required libraries for 2.3.x and RPMs

[Paul Newman pgen com]

Hi, I'm running RH6.0 on an i686.
I want to install kernel 2.3.6 (with the USB code from 2.3.10) so I can use USB
with linux (specifically my La Cie USB HDD).
I know the USB code is in devel, but it's OK I've been following the USB mailing
list and know where I can get help there.

The problem is when I unpack the kernel and try to do a make xconfig or make
menuconfig, I get make error 139 and then make error 2. I have upgraded kernels
before without this prob so it's nothing real dumb I hope.

I checked /usr/src/documentation/changes to see if I have the latest libraries,
in case the problem is me not having the required libraries.

The following are strange:

libc5 & libc 6. I am supposed to do `ls - /lib/libc*' to see what versions I
have
(they are supposed to be >v5.4.46 for libc5 and >2.0.7pre6 for libc6. I get the
following output:
     /lib/libc-2.1.1.so
     /lib;/libc.so.6->libc-2.1.1.so

So which version do I have? not sure. Neither can I find which RHH6.0 RPMs do
the necessary.

Then the other funny one is NFS version which is supposed to be checked by using
the `showmount' command. That yields `showmount -command not found' - there is
no "NFS" rpm on the 6.0 CD

Also, checking for the Linux C++ library using `ls-l /usr/lib/libg++.so.*'
yields `egcs 2.91.66' Fine, what version of C++ does that correspond to (I need
>2.7.2.8).

Anyway, the libraries may or may not be up to date. I can't tell. Is this just
the downside of relying on RPMs? Once you have an RPM-based installation, you
can't just go and download the necessary .tar.gz files for the libraries and
install them over the top though because you would  be breaking dependencies.
But which libraries to remove before installing the .tar.gz's?

Am I stupid or is this just an annoying fact of life with RH/RPMs?

If I am wrong about the libraries not being up to date, then what is causing the
failure to do a make menuconfig?

-there was a reference in the error message saying the failures are often caused
by people having upgraded ncurses and having more than one header/pointer in
/usr/include ncurses. I dont recall doing an upgrade of that RPM. How do I
check.? not being a programmer, I'm not sure. Is it ncurses.h? Should I then
delete it?

Any help appreciated

Paul