hi
this is aruna.
i'm trying to install iptables.
the manual tells to do some pre-install preparations. it goes as
follows

Before you start installing the iptables userspace tool, you'll need to make certain modifications to your system. First of all you'll need to configure your kernel's options using the command make config. During configuration you must turn on the options CONFIG_NETFILTER and CONFIG_IP_NF_IPTABLES by setting them to Y, since it is necessary to make netfilter/iptables work. Other options you might want to turn on are as follows:

* CONFIG_PACKET: This option is useful, if you want to allow applications and programs to work directly to certain network devices.

* CONFIG_IP_NF_FILTER: This option provides a basic packet filtering framework. Turning this option on will add a basic filter table to kernelspace with built-in INPUT, FORWARD, and OUTPUT chains.

can somebody help me, how should i do this and what is the syntax
of the command

thank you
regards
aruna

Which distro are you using? If it isn't an old 2.2 kernel, I would be surprised if the kernel didn't have a netfilter module, and if the system didn't have a package for ip_tables.

To answer your question; these are options that you set when using "make xconfig". These features need to be enabled. If they aren't, you need to compile a new kernel. If they are present, you don't.