The following is KERNEL 2.6.10 compilation error message while update KERNEL from 2.4.20-8 to KERNEL 2.6.10 under Red Hat 9.0.
[root@xjm module-init-tools-3.0]# depmod -V
module-init-tools 0.9.10
[root@xjm src]# cd /usr/src/linux-2.6.10/
[root@xjm linux-2.6.10]# make mrproper
[root@xjm linux-2.6.10]# cp arch/i386//defconfig ./.config
[root@xjm linux-2.6.10]# make menuconfig
[root@xjm linux-2.6.10]# make && make modules && make modeules_install && make install
CHK include/linux/version.h
UPD include/linux/version.h
... ...
CC fs/ioctl.o
CC fs/readdir.o
fs/readdir.c: In function `filldir64':
fs/readdir.c:260: internal error--unrecognizable insn:
(insn 184 183 451 (set (reg/v:SI 4 %esi)
(asm_operands/v ("1: movl %%eax,0(%2)
2: movl %%edx,4(%2)
3:
.section .fixup,"ax"
4: movl %3,%0
jmp 3b
.previous
.section __ex_table,"a"
.align 4
.long 1b,4b
.long 2b,4b
.previous") ("=r") 0[
(regI 1 %edx)
(reg:SI 0 %eax)
(const_int -14 [0xfffffff2])
(reg/v:SI 4 %esi)
]
[
(asm_inputI ("A"))
(asm_input:SI ("r"))
(asm_input:SI ("i"))
(asm_input:SI ("0"))
] ("fs/readdir.c") 242)) -1 (insn_list 181 (insn_list 183 (nil)))
(nil))
cpp: output pipe has been closed
make[1]: *** [fs/readdir.o] Error 1
make: *** [fs] Error 2
[root@xjm linux-2.6.10]#

Have you thought about trying the latest kernel (2.6.13.2)?

Also, if you are going to start tearing the system apart, why not just upgrade to CentOS or Fedora Core?

This is what I see. You have some errors in your commands, and you are
using the wrong procedure to compile a Linux-2.6.x.y kernel. I don't know
RedHat, but I know "cp arch/i386//defconfig ./.config" has two slashes in
between i386 and defconfig. While I don't know why this command is used
at that point, I know that a directory structure only contains one slash.

And here "make && make modules && make modeules_install && make install"
you spelled modules incorrectly. Also, those steps for compiling are wrong.

I don't know which kernel guide you followed, but here are three sources
with the correct options for compiling a 2.6 series kernel:

First, Linus Torvald's instructions in ./linux-2.6.x.y/README
Second, Kwan Lowe's Kernel Build HOW-TO
(be sure to build your kernel under /home as Linus instructs)
Third, Jesper Juhl's Guide to building a 2.6 kernel
(the System.map "shell magic" is not necessary)

If you will compile your kernel under your /home directory somewhere as Linus
instructs, and follow the proper steps for a 2.6.x.y kernel, you might not get
those errors.

To hijack the thread for one quick question, where do the headers go when you compile your own kernel? Can you delete the source later and still compile new kernel modules?