Kernel, make menuconfig

[Antonio Rodriguez <arodriguez@worldnet.att.net>]

I am trying to recompile the kernel according to KERNEL HOWTO, when I do
make menuconfig it complains that there is no rule. I checked the info
make, it tells me that rule is a file that instructs about changes to be
made. The same happens with xconfig. This is vague for me, I have not
any good understanding of how exactly the kernel works, so I don't think
I can instruct how that should be done.
Do we have a simpler way in Debian?
Can you point some way for understanding what to do?
Thanks,
Antonio.