I have: Red hat 9 w/ kernel 2.4.20-8 and im try to upgrade to kernel 2.6 because of wireless card problems.

I've downloaded the latest linux kernel patch 2.6.1 from kernel.org and thats about it.

I need to extract it, but where should i extract it to and how do i use it?

I've tried 'patch -p1 < /path/to/patch/file' command but have no idea what to do from there.

any help is appreciated - thanx

I think the patch is for patching 2.6.0 source, just download the full 2.6.1:

http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kern...-2.6.1.tar.bz2

download the patch, drop it in /usr/src/linux
type:
cd /usr/src/linux
and then:
scripts/patch-kernel

it will do the job for you (ahn, that is, if you have the kernel's sources... and I've always asked myself if you can patch from one kernel to the other without problems... I mean, 2.4 to 2.6 or 2.0 to 2.4.... what about kernel's tree big changes? don't know... If anyone can answer that, I would be pleased )

JUST FORGOT TO TELL'YA! DON'T EXTRACT THE PATCH! I've always been in trouble patching the kernel extracting the patch file... the patch-kernel script will do the job for you

If your using 2.4.20... he would have to download and patch each patch up to 2.6.1.

Its easier and seems more logical to just download the fulll 2.6.1 kernel and upgrade that way.

Regards.

I don't think so, not with the patches from kernel.org anyway.
Here's what the kernel README says:

Okay, let me explain this in another way:

You currently have 2.4.20

You need to apply patches:

2.4.21
2.4.22
2.4.23
2.4.24
2.6.0
2.6.1

In that order per se. So when skipping from 2.4.20 to 2.6.1, its usually easier to just download the full kernel and compile from there.

If he was going from 2.6.0 to 2.6.1, a patch is usually easier and quicker download than just downloading the whole thing once again.

Cheers.

i dont have /usr/src/linux exactly, but i do have /usr/src/linux-2.4.20-8

I suppose thats the folder i should copy the patch to, as well as run 'scripts/patch-kernel' in right?

ok, if im not using the patch and got the full kernel i.e. linux-2.6.1.tar.bz2 what do i with that

Actually, as trickykid said (thanks man, that was exactly how I thought it was ) You should just download the full kernel source for 2.6.1 and then uncompress it (on /usr/src),you'd better symlink it to the linux folder (that is, after uncompressing it - on the /usr/src folder just type ln -s linux-2.6.1 linux). Then, go inside it and follow the instructions from this link: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...hreadid=127095

hope you can manage it!