newbie: kernel images and raid

["Martin" <martin.debian@aeonit.co.uk>]

Hi,

I'd like to use debian for a server project on a Dell 400SC. I want to
stick to a platform that is easily upgradable but one which will also
support booting from software raid.

Is there a kernel image with raid built in (i.e. not as a loadable module)?

If not I understand that I will need to build a custom kernel and turn
raid on in the kernel. If I take this route I believe future kernel
upgrades will always need to built from source?

Now say I build a 2.4.22 system today customise the kernel move the
install to my raid disks etc. I carry on building new 2.4 versions from
source using the kernel package utils.

In a year or so when 2.6 becomes testing and I want to use that am I going
to have to build a new non raid system with a 2.6 image and go through the
same steps of customising and moving the install to raid to do a full dist
upgrade to solve depend issues?

My understanding of the apt system is that by sticking to the standard
kernel images I can just continue to upgrade as new versions become
available without compatability/depend issues(very appealing). I've just
done an apt-get install of the latest kernel image and it pulled
everything in very nicely.

I guess to sum up, "what upgrade issues will I have if I customise the
kernel and migrate to raid disks"

Thanks in advance,

Martin.