1. Introduction

I used to compile kernels manually, and it involved a series of steps to be taken in order; kernel-package was written to take all the required steps (it has grown beyond that now, but essentially, that is what it does). This is especially important to novices: make-kpkg takes all the steps required to compile a kernel, and installation of kernels is a snap. — Manoj Srivastava, author of kernel-package

If you have ever compiled a kernel you will be amazed at how easy it can be. This tutorial was designed to enable you to use Debian's kernel-package system, which simplifies building and installing custom kernels. Learn to create Debian packages of kernels and their modules, and manage the resulting kernel images with dpkg.

You can make your system unbootable if you're not careful. I highly recommend you read this entire document at least once, then work through it as you build your kernel.

Please remember that inevitably, some people will use this document and screw up their systems. Don't be one of them. If you don't understand something, get more information before proceeding. If you see something here that you know is a mistake, please let me know at <newbiedoc-discuss@lists.sourceforge.net>.