At the risk of boring everyone, I have ascertained this much information
regarding compiling a kernel on RedHat 7.1 though I am certain that the
process is likely to be much the same with most all other distributions...

The proper procedure to maintain the original kernel and ability to boot
from that kernel & set of modules when compiling a new kernel would be to:

first - install
   kernel-source-2.4.2-2.i386.rpm (located on Binary CD 2)

cd /usr/src/linux-2.4.2/configs
   cp (desired config file) .config
   (i.e. cp kernel-2.4.2-i586.config .config

cd .. (your path should be /usr/src/linux-2.4.2 or whichever source you
intend to compile)

make mrproper
 (only necessary if previous attempts at compiling have failed)
 (not necessary if fresh untar/rpm sources)
make EXTRAVERSION=-foo menuconfig
make EXTRAVERSION=-foo dep
make EXTRAVERSION=-foo clean
 (only necessary if previous attempts at compiling have failed)
 (not necessary if fresh untar/rpm sources)
make EXTRAVERSION=-foo bzImage
make EXTRAVERSION=-foo modules
make EXTRAVERSION=-foo modules_install

---
note to Steve - initial configuration of make menuconfig (or gui's
equivalent) would be obtained from the file called .config in the configs
folder in the /usr/src/linux-version tree.

Hey as of last Wednesday I had never compiled a new kernel and in fact was
intimidated by the process. I would probably recommend that the first time
or two, you don't do it on a production computer in case you screw up and
forget to protect the initially installed kernel & modules from being
over-written.

Craig

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- Craig White - PO Box 8634 - Scottsdale, Arizona - 85252
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