what does it mean???

If I understand the question, you take the kernel source and turn it into the finished program via gcc and friends. This gives you the ability to select which elements you do or don't want, make sure all your hardware and nobody else's is supported, and generally tune it for your box.

That it?

Whatcha mean?? . Compiling the kernel is taking its sources and recompiling them again, are you asking that question because you do not know about programming, if it so, then
1. A program is made of severeal (likely) "source files", that are basically instructions made in a programming language, such as c/c++, Java, perl, and so on
2. You take those sources, and take a compiler like gcc and make an executable, or an static library (.a) or a dynamic library (.so)
3. You run the program / link the libraries from another program

If you are a programmer, then excuse me sir!!!

Likely, youll need to compile the kernel to add support for more hardware or stuff like that (AFAIK), but I have to say I never had to before (thank god - kidding, ive heard it aint that hard)

i dont; get it

Need to be more specific. Don't get what?

I'm kinda very interested in kernel compiling, especially for specific hardware, but don't have a gawdam clue. Some links to HOWTOs or step by step guides, good books, or previous threads, would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

er, I've just seen the kernel compiling guide at the top of the page, which kind of makes my previous request for info a little redundant. Does this guide work for version 10.0 though?

preface Since I'm not a programmer, and not a guru of ANY kind, I'll take a stab at answering this:
from an intermeditate user to a noobie - maybe it'll work out.

The kernel starts your operating system. It contains the information to get things going.
Among other things, it loads drivers to make/allow some hardware to work. (SOME drivers
could also be loaded as modules - but thats a different topic).

SO - A person would recompile thier kernel so that it would include drivers and/or options
that the default installed kernel does not include.

(Hope I'm not telling you something you already know)

When you want to add or remove drivers or options to the default kernel that the installation
of the operating system installs, you have to compile it - or recompile it. ( " it " being the kernel).

So, as mentioned in previous posts on this thread, you use gcc ( the 'make' command) to
recompile (redo? rebuild? ) the program (the kernel in this case) AFTER you have made changes
to its configuration (adding/removing drivers and/or options).
Fortunatly, there is a variety of fairly easy ways to make these changes (see how-to's).

summary
I tried to make it simple - perhaps TOO simple - hope it helps in getting a general perspective.
This answer your question, encore?
-tw

i really recomend the guide to Kernel compiling thats is at the top of this forum, with it i compiled my first kernel succesfully, btw i havent thank the people who wrote it, *shame*, and i'd would like to add some comments to the topic even though im still a newbie, here i go, since the moment you start installing a GNU/Linux (in this case) u need a kernel, so the installation can access some of you hardware, the deafault kernel is bare.i, it has a looot of drivers and modules compiled, and yet u may not be able to use some devices you may have like usb devices or SCSI disk drives for example at this point, because this kernel its intented to be for the most common hardware these days (i guess), but you can choose between some of the precompiled kernels that slackware has if it cant get installed without some device support, here is the first time you can choose a kernel, when the installation is about to end u are asked again, to choose kernel, but this one will be the one that slackware will use to boot from now, the same kernels are available or you can use a custom one, in the case u already had compile one, so compiling the kernel is good for at least two things, when u need support for a device or a new device on your system that with any of the default kernels u cant use, and if u dont want to add something, when you compile it you configure your box to only load the modules and support your ur very own machine, and with this u will have a smaller and thus a faster kernel

hope this help, and i really need redaction lessons

i understand now thx man