under mandy 10 community and gotten it working, and what resources did you find to help you?

Im more than happy to write a how to if i can just get this thing running. its very frustrating booting back and forth between windows and linux every time i hit a brick wall.

all help is muchly appreciated!

If you have 2.6.3 and need to get to 2.6.7 then it sounds like you'd want to patch your existing kernel up to 2.6.7. Never done this myself, but the procedure seems to involve applying patches incrementally: 2.6.3 -> 2.6.4 -> 2.6.5 -> 2.6.6 -> 2.6.7. There are readme's about how to patch on www.kernel.org, and I would also read the "kernel/index" HOWTO - it has a section devoted specifically to patching vs compiling from scratch. I'd try to patch up and then install the module again, if what it is complaining is your kernel version. You are probably looking at around 8-9 Mb's of a total download, as opposed to 30+ for a full 2.6.7 kernel source.