aprsd, kiss tnc (tnc-x), which kernel to build?

["Rick Bolen" <rbolen@carolina.rr.com>]

Hello all,

I'm building a new linux server that I want to support AX.25. For now, I'm
anticipating 1 vhf radio port via a [cool new kit] kiss only tnc
(http://www.john.hansen.net/PICTNC.htm), connected with APRSD. (I've built
the kit and tested its' rx functionality... it works great!)

I'm somewhat familiar with the [dated] AX.25How-To, Febo, and other
resources, and I've successsfully compiled in AX.25 before, but having read
debian\linux-hams over the last 12+ months, it appears most report best
stability with 2.2 kernels. I'm thinking 2.4 is probably a lost cause at
this point with 2.6 on the horizon.

So, I have a couple questions...

1) Do I need AX.25 compiled in the kernel if I'm using TNC-X (kiss only) tnc
and only APRSd?

2) I don't currently have any 44.xxx... IP addresses assigned to me (I
requested some awhile back, but recieved no response). Perhaps I don't need
any for this config (I could use 10.xxx or 192.168.xxx on the ax.25
interfaces?), but I understood that the 44.xxx... range had a block reserved
for testing purposes. It's possible that I'll add additional ax.25
functionality in the future, so I'd like to get things setup right to begin
with. Any recommendations, warnings, advice?

3) Which 2.6 kernel source should I build (that has all the bugs fixed;-)?

Thanks to all,

Rick - kg4ofo