HOW DO I COMPLIED LINUX KERNEL?

I'm trying to compile the new 2.6.17.7 kernel.  I compiled it successfully (well, almost successfully - worked but the VGA was screwed up - didn't care because all i do is ssh in the box anyway) once, but then when i tried again for a different system, it stops and gives me this crap:

drivers/built-in.o(.text+0xcda78): In function `stv0299_writeregI':
: undefined reference to `i2c_transfer'
drivers/built-in.o(.text+0xcdb9e): In function `stv0299_readreg':
: undefined reference to `i2c_transfer'
drivers/built-in.o(.text+0xcdc8f): In function `stv0299_readregs':
: undefined reference to `i2c_transfer'
drivers/built-in.o(.text+0xcef11): In function `cx22700_writereg':
: undefined reference to `i2c_transfer'
drivers/built-in.o(.text+0xcf015): In function `cx22700_readreg':
: undefined reference to `i2c_transfer'
drivers/built-in.o(.text+0xcf953): more undefined references to `i2c_transfer' follow
drivers/built-in.o(.text+0xdd5ba): In function `ttusb_probe':
: undefined reference to `i2c_add_adapter'
drivers/built-in.o(.text+0xdd6b5): In function `ttusb_probe':
: undefined reference to `i2c_del_adapter'
drivers/built-in.o(.text+0xdd6f6): In function `ttusb_probe':
: undefined reference to `i2c_del_adapter'
drivers/built-in.o(.text+0xdd717): In function `ttusb_probe':
: undefined reference to `i2c_del_adapter'
drivers/built-in.o(.text+0xdd7da): In function `ttusb_disconnect':
: undefined reference to `i2c_del_adapter'
make: *** [.tmp_vmlinux1] Error 1

WTF is i2c and why do I need it.  I tried recompiling with I2C support enabled in Device Drivers but I still get this crap.

Any ideas?

VROOM VROOOM!!

check compiler versions on both systems

>>2
Damn right.
>>3
It's the same exact Debian Sarge net-install on both systems (unless they updated the compiler on me in between installs ... hmm...)

well, i added all the i2c drivers again and recompiled without doing a 'make clean' - well, it compiled and booted.

now, two problems:
- i have no console on the keyboard/vga at all.  it boots/works though (beep command is wonderful for making your computer make noises at you at various points in boot stage); ssh works, but i'm not even getting bootup messages on the screen.  i turned off vga support in the kernel thinking all i need for text on the screen is mda support, wrong i guess. 
- i saw a bunch of stuff about "LD [M] whatever.mod" thinking it did the modules, so i didn't do "make modules" before "make install".  But then my nat routing is not working, and "iptables -L" bitches about a missing module.  Maybe I'll try "make modules" again.  Eeep!

It boots like WAYYY faster now (like in 10 seconds instead of 3 1/2 minutes)...

>>4
Your distro is broken.  Use Arch Linux.

>>5
How did I utf-8 with arch?

>>6
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Configuring_locales

get gentoo. problem solved

>>5 >>6 >>7 >>8
Um, dumbfucks, I don't think this is dependent on my distro.

Locales are shit. The use of locales brought us the shitty mess of one fucking hundred useless character sets with subtle differences among themselves, a dozen fucking libraries to handle them, and a fucking lot of time wasted on misconfiguration, development, and so on.

I would climb to the world's tallest skyscraper to shout at the world with all my might: UNICODE MOTHERFUCKERS, YOU USE IT!?

OP: I got it working.  It's working and natting my internet now as I type this.

I found the iptables section buried deep in menuconfig.  Built-in all my needed modules from there.

Also, getting text console back was as easy as reenabling the "VGA Text Console" option.  I had first thought that was for framebuffer text mode or something, lol.

So, MY dumbass needed to really study the config options and actually read all of them lol.