Debian-Kernel-Compile-HowTo

This one is for all the Debian users out there who might still be running the 2.4 kernel, here is an opportunity to learn how to upgrade to the 2.6 kernel. What are the benefits of compiling your own kernel? Simply put the base kernel of any distro is somewhat bloated since it must accommodate the widest variety of system and hardware configurations. Compiling your own kernel results in a leaner, faster
version suited to your particular system.

Some words of warning are in order “it could happen that your machine does not boot properly after you have installed the new kernel so you might be forced to boot from a rescue CD to repair your system.” I would never recommend you try your first kernel compile on your everyday distro install one to a test partition and try it. That said I tried my first kernel compile on Slackware just about 6 months after being introduced to Linux it only took me eight attempts to get it right. The key as with everything else is preparation and persistence. Know your system hardware so you compile the needed components, carefully read the documentation and then follow the instructions to the letter.

Here are two resources to get you started Falkotimme.com
and Destop-Linux.net.