My only recommendation is to avoid "make install" and copy the kernel, system.map, config file yourself, also edit lilo config and run it.

the 2.6 kernel compile procedure is basically on 5 step

1. configure with make config, menuconfig,gconfig or xconfig
2. compile kernel + modules just by type : make
3. install module in proper directory : make modules_install (do no forget the underscore)
4. install kernel file and system.map by copy /usr/src/linux-2.6.7/arch/i386/boot/bzImage in /boot and /usr/src/linux-2.6.7/System.map also in boot, rename your kernal as you want
5. configure your lilo accordingly to the new kernel name

here is my compilation procedure:

download source tarball
cp linux-<version>.tar.bz2 /usr/src
cd /usr/src
tar -xjvf linux-<version>.tar.bz2
rm -f /usr/src/linux
ln -s linux-<version> linux
cd linux

vi Makefile
edit EXTRAVERSION (eg "-1" or "-withAGP" etc...) and save
make xconfig
enable 'Show All Options' and 'Show Debug Info'
go through the entire configuration settings
go through the entire configuration settings
go through the entire configuration settings
make clean
make bzImage
make modules
su
make modules_install
cp arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/bzImage-<version><extraversion>
cp System.map /boot/Sytem.map-<version><extraversion>
rm -f /boot/System.map
ln -s /boot/System.map-<version><extraversion> /boot/System.map
vi /etc/lilo.conf
image = bzImage-<version><extraversion>
password = ""
restricted
root = /dev/hda1 (or wherever)
label = <version><extraversion>
read-only
/sbin/lilo -p
reboot

re-install packages as needed (like ALSA)

it is old-school compilation procedure

no..I am kidding, you see Reefcrazed, every one has his way to do kernel compilation but the needed step are configure, compile and copy good files in good location

thank you?
lol...

You know maybe in a year all of you guys will make more since. Now you just confuse the *(@*# out of me. This is why i have went from Redhat 9, to FC2, now to Slackware. I figure if i am going to learn this i might as well learn Slackware since it is supposed to be more barebones if you want to really learn Linux. I will tell you though i like the terminal window resolution way better during bootup on my old laptop. I also like the "message of the day" or whatever it is called after you login. Slackware seems to have a more "old school" feel to it that i like alot.

nahh...two months tops



(and you can change your console resolution in lilo)

Is this in any distro ?