Apply the patch if it is a higher number than what you have.
eg kernel sources dir(2.4.17) you would patch -p0 < patch-2.4.18
similarly if you wanted to go from 2.4.16 you would do:
patch -p0 < patch-2.4.17
patch -p0 < patch-2.4.18

On Fri, 26 Jul 2002, Craig S. wrote:

> I finally dnloaded, decompressed, compiled and installed the 2.4.18  kernel successfully. I saw there was a patch file so I dnloaded it as well. Since I had decompressed the patch I went ahead and applied it with:
> patch -p0 < patch-2.4.18
> 
> >From this point I started getting messages like:
> 
> patching file linux/arch/cris/drivers/ethernet.c
> Reversed (or previously applied patch detected! Assume -R? [n]
> Apply anyway? [n]
> 
> I answered n to both these questions then got the reply:
> skipping patch.
> 
> 38 out of 38 hunks ignored -- saving rejects to file linux/arch/cris/drivers/ethernet.c.rej
> 
> I would assume that since I recently dnloaded the kernel and installed it that the patch is already applied to my image. Is this correct?
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