I just upgraded to slackware-current. Everything seems ok so far except for a few problems which have been sorted. Some libraries didn't get installed during the upgrade which caused problems with firefox and KDE applications opening.

One problem is left over though. I was watching the upgrade and I seen kernel 2.4.32 being installed. However right now I'm running kernel 2.4.31. Is there anything I need to do to get the new kernel working or should I try installing the packages again?

Did you read the Upgrade HOW-TO?

You shouldn't upgrade your kernel this way. Edit the config file for whatever updater you're using - if that's the way you're doing the upgrade - and exclude kernel packages to stop this from happening.

Compile the kernel yourself if you feel the need to upgrade.

I upgraded following this guide.

Right now the Slackware 10.2 kernel is working properly, should I just leave it as it is?

Alright thanks, I'll keep the kernel I have now.

That guide you followed is not official. You should follow the one from Slackware.

If you followed the guide whose link you posted, there was no mention of fixing LiLO (in the Current Upgrade HOWTO). However, the guide from Slackware says:
Perhaps the reason your system is running 2.4.31 is because of this? Look in /boot to see if your upgrade installed the 2.4.32 kernel.

Although I like to compile my own kernels, there are plenty who run Pat's default kernels. If they work for you that's okay. There are some benefits to running a 2.6 stable kernel, especially if you have newer hardware.

Compiling your own kernel will teach you a lot about your system. For people new to rebuilding a kernel, my suggestion is Kwan Lowe's Kernel Rebuild Guide.

Thanks for the information, didn't know there was an offical upgrade how to. This upgrade was pretty much a test to see how things go. I'm getting a laptop soon which will be my Linux desktop as the main PC will be used as an entertainment centre. Right now I'm in the process of trying things out on my main PC that way when I get the laptop everything will be smooth.

Thanks for that kernel rebuild link. I kind of know how to rebuild the kernel, though am not good at it yet. I can add/remove from Pat's kernel perfectly, but if I start from scratch I always miss something small and every time it's something different. I'll read that site and see if I can pick up a tip somewhere.

One thing you must do to upgrade to -current. Read the ChangeLog, and make sure how these changes will effect your system.

To rebuild your kernel you need to learn about your hardware. That is the key, along with knowing things such as the networking options. If you build kernels with a lot of modules, like Pat's, then you can get an idea what you're using by issuing "lsmod" (list modules). The longer your system has been up, and the more things you've done, the more modules you should see. That will give you a starting point to see which modules you are using with your Slackware system.

You can start learning by taking the .config file from a kernel you're using that works good for you, and then using that one to build a new kernel. I don't suggest using a 2.4 .config file to build a 2.6 kernel, though. For that one I'd print the 2.4 .config file and follow it as you build the 2.6 kernel from a fresh .config file.

You might want to do this with fresh sources for a 2.4.32 kernel. You could use Pat's 2.4.32 config file from -current as a starting point by following one of my simple guides and putting that config file in at step #5 of that guide. Then between steps 6 and 7 you can run "make xconfig" and look at the options, changing just what you know is specific to your computer.

For instance, you can get information about your CPU by issuing "cat /proc/cpuinfo" and then you can change Pat's options to fit your kernel. Similar steps for the remainder of your hardware, such as removing support for every NIC except yours. This is a simple way to start learning your hardware, and how to rebuild a kernel.