compiling linux kernel-2.6.11
 

I am using linux-2.6.5 kernel now. I am having network support in the present version. I downloaded linux-2.6.11 kernel. After extracting it to /root/linux-2.6.11, i issued the following commands in sequence


make oldconfig
make
make modules install


and modified the grub config to point to new kernel as a seperate option. When i boot to new kernel, i get a message /lib/modules/2.6.11/modules.dep is missing and i fails to load some modules. But after the booting is complete, when i issue the 'ifconfig' command, it do not show me the eth0. I can see only the look back interface. Please help me to solve the problem. How can i put the modules.dep in /lib/modules directory? whre can it be found? if i put the mouldules there, will it solve my problem?

You should run:
As for your nic if you compiled the driver as module it should be loaded. Else go to:
Device Drivers-->Networking Support-->Ethernet (whatever speed your nic is) and select it to build as module or built-in.
After boot run "lsmod" to see if it's loaded.

The command to prepare the module-dependencies (/sbin/depmod) is usually executed by a command such as /sbin/installkernel, which is a script. The exact sequence that is performed by your distro can vary considerably.

The place to start looking is probably in
<linuxversion>/arch/i386/Makefile. This is probably the "topmost level" makefile ... which references targets that are defined in other Makefiles such as <linuxversion>/Makefile. (Where <linuxversion> is simply my way of referring to whatever-directory you put your kernel source into, for the purposes of this posting.)

On my formerly-RedHat system, this Makefile invokes /sbin/installkernel which, in turn, invokes /sbin/new-kernel-package and a few other scripts.

If you are moving away from "the distro's way of doing things" and compiling your own custom kernel, you may find that some of those scripts have to be modified to suit your new modus operandi. (For example, since I no longer use an initrd, I had to stop the new-kernel-package script from trying to build one.)