@Anisha Kaul. On linux mint. I was not very comfortable with apt-get. Although now I am. I installed yum because i had switched to mint and yum wasn't working. No special reasons. And the ebook I am referring to advised me not to mess with the kernel by placing it in /usr/src/linux. So i am doing all that in a new directory i created and placing the kernel there. I am sorry, All those commands were run in root itself. I don't know why ncurses gave error in mint but was a success in fedora. I think i have to restart the process in fedora. Is it sensible?

Firstly, I am sorry since I have no idea about that error.
Advice - start a new thread in the "software" section here with the title like "No package ncurses-devel available."
I think we "should" know the reason for that error.

Anyway, if Fedora works for you then get going.

Please link here the guide which you are following for the kernel compilation. I wish to see it.

I am also curious to know that why uname is showing Ubuntu when you are using Mint?

@Anisha Kaul. I replied to this but I am not seeing it. Anyways, I was running it in mint. And the ebook i referred to said not to mess with the kernel by placing it in the /usr/src/linux so i moved it to a new directory i created and i've been trying to build in the same. I am sorry. All the commands were run in root. But failed due to the same error. I will have to try it in fedora 16 because installing ncurses was pretty easy here. Do you recommend to restart the process in fedora?. Thanks...

In this link set the number of posts per page to 50: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...do=editoptions
I can see your same previous post, for you it might be on the next page.

@Anisha Kaul:Yes. I am using mint and it is showing ubuntu. And i run all distro's in Vmware player. Do you think that could be the reason?. I will get started with fedora. And i will Post it in 'software' section as you say. I am using this as referrence . Thanks. I guess this is one of the books you suggested earlier.

Is make xconfig working? Or make gconfig?

There are separate links showing the "kernel compilation" explicitly. http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...-books-873556/

@Anisha Kaul. gconfig says it requires a gtk+ development kit and that is unavailable too. I haven't tried xconfig yet. I will start the process in fedora try it again. Thanks.

I think the best way is to remove the current ncurses library, and install a new one

Does his output show that ncurses is already installed on "Mint"?

just in case, we never know