What I will be trying to do (hopefully today) is install Redhat on the new SATA WD raptor I bought. I've read alot about drivers, but it seems like the new 2.4.21+ kernels have support for my SATA controller, so instead of dealing with drivers I would like to put a new kernel on my installation cd's. The problem is I don't know if I'm just wasting my time trying to do something that wont work. I don't see why it wouldnt work, but I'm not sure.

What I want to do is use this ISO extraction tool I have to extract the data from the right Redhat CD, replace the 2.4.8 kernel with a newer kernel, recreate the ISO and burn the new ISO set than install on my raptor. Does this sound like it could work?

you would also have to install all the related updates to the software to make the 2.6 kernel work. I don't know if anaconda will permit you to even do this. You need the newer modutils, rcinitrd, and several others. Read up on installing 2.6 before you attempt this.

The only other solution I can think of is to make a fresh redhat install on a hard drive that you can install redhat on. get it as little as possible and install the 2.6 kernel and give it the correct support for your newer harddrive..and make sure it works. Then you would have to copy this install to your new hard drive and install grub on that disks mbr, and you should be set to go. I might be wrong on both counts as I have never tried either.