make-kpkg not patching kernel

[Geoff Crompton <geoff.crompton@bjhcontrols.com.au>]

  Hi,

  I am trying to build a kernel patched with the freeswan kernel patch.
I have done this previously on several machines using kernel-package. 
However, for some reason, it no longer works. I succeeded on doing this
on a freshly installed woody laptop. However on that same laptop, after
a reinstall, I can no longer do this. I can't even get it to work on the
desktops that I had done it before!
  Any help will be greatly appreciated.

$ dpkg -l '*freeswan*'
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
|
Status=Not/Installed/Config-files/Unpacked/Failed-config/Half-installed
|/ Err?=(none)/Hold/Reinst-required/X=both-problems (Status,Err:
uppercase=bad)
||/ Name           Version        Description
+++-==============-==============-============================================
ii  freeswan       1.96-1.2       IPSEC utilities for FreeSWan
ii  kernel-patch-f 1.96-1.2       IPSEC kernel support for FreeSwan


  I then do
  % cd /usr/src/kernel-source-2.4.18
  % make-kpkg clean
  % export PATCH_THE_KERNEL=yes
  % make-kpkg --config xconfig --revision freeswan.1.0 kernel_image

  The patching is not done, and no ipsec related files are created.

  Geoff Crompton