why can't i compile a 2.6.10 kernel?

[Tim Gershon <gershon@bmail.kek.jp>]

Hi all,

I suspect the answer to my question must be "because you are an idiot",
but I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.

in /usr/src
% tar xfj kernel-source-2.6.10.tar.bz2
% ln -s kernel-source-2.6.10 linux
% cd linux
% make xconfig

[...]
#
# using defaults found in /boot/config-2.6.8-satellite
#
/boot/config-2.6.8-satellite:129: trying to assign nonexistent symbol
PM_DISK
[... and similar nonexistent symbol messages ...]

% fakeroot make-kpkg clean
/usr/bin/make -f /usr/share/kernel-package/rules real_stamp_clean
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/kernel-source-2.6.10'
test ! -f .config || cp -pf .config config.precious
test -f Makefile && \
            /usr/bin/make   ARCH=i386 distclean
make[2]: Entering directory `/usr/src/kernel-source-2.6.10'
/usr/bin/make -C /usr/src/kernel-source-2.6.10
O=/usr/src/kernel-source-2.6.10 distclean
/usr/bin/make -C /usr/src/kernel-source-2.6.10
O=/usr/src/kernel-source-2.6.10 distclean

... then the last message repeats ad infinitum, until I kill (ctrl-c)

if i skip make-kpkg clean and go directly to make-kpkg kernel-image, i
still get the same infinite loop.  in some cases i've been able to get
the loop even in the make xconfig (or also other make options).

i've succeeded (several times) to compile in the past [most recently 
2.6.8], and i don't think i've removed any essential packages.

so, what's wrong?  and how can i configure, so that it will compile?

thanks in advance

Tim Gershon
http://belle.kek.jp/~gershon/contact.html