First a shout out to Shilo many thanks. After following your advice on how to compile and install a new kernal i now have 2.6.19 running on slackware 11 now on to making it scream!!!
secondly i've finally got my dvd writer to be noticed by slack, again by following your posted fstab example
(to any newbies out there i recommend shilo-is-a-geek.com)

I do have a quick question however, for any that are reading this. Upon booting I no longer get the script telling me what the computer is doing, the monitor just changes states without any messages displayed then i am taken to the graphical login. I would like to know how to get this back. Or better yet how to get the boot-up messages to say get written to a temp file which would be waiting for me on my desktop.

thanks for any replies

Hmm, the title of the post does not seem to match your question.

Boot up messages appear on tty1.
If you press ctl+alt+F1 ... you can jump into that console to view the messages.
The X login will probably be on ctl+alt+F8.

The "dmesg" command will show some bootup messages or you can view the /var/log/messages file.

By "changing states" do you mean that there are graphics or a blank screen? In either case, it seems that you now have a bootsplash (ie, either one that works or one that doesn't). You could try F2 while the kernel is booting to see if that gives you the messages back.

I have had these kinds of problems when compiling your own kernel. I think you might have missed the step to configure the framebuffer section. Go and look in your .config file for the following section and make sure the following matches:

# Console display driver support
CONFIG_VGA_CONSILE=y
CONFIG_VGACON_SOFT_SCROLLBACK=Y
CONFIG_VGACON_SOFT_SCROLLBACK_SIZE=64
CONFIG_MDA_CONSOLE=m
CONFIG_DUMMY_CONSOLE=y
CONFIG_FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE=y
# CONFIG FRAMEBUFFER_CONSOLE_ROTATION is not set
CONFIG_FONTS=y
CONFIG_FONT_8X8=y
CONFIG_FONT_8X16=y

And the following section, make sure this is set to yes.

# Logo configuration
CONFIG_LOG=y
CONFIG_LOGO_LINUX_CLUT224=y
CONFIG_BLACKLIGHT_LCD_SUPPORT=y
CONFIG_BLACKLIGHT_CLASS_DEVICE=M
CONFIG_BLACKLIGHT_DEVICE=y
CONFIG_LCD_CLASS_DEVICE=M
CONFIG_LCD_DEVICE=y

Now, this is from the default config file that ships out with Slackware 11 2.6.17.3 kernel. I'm not sure if you need all of these setting on, but I would match it just to be sure. Hopefully, this should work.

I was going to ask how to test the differences between them but then got off track. LOL sorry

by changing states i mean it is as though it is turning off for a moment without actually turning off ie the power light is still on. In other words the LCD backlight(if that's what it calls) goes off, like when you reset your display.

Did you try making those changes in your config file and then re-compile your kernel? I'm pretty sure this is going to be your problem.

I missed the part about recompiling
unfortunately i have to go to work now (midnight shift) but i will try recompiling again tomorrow morning and looking for the necassary sections in the configuration. Thanks for all your help however and i'll post any results tomorrow
thanks again

Sounds good. Let us know how it goes. Sorry about your mids. I get to work those shift quite often. Ugh...

Success
I went through "make gconfig"
I checked a great many things
among them framebuffer console and logo
I made many modules
I got a huge bzImage( 7.7 Mb )
but at the very least I got my bootscreen back and the little guy in the top left corner wearing a tuxedo

make me all warm and fuzzy again.
thanks again to all that replied

Great to hear!!!

i know that im a noob but where is the config file located as i am having the same problem.
thanks

Assuming you have the kernel source installed, it's /usr/src/linux-<kernel version>/.config