cd /lib/modules/2.4.36; \
mkdir -p pcmcia; \
find kernel -path '*/pcmcia/*' -name '*.o' | xargs -i -r ln -sf ../{} pcmcia
if [ -r System.map ]; then /sbin/depmod -ae -F System.map 2.4.36; fi
Version requires old depmod, but couldn't run /sbin/depmod.old: No such file or directory
make: *** [_modinst_post] Error 2

This is the error that was displayed during the build process for a 2.4.36 kernel, using GCC 4.0.

1) How can I find out what version of depmod this needs to work?
This is the version that I tried:
module-init-tools 3.3-pre11

2) What can I do to get this to work? Note that in the error it has "pcmcia" but I did not include PCMCIA stuff in the configuration.

Backup your current /sbin/depmode.

Thank you for the comment on backing up depmod. That caused that error to stop. Can you tell me why I can use the same version of "depmod" when the error said that I needed an old version?

Where can I find depmod to download it and build it, if I later need to get a true older version of it? I tried to find "depmod" but could not find a site to download it from.

Now I get this error:

linux-2.4.36/System.map

Kernel image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.4.36

WARNING Cannot determine dependencies of kernel module 'uhci-hcd'.
Does it exist? If it does, try depmod -a. Continuing without uhci-hcd.
Kernel Modules:

1) How can I resolve these dependencies? I used the depmod command but there was no change. This error was from the last part of the build process for the kernel. I can try to boot, but is it not going to work? What are these kernel modules and do I need them?

As soon as you backup something it's becoming "old",so you don't have to download it.
'uhci-hcd' is kernel module for registering USB buses,so if you have your mouse or something else connected through USB port you will need this module.You can load this module and dependencies with modprobe command and unload it with rmmod.If you are missing dependencies it means that other kernel modules needs to be loaded for the other one to work.Use command /sbin/lsmod to find out what modules are currently running,so that you know what you need in your new,custom kernel,or what you don't.If you are thinking of adding a new hardware then you must check /etc/modules.conf file and add a new driver for it.

Thank you for the comment.

I did not include any "uhci" options in one kernel build that I tried, and I still found that same error message complaining about how the initrd script could not find dependencies for "uhci-hcd". Thank you for telling me that it is for the registering of usb devices on the bus.

1) What does it mean that it is continuing without it?

2) Does that mean that I can not use any usb devices then because the bus is not being used?

3) I still have not figured out how to get this 2.4.36 kernel to boot. I can build it. I can select it from the boot menu. But it does not boot, yet. If it is missing some modules or some functionality, and if I can figure out what modules it needs, then how can I add those modules to the kernel that I have?

4) If I find the source file for ONE module, such as "moduleA", and I want to build just that ONE module for kernel 2.4.36, and if I have the kernel sources for that kernel in the build directory /kernel/build/2.4.36, how can I build just that ONE module for that kernel?

5) How can I link that one module into the kernel early in the boot process? It stops booting way before the login screen.

________________
I gave Linux a try because of M$crosoft. My M$crosoft ME started to huff and puff and told me to get Vista. I tried to recompile my M$crosoft ME, but I did not know where to start. Now, I have been compiling Linux. It compiles. I just got to get it to boot.

From another post, a forum member smedley, gave me this link to a free Linux book: www.kroah.com/lkn

In chapter 4 of the book, Advanced Build Options, it tells you how to build a module at a time. I think that this is what I was trying to figure out how to do. The other thing that I have not figured out how to do is to know what CONFIG option to include for the hardware that I have on my PC. I have no idea what these CONFIG options are, and no idea what they do. I have no idea what hardware needs what module. Other newbies like me probably have the same problems.

"To build only a specific file in the kernel tree, just pass it as the argument to make.
For example, if you wish to build only the drivers/usb/serial/visor.ko kernel
module, enter:
$ make drivers/usb/serial/visor.ko
The build system will build all needed files for the visor.ko kernel module, and do
the final link to create the module."

You have answered to some of your questions yourself.As I said in post #5,you can add some module with modprobe command,like this then modul uhci-hcd with all dependencies will be loaded.
Another useful kernel module utility is modinfo. You can use the command to display information about kernel module.The syntax is You can use -p option for listing the parametares that module supports and -d for the description of a module.Try to find this file /usr/src/linux-2.4/Documentation/modules.txt in your directories to learn how to compile and use kernel modules.

Thank you for the comment.

As I replied in post 6, it may not have been clear what I was asking.
"
3) I still have not figured out how to get this 2.4.36 kernel to boot. I can build it. I can select it from the boot menu. But it does not boot, yet. If it is missing some modules or some functionality, and if I can figure out what modules it needs, then how can I add those modules to the kernel that I have?

4) If I find the source file for ONE module, such as "moduleA", and I want to build just that ONE module for kernel 2.4.36, and if I have the kernel sources for that kernel in the build directory /kernel/build/2.4.36, how can I build just that ONE module for that kernel?

5) How can I link that one module into the kernel early in the boot process? It stops booting way before the login screen."

This is for a kernel that I trying to get to boot. I can not run the command that you have told me about because I have not been able to boot that kernel. This is new to me. If I am wrong about that, and I can run that command with the kernel before I have been able to boot, then tell me how I can do that. I do not even get a command line! It does not boot yet, and I am trying to figure out how to get it to boot. I think that you did not answer my question! Am I right?

I have been trying to figure out how to add the sata_nv module to the kernel, though when I retried to build the kernel and ran the configuration utility, I did not see any option to select for that module. I found the sata_nv file in the /drivers/scsi directory for the 2.4.36 kernel, and I found a CONFIG_SCSI_SATA_NV CONFIG option in another config file, but when I tried to build it this time, it did not build and I got an error about it not being able to find the sata_nv module. I also got an error message warning about how 2 files out of 13 did not have correct md5 sums. What does all of this mean, and how can I build the 2.4.36 kernel with the sata_nv module?