ok jsut for the record ive never compiled a kernel .. well i installed slack 10.1 and now i want to compile the new 2.6 kernel and i mounted cd 2 and now im in /testing/linux-2.6.x and i have no clue where to go from there can some one be kind enough to help out thanks

Search LQ, Google <Linux>, and the instructions
on the Slackware-10.1 CDs.

May I ask why you want to compile a 2.6.x kernel? Here's a good quote from Kwan Lowe
Okay, there is NO directory "/testing/linux-2.6.x" on CD2. In Linux you need to be very specific, because typos will cause your system to execute an incorrect command -- which could hose it!

This directory "/testing/packages/linux-2.6.10/" contains:
kernel-generic-2.6.10-i486-1.tgz
kernel-headers-2.6.10-i386-1.tgz
kernel-modules-2.6.10-i486-1.tgz
each with a corresponding .txt (text) file which explains their purpose and function. It also contains:
kernel-source-2.6.10-noarch-1.tgz
which is the complete and unmodified source code for the Linux kernel that you can install with pkgtool.

The directory "/testing/source/linux-2.6.x" which is probably the one to which you refer contains:
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 50545 2005-02-03 10:32 config-2.6.10
which is the config file for this kernel, and two sub-directories:
kernel-generic/
kernel-modules/
which contain a general purpose Linux kernel and modules put together by Pat V., creator and maintainer of Slackware.

Secondly, since you're new to Linux, you should read every README.TXT file on the Slackware CDs. That way you'll learn some of this stuff and get a good head start!

Particularly, you should FIRST read the README.TXT file and the Slackware-HOWTO on CD1. In that second file you'll read this from Patrick Volkerding, the creator of Slackware
That is probably what you want to do...

If after reading that stuff, you STILL want to recompile your kernel, then you should really (IMO) learn some basic shell commands first before starting. Additionally, you'll need to know your hardware intimately, and so I'd recommend you read
Kwan Lowe's Kernel Build HOWTO in it's entirety before you start -- paying particular attention to the section titled Preparation.

Hope this isn't too much for you to handle at one time, but if I may, this is how I see it.

With Windoze you have a system "made for everyone" that is unsecure and poorly designed -- much like buying the cheapest little car made just because "it's easy to use and will get me down the road."

With a properly designed Linux distribution (Slackware, for example), you have a system that is quite secure from a basic install, and more powerful than Windoze even without much tweaking. Sort of like buying a sportscar -- say a stock Corvette -- out of the box but capable of being tweaked and tuned into a very fine, high-performance street machine.

If you're just into Linux for a "check it out and kick the tires," then just do the basic install in a dual boot situation with Windoze and slowly check out Linux. Use it first for nothing more than email, web browsing, and basic office documents. Then (one app at a time) check out what else it offers. And somewhere along the line, learn the "command line" so that you can experience the raw power of Linux.

At first you might be comfortable with KDE because it looks similar to Windoze, and you can click on an icon on the desktop to get something done. But if you run a light-weight window manager such as Fluxbox, and learn some command line functions, you'll begin to experience that "sportscar performance" that's hidden from the GUI users...