How are fedora kernels modified from vanilla kernels

[John DeDourek]

Alexander Dalloz wrote:

> Am Di, den 26.10.2004 schrieb Javier Perez um 12:07:
> 
> 
>>If i figure it right, it means that the src.rpm gives me the patches AND 
>>the plain vanilla kernel. So If I want to recompile I still have to 
>>apply the patches to bring the version of my kernel up to whatever point 
>>number is being used, 2.6.8.1-521, for example. That is before I do the 
>>menuconfig thing.
>>
>>Am I right?
> 
> 
> Not really, the patching is done by using the .spec file. I suggest you
> have a very close look at this online viewable .spec file:
> 
> http://download.atrpms.net/production/sources/fedora-2-i386/atrpms/kernel-2.6.spec
> 
> You don't run menuconfig when using the kernel SRC.RPM. At least not in
> the straight way like you would when using the plain kernel source tree
> (patched or unpatched). This is because the SRC.RPM comes with prepared
> .config file for the different architectures and changes have to be
> applied to them. Else the rpmbuild will fail.
> 
> 
>>Javier
> 
> 
> Alexander
> 
> 
> 
This sounds like a real step backwards in the usability of
Fedora for those of us who don't do kernel development
but just need to gen a custom kernel due to a required
change to the .config.  (In my case to get SCSI multi
lun support so that my multi-type flash card reader
can read on all three ports.)

Is there a HOW-TO for non-kernel developers on how to
build a custom kernel?  Requirements are:
-- use the configuration of the running kernel
-- run menu-config or whatever to make a change
-- make a new kernel as whatever-custom
-- install the new kernel for grub booting as an alternate kernel

John DeDourek