Patching the kernel

[Michael Epting <mikeepting@usa.net>]

I'm trying to apply the IDE patch so I can get UDMA with my ASUS P5A
(Aladdin chipset) motherboard.  I know how to build a kernel using
make-dpkg and I have successfully applied patches also, but I have not
before used a Debian kernel-patch deb.  The docs are giving me a
splitting headache.   I'm told (in the kernel-package/README) that:

"If you're using the patch_the_kernel facility, you may want to remove
step 2 and instead insert `--config=menuconfig' into the make-kpkg
command-line of step 4 (or perhaps use `xconfig' or `config' in place of
`menuconfig').  This way, patching the kernel happens before menuconfig
(or whichever), and you'll get better defaults for any questions
introduced by the patches. (Also look at the --added_patches command
line option to selectively apply some patches in conjunction with
patch_the_kernel)."

This certainly seems like good advice because otherwise the Aladdin
options are not available with make xconfig (or whatever config you
use).  Note however that make-kpkg --help does not include this option.
man make-kpkg does mention it, but there is a mysterious semicolon after
target.  Anyway, I've tried it both with and without the semicolon and
neither approach works.

Here's my command line:
make-kpkg --config xconfig --revision=3:epting-idedma.1 kernel_image

and here's the error message:
/usr/share/kernel-package/rules:805: *** Need an config file .config.
Stop.

(At this point, my kernel is possibly patched, because make xconfig does
show the new compile options, but then again, maybe not...)

So, can you either help me with syntax or give me another way to use a
debian kernel-patch file?